Secretary of Defense
Responsible to the President for creating, supporting, and employing military capabilities
• Provides authoritative direction and ... [Show More] control over the Services
• Exercises control of, and authority over, those forces not specifically assigned to combatant commands
• Administers authority through the military departments, the Service Chiefs, and applicable chains of command
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Principal military adviser to the President, the NSC, and the Secretary of Defense
(SecDef)
• Functions under the authority of the President and the direction and control of the
President and SecDef
• Oversees the activities of the combatant commanders (CCDRs) as directed by the
SecDef
• Transmits communications between the President or the SecDef and the CCDRs
Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD)
is the principal staff element of the Secretary of Defense in the exercise of
policy development, planning, resource management, fiscal and program evaluation
and oversight, and interface and exchange with other US Government (USG)
departments and agencies, foreign governments, and international organizations,
through formal and informal processes.
• also performs oversight and management of the defense agencies and DOD
field activities
• 17 Defense Agencies
• 11 Field Activities
Unified Combatant Commands
Exercise combatant command (command authority) (COCOM) over assigned forces
• Responsible to the President and SecDef for the performance of assigned
missions and preparedness of their commands to perform assigned missions
• 6 Geographic Cmds
• 3 Functional Cmds
• Service Components
Military Departments
Headed by civilian secretaries (Army, Navy, Air Force)
• Organize, train, and equip forces to operate across the range of military operations
• Provide for the administration and support of all those forces within their department,
including those assigned or attached to combatant commanders (CCDRs)
Authority and Control within DOD/Branches of the Chain of Command
The President, through the SecDef, to CCDRs
for missions and forces assigned to their
commands
• For purposes other than operational direction of
forces, President, through the SecDef, to the
secretaries of the military departments
Authority and Control of Military Departments
Operate under the authority, direction, and control
of the applicable Secretary
• Department secretaries exercise authority
through their respective Service Chiefs of Staff
(Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) for the Navy)
over Service forces NOT assigned to the CCDRs
• Service chiefs perform their duties under the
authority, direction and control of their respective
secretaries
Authority and Control of Combatant Commanders (CCDRs)
Exercise combatant command (command authority) (COCOM) of assigned forces
• Are directly responsible to the President and SecDef for the performance of assigned missions and their commands' preparedness
• Prescribe the chain of command within their combatant commands
• Designate the appropriate command authority to be exercised by subordinate commanders
• Commanders in the chain of command exercise
COCOM, operational control (OPCON), tactical
control (TACON) or a support command
relationship as prescribed by law or designated by
their military superior.
• Unless otherwise directed, COCOM is reserved
for the CCDR over designated forces.
Authority and Control of the Secretaries of the Military Departments
Exercise administrative control (ADCON) through the commanders of Service component commands (SCCs) assigned to combatant commands
• Exercise ADCON through the Service chiefs for forces not assigned to combatant commands
• In coordination with other department secretaries and with the CCDRs, administer, support,
organize, train, equip and provide forces to fulfill specific roles
Who is the principal military advisor to the President, the NSC?
Chairman of the JCS
Who maintains Administrative control for forces assigned to combatant commanders?
ADCON for forces assigned to combatant commanders remains with the appropriate Service secretary
Army Roles per US Code Title 10
It is the intent of Congress to provide an Army that is capable, in conjunction with the other armed forces, of—
(1) preserving the peace and security, and providing for the defense, of the United States, the Commonwealths and possessions, and any areas occupied by the United States;
(2) supporting the national policies;
(3) implementing the national objectives; and,
(4) overcoming any nations responsible for aggressive acts that imperil the peace and security of the United States."
Joint Staff
• Assists the Chairman with the unified strategic direction, operations and integration
• Assesses Service programs and budgets and identifies alternatives
• Identifies and assesses joint warfighting capabilities and acquisition requirements
• Develops joint doctrine
Functions of the Military Departments
• Recruit
• Service
• Organize
• Mobilize
• Supply
• Demobilize
• Equip
• Administer
• Train
• Maintain
• Construct, outfit, and repair equipment
• Construct, maintain, and repair building
Functions of Combatant Commanders (CCDRs)
Direct subordinate commands and forces to
carry out assigned missions, to include all
aspects of military operations, joint training and
logistics
• Prescribe the chain of command within the
combatant command
• Organize commands and forces as necessary
to carry out assigned missions
• Employ forces as necessary to carry out
assigned missions
• Assign command functions to subordinate
commanders
• Coordinate and approve aspects of
administration, support, and discipline
necessary to carry out assigned missions
• Select subordinate commanders and combatant
command staff, suspend subordinates, and
convene courts-martial
Who communicates instructions from the SecDef to the Combatant Commanders?
Instructions to CCDRs from the SecDef are transmitted to the CCDRs through the CJCS.
Unified Command Plan (UCP)
The document, approved by the President, that
sets forth basic guidance to all unified combatant
commanders
• Establishes their missions, responsibilities, and
force structure
• Delineates the general geographical area of
responsibility for geographic combatant
commanders
• Specifies functional responsibilities for functional
combatant commanders
Who approves of the UCP?
The SecDef approves the UCP after it is staffed by OSD and forwards it through the National Security Council (NSC) to the President for approval and signature. [Show Less]
