Unified Combatant Commands

Foundation

Unified CCMD Establishment

The U.S. President, assisted by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff through the Secretary of Defense, establishes unified CCMDs for the performance of military missions.

Unified CCMD Definition

Unified CCMDs have a broad, continuing mission composed of forces from two or more military departments.

Authority Over Assigned Units

Authority Over Assigned

All units assigned or attached to a unified combatant command remain under:

The combatant command authority of the unified combatant command commander
The administrative control authority of the respective service component commander

Force Transfer Restrictions

Once assigned or attached to a unified combatant command, a force CANNOT be transferred except by:

Authority of the Secretary of Defense
Under special procedures with approval of the U.S. President

Unified Command Plan (UCP)

UCP Definition

The Unified Command Plan is a CLASSIFIED executive branch document prepared by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that assigns:

Missions
Planning, training, and operational responsibilities
Geographic areas of responsibilities to CCMDs

UCP Impact

The Unified Command Plan has a significant impact on how CCMDs are:

Organized
Trained
Resourced

…areas over which Congress has constitutional authority.

UCP Review Cycle

The plan is reviewed and updated EVERY TWO YEARS.

Unified Combatant Commands