By request, the FReeper Canteen looks at
Military Structure ~ Thread Two ~
~ Link to thread One ~
This will be a series of threads, starting out with some basic overviews and continuing with specifics for each branch of the Service. Hope you enjoy! When we finish, we will return to our regularly scheduled Military Short Speak threads. |
Disclaimer: I am not nor ever have been nor claim to be an expert on the military. I rely on the accuracy of internet sources for my information! If there is anything incorrect in this thread, please feel free to respond on the thread and let me know!! Please do so kindly however, and know that I am doing my best as a silly-vilian to get it right!! No animals were harmed in the creating of this thread. All rebates apply. Tax, title and licenses are the responsibility of the purchaser. Proceed with caution...you are about to enter...the Military Zone.
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The Geographical and Unified Command Structure of the United States Armed Forces The U.S. Military Command Structure below the Secretary of Defense and his civilian officials. Before April 17, 2002, there were nine Unified Commmands, four of which were responsible for a geographical Area of Responsibilty (AOR). Each geographical command combines air, sea, and land operations for their AOR. The remaining Unified commands were functional commands with specialities that are implicit in their names, such as transportation, combat, space, special ops and the like. On April 17, 2002, Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld and then Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Meyers announced the new U.S. Unified Command Plan (UCP) (MAP, 2.7MB) which went into effect on October 1, 2002. The new command structure added (as the tenth Unified Command) for the first time since the end of World War II, a command for the U.S. homeland, Northern Command. Northern Command is responsible for Alaska, the continental U.S., as well as 500 miles along coastlines and Northern Mexico and Caribbean. Also modified is the Area of Responsibility (AOR) for European command which is now responsible for Russia, providing military to military assistance and support to Russia and the Caspian Sea region. This reflects the current relationship and cooperation with Russia since the end of the Cold War. The Joint Forces Command, relinquished combatant responsibility and became a functional command, tasked with continued joint development and military transformation. General Meyers also announced that a merger between U.S. Space Command and Strategic is being studied and the results of that exploration will be forthcoming to Secretary Rumsfeld in the near future. The table below summarizes the ten Geographical Combatant Commands. |
U.S. Command Plan (UCP)
Abreviation |
Full Name |
AOR (Area of Responsibilty) |
HQ |
Geographical Combatant Commands |
CENTCOM |
Central Command |
Central region of the Middle East, bordered by Libya in North Africa to the Southwest, Yemen on the South Arabian penninsula, and Iran on the Eastern border. The Mediterranean Sea borders the northern portion of the AOR. Countries in CENTCOM's AOR are: (West to East, North to South) Libya, Egypt, and Lebanon, Israel, Jordon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arabs Emirate, Oman, Iran |
McDill AFB, fFlorida |
EUCOM |
European Command |
All of Europe including (as of October 1, 2002) Russia and the region around the Caspian Sea. Nations in the AOR are: Portugual, Spain, France, Germany, the Ireland, the U.K., Austria, Belgium, Montenegro, Italy, the island of Crete, Greece, Bulgaria, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzgovinia, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Poland, Hungary, Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. Responsible for waters off the Western Coast of Africa and Europe to the U.S. East Coast including the Mediteranean Sea, Caspian Sea, and Atlantic Ocean (assumed responsiblity for the former Atlantic Commands waters in 1999). |
Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany |
NORCOM |
Northern Command |
Extends from Alaska and includes all of the territory of North America including support to Canada, extending across the U.S. homeland, and south to northern Caribbean and Northern Mexico. Standup to occur on 10/01/2002. |
Peterson AFB, Colorado, U.S.A. |
PACOM |
Pacific Command |
Responsible for the entire Pacific Ocean from 500 miles off the U.S. West Coast including Hawaii and Guam, to the Eastern Coast of Africa and the Asia Major (Russia/China) coastline. As of October 1, 2002 there will be a coordination element interfacing to EUCOM for Russian military to U.S. military support efforts. Includes Asia including as far West as Malayasia, Singapore, Indonesia Philippines, Japan, Korea, and China. The AOR also covers all the Polynesian islands as well as Australia and New Zealand. The neutral territory of Antarctica is in the AOR of PACOM as well. |
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A. |
SOUTHCOM |
Southern Command |
Responsible for Central and South America |
Miami, Florida U.S.A. |
Unified Commands |
FORCECOM |
Joint Forces Command |
As of October 1, will relinquish all homeland security responsibility to NORTHCOM and will become a functional command tasked to continue joint weapons and doctrine development especially that of military transformation, focused on personnel and technology issues. |
Norfolk, Virginia U.S.A. |
SPACECOM |
Space Command |
All space borne and ground control elements for military use. Also given responsibility for cyber warfare and computer security and computer development for the services |
Peterson AFB, Colorado U.S.A. |
SOCOM |
Special Operations Command |
All U.S. special operations including air, ground and sea based elite units for spec ops. Includes training and operational doctrine, giving one command the responsibility for creating, maintaining force strength and capibility for immediate deployment of special warfare as directed by the National Command Authority in some cases within 24 hours. Assumed assets of the Ready Response Force |
MacDill AFB, Florida U.S.A. |
STRATCOM |
Strategic Command |
All strategic and combat elements related Mission is " Deter military attack on the United States and its allies, and should deterrence fail, employ forces so as to achieve national objectives" 1 |
Offutt AFB, Nebraska U.S.A. |
TRANSCOM |
Transportation Command |
Assumed the duties of all air and sea lift capabilities for U.S. military. Operates transport aircraft and ships |
Scott AFB, Illinois U.S.A. |
U.S. Strategic Commands, "Who Are We" web page Information gathered at milnet.com. HEADS UP BIGLOOK!!!! Next week: The Command structure of the U.S. Marines.
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And now for a little military humor... CAPTION THIS PHOTO
The Winners: "Geez, these friggin' lowest- bidder contracts! Pull-Start my @$$!!!!" - Bubba OK listen up airman i been doing this fer years I don't give a lick what the book says what ya need ta do is this.. you put the thingyma jig here in the whirly gig.. then ya put a pinch of whatchama call it on the whojiggy and she will be GOOD TO GO! - AL Damn it would be *THAT* rubber band that broke. - The Universal Curmudgeon "Wow, and I thought being an OBGYN was complicated." - D Rob "Caption This" contest found here.
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