Note: In April 2002, the Defense Department announced changes to its Unified Command Plan, creating a new Northern Command and shifting geographic areas of responsibility of several other commands. See the DoD announcement here.
US Joint Forces [USJFCOM]
The U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) was created by the 1999 revision of the Unified Command. It replaced the U.S. Atlantic Command (USACOM), which was created by the 1993 revision of the Unified Command Plan in response to the Congressional intent for a seamless, joint U.S. military first proposed in the landmark Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986. Since its establishment in 1993, USACOM refocused its efforts from primarily a maritime command to become the premier trainer, integrator and provider of Continental United States (CONUS) based forces to fulfill worldwide operational requirements.
USJFCOM integrates the military capabilities of nearly all forces based in the continental United States [ CONUS] through its components: the Air Force's Air Combat Command, the Army's Forces Command, the Marine Corps' Marine Forces Atlantic, and the Navy's Atlantic Fleet. USACOM has combatant command (COCOM) of over 80% of the active combatant force structure in CONUS.
The Commander in Chief of U.S. Joint Forces Command also commands the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Atlantic (ACLANT), which is one of the two major NATO military commands and the only one in North America. It is the senior military authority for NATO land, sea and air forces in the North Atlantic area, from the North Pole to the Tropic of Cancer, and from the East Coast of North America to the West Coast of Africa and Europe, approximately 12 million square miles. The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) is nominated by the President of the United States and approved by the North Atlantic Council, NATO's highest governing body. He receives his direction from the NATO Military Committee. The Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic is a UK Navy vice admiral.
The U.S. Joint Forces Command area of responsibility includes the Atlantic Ocean west of 17 degrees East (excluding the waters adjoining South and Central America, south of 8 degrees North and west of 30 degrees West), the Arctic Ocean east of 95 degrees West and west of 100 degrees East, and Greenland and other islands, except the United Kingdom and Ireland, in all assigned water areas. On order of the Secretary of Defense, the Caribbean Sea and its island nations and European possessions, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean south of 28 degrees North and west of 58 degrees West was recently transferred to the US Southern Command Area of Responsibility. Within its AOR, USACOM is responsible for conducting joint operations, humanitarian assistance, counterdrug operations and military support for civilian authorities.
In addition to the four Service components,
USJFCOM exercises command over the Special Operations Command,
Atlantic; the U.S. Forces Azores; the Iceland Defense Force; and the
counter-narcotics Joint Task Force 6 in El Paso, Texas.
Subordinate Units
Sources
http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/dod/usjfcom/
Maintained by Steven Aftergood
Created by John Pike
Updated Monday, January 31, 2000 5:29:08 PM
