FYI:
National Command Authorities (NCA. . president and Sec Def) approve military operations involving border crossing authority.
Sec State has a significant role in assisting the NCA make that decision, meaning the Sec State helps the NCA evaluate the political implications. There are many others that are involved and have a voice but do not have a vote.
The theater CINC received his orders from the NCA, and that is how the chain works.
The theater CINC cannot on his own grant BCA. He needs NCA approval before he invades.
FYI:
You pretty much said the same thing I did, but you used all the ‘cool guy’ acronyms....wow!!!! Boy, I feel smarter reading all those acronyms.
I fully understand that there are political implications in pretty much everything on the world stage. But when you’re folks are getting attacked and killed, those implications go out the window. Everything else gets sorted out later at a meeting somewhere in Switzerland or the UN.
Sorry, I don’t have the same ability to use all the ‘cool guy’ acronyms nor the desire to try and impress the Free Republic world with how the Chain of Command works at the highest levels of government, in times of crisis. My post was merely to point out, what most on here already know(actually), that the SecState doesn’t have the authority to activate any military asset at her whim or desire. That all comes form the CINC and the military...Your...NCA