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Commander-in-Chief | Unified Commands Structure | Unified Commands Locations & Missions Joint Information Bureau | Joint Operational and Public Affairs Terms

The Defense Information School, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland

Basic Public Affairs Specialist Course

Operational Public Affairs

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Joint service operations

Military services operate and fight as a team, not as individual services, to support national security goals. To communicate effectively with our internal and external audiences, public affairs specialists must understand the organization of the U.S. armed forces and why we do what we do.

Joint Service Operations Operational Public Affairs

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Home | Commander-in-Chief | Unified Commands Structure | Unified Commands Locations & Missions Joint Information Bureau | Joint Operational and Public Affairs Terms

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The role of the commander in chief, service secretaries and the Joint Chiefs of StaffCommander in Chief

When we were in the Military Entrance Processing Station to join the military, we all raised our right hand to defend and support the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Our commander in chief also raised his right hand when he took the Presidential Oath of Office to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Obviously, he can’t do this on his own. Therefore, he has a number of people who work in the Department of Defense and on the National Security Council to help and advise him when it comes to protecting our country and its interests. Let’s start with the Department of Defense.

Service secretaries

Our chain of command starts at our service secretaries and works its way down, i.e. for a Marine or sailor, it begins at the secretary of the Navy. Service secretaries are responsible for servicemember support in an administrative role only.

y They do not wear that service’s uniform.

y They are not in the operational chain of command.a. The Reorganization

Act of 1958 took away operational authority.

The Reorganization Act of 1958

The Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1958 is a United States federal law that was created to provide for more effective administration of the Department of Defense. Its goal was to streamline channels of authority in DOD and still maintain the authority of the military departments. The Act moved decision-making authority from the military departments service secretaries to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the secretary of defense. It also strengthened the command channel of the military over U.S. forces from the president to the secretary of defense.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff

The military service chiefs -- the chief of staff of the Air Force, the chief of staff of the Army, the chief of Naval Operations, the commandant of the Marine Corps and commandant of the Coast Guard -- manage their services for the service secretaries and serve as members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Goldwater-Nichols DOD Reorganization Act of 1986 allows the president to direct that all communications pass through the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,

thereby including the senior ranking member of the armed forces in the communications chain. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the president’s principal military adviser and a statutory adviser to the National Security Council. The National Security Council is composed of the president, the vice president, the secretary of state, the secretary of treasury, the secretary of defense and the assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. The National Security Council is the president’s principal forum for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisers and cabinet officials.

Service chief’s administrative mission

y Recruit personnel into the service

y Train and organize their personnel to accomplish the mission

y Supply, equip and maintain their personnel

y Administer their forces to serve national needs




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Unified command structure and operational mission Military personnel not assigned to support a service’s administrative mission will be assigned to unified combatant commands to support the combat mission. Now let’s take a look at the unified command, its structure and its operational mission to support U.S. national security goals.

The effective use of the nation’s armed forces requires a united effort in operations, according to the “Overview of National Security Structure.” The National Security Act of 1947 unified the services under a single department, the National Military Establishment, under the secretary of national defense, to achieve this goal. The act was amended in 1949 to make the National Military Establishment an executive department, the Department of Defense, headed by the secretary of defense.

Photo courtesy of Defense Imagery




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Unified command structure - Since the Reorganization Act of 1958, the operational mission of U.S. troops is under the control of the unified combatant commands.

1. A unified command is composed of forces from two or more U.S. services and has a broad and continuing mission.

2. Operational control of U.S. combat forces, in peacetime or wartime, is assigned to the combatant commander of each of the unified commands.

3. The unified command structure or chain of command is the president and the secretary of defense. Together, these two make up the National Command Authority. These two people are the only two who have the constitutional authority to direct inter-theater movement of troops and to authorize the execution of military actions. The chain of command then proceeds to the commander of the unified combatant command. The next step in the chain of command is the individual service component commanders assigned to that unified command.





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Our country has three broad national security goals and two strategic concepts.

To be able to communicate effectively with our internal and external audiences, we must understand what the United States government hopes to achieve when it participates in the international arena.

Security Goals

y We will enhance our security by maintaining a strong defense capability and employing effective diplomacy to promote cooperative security measures. NATO is an example of this.

y We will bolster America’s economic revitalization by working to open foreign markets and spur global economic growth.

y Our third goal is to promote democracy abroad, as evidenced by the number of foreign countries trying to move toward democracy.

Strategic Concepts

The two strategic concepts are overseas presence and power projection.

y Overseas presence -- Maintaining an overseas presence helps promote stability and prevent conflict by having trained and ready forces near potential hot spots. It also allows the United States to show its commitment to defend its interests throughout the world.

y Power projection -- Through power projection, the United States can quickly reinforce its overseas units. Having adequate transportation, such as airplanes and cargo ships, available for military use is a key element of the concept.

Can you think of any power projection platforms?

How about an Aircraft Carrier? One U.S. aircraft carrier alone has more fire power than all but seven countries in the world.

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Unified command structure and operational missionThe three components of the two strategic concepts.

1. Peacetime engagement -- Under this component, the U.S. military participates in military-to-military contact programs, aids other countries in strengthening law and order, provides training and equipment to allies and friendly countries, provides humanitarian and disaster relief, helps in the fight against drug trafficking and terrorism, and supports peacekeeping efforts.

2. Deterrence and conflict prevention -- The military supports this component by having a nuclear deterrence capability, developing regional alliances, responding to crises, participating in arms control efforts, practicing openness in its activities whenever possible, evacuating American citizens from danger areas, enforcing sanctions against other countries and enforcing peace in areas on the brink of full scale war.

3. Fight and Win -- how do we do this?

y Clear objectives y Decisive actions y Using wartime power projection y Joint and combined forces

This is the reason the United States has a military force. When it is necessary for the military to fight we must have clear objectives and decisively send in a force sufficient to win. We will do this by using wartime power projection and using joint and combined forces to win and sustain peace.

Photos courtesy of Defense Imagery




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Unified commands locations and missions

The unified combatant commands exist so the Department of Defense and the armed services can help carry out our national security goals. There are 10 unified commands. There are six commands organized around geographical areas and four commands around function. They are:

GEOGRAPHICAL

• U.S. Central Command• U.S. European Command• U.S. Pacific Command• U.S. Southern Command• U.S. Northern Command• U.S. Africa Command

FUNCTION

• U.S. Joint Forces Command• U.S. Special Operations Command• U.S. Strategic Command• U.S. Transportation Command

1. U.S. Central Command Headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. This command is responsible for Afghanistan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and the Republic of Yemen. It also includes the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.

A unique feature of USCENTCOM is that its headquarters and military forces are not located within the theater, but at MacDill AFB in Florida, and there are no forward land-based forces. In effect, this is an “over the horizon” power projection and contingency concept. This means that forces supplied by the other unified commands arrive only after being invited and depart as soon as possible after the mission is achieved. The command’s missions are to protect oil reserves and establish political stability.




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2. U.S. European Command Headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. This command is responsible for most of Europe, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. The command’s missions are:

a. Promote stability in the region. b. Maintain ready forces to conduct the full spectrum of military operations. c. Enhance trans-Atlantic security through support of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

3. U.S. Pacific Command Headquartered in Honolulu. This command is responsible for the Pacific and Indian oceans from the West Coast of the U.S. to the east coast of Africa, from the Arctic to Antarctica. It also includes Hawaii, Alaska, Japan, Australia, Korea and China. This command covers more than 100 million square miles, which is more than half the world’s surface. The command’s missions are to promote peace and deter aggression through support of allies.

4. U.S. Southern Command Headquartered in Miami, Fla. Much of SOUTHCOM’s coordination is done through military groups, which are small teams of service members who operate out of U.S. embassies throughout the region.

The USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility includes the land mass of Latin America south of Mexico. The waters adjacent to Central and South America. The Caribbean Sea, its 13 island nations, European and U.S. territories. It includes the Gulf of Mexico and a portion of the Atlantic Ocean. It encompasses 32 countries (19 in Central and South America and 13 in the Caribbean) and covers about 15.6 million square miles.

The command’s missions:

a. Defend the Panama Canal and sea lines of communication. b. Help regional militaries combat insurgency, terrorism and narco- trafficking. c. Support search and rescue and disaster relief missions.

5. U.S. Northern Command Headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., the command is unique in that it will obtain the military assets required by other federal agencies during domestic emergencies. In most cases federal, state and local civil authorities will be in

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charge of the emergency situations the Northern Command will be asked to support. Here ahe command’s missions:

a. Defend the United States homeland, its states, territories, trusts and commonwealths.

b. Area of responsibility includes all air, land and sea approaches into this country. It encompasses the continental United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico and the surrounding water out to approximately 500 nautical miles, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

c. It is staffed by all five branches of the military and each service’s reserve component.

d. Assignments and tasks will be generated from the lead agency in charge, not from the military command.

6. U.S. Africa Command, Headquartered at Stuttgart, Germany until headquarters are built in Africa Its missions are to conduct sustained security engagement through military-to-military programs, military-sponsored activities, and other military operations as directed to promote a stable and secure African environment in support of U.S. foreign policy.

This is the newest command in the Unified Command Plan. Its AOR includes 53 African countries including portion of Indian Ocean. Works with U.S. Central Command in dealing with Egypt.

7. U.S. Joint Forces Command, headquartered in Norfolk, Va. The command’s missions are to:

a. Conduct joint training and ensure readiness of response forces.

b. Discover promising alternatives through joint concept development and experimentation.

c. Define enhancements to joint war fighting requirements.

d. Deliver joint forces and capabilities to war fighting commanders.

8. U.S. Special Operations Command Headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. Responsible for all Special Forces, Rangers, SEALs, Air Commandos and similar forces. It provides central coordination of training and organization of the special purpose forces and, on direction of the President, conducts special operations anywhere in the world. Here are the command’s missions:

a. Prepare forces for special operations, psychological operations and civil affairs missions.





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b. Administer special operations through service component commands and Joint Special Operations Command at Pope Air Force Base, N.C. c. Standardizes all special operations for the U.S. military.

9. U.S. Strategic Command Headquartered at Offut Air Force Base, Neb. USSTRATCOM is the command and control center for U.S. strategic forces and controls military space operations, computer network operations, information operations, and strategic warning and intelligence assessments, as well as global strategic planning. Here is the command’s mission:

STRATCOM is charged with deterring and defending against nuclear attack on the United States and its allies or, if deterrence fails, conducting a strategic nuclear attack by means of sea-launched ballistic missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles and bomber-delivered weapons.



10. U.S. Transportation Command headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. TRANSCOM is responsible for land, sea and air transportation. The command’s mission is:

a. Provide air, sea and land transportation to the DOD in peace and war.




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Joint information bureau Now that we’ve covered what a unified command is, its mission and how it supports U.S. national security goals, let’s look at how a joint information bureau (JIB) supports a unified command in a real-world mission/operation. JIB personnel will function as the area of operation public affairs headquarters.

1. JIBs support the information and logistical requirements of large numbers of news media representatives.

y This includes things normally provided for reporters, such as answers to queries, interview and photo opportunities, press briefings or escorting media to field units.

y But it also includes acquiring equipment such as gas masks, flak vests and rain gear or arranging medical care for a reporter’s injury, access to dining facilities and a place for reporters to sleep and work.

y JIBs provide media accreditation.

2. JIBs develop appropriate public affairs “messages” or “themes” that support operational goals. These can address the mission, operational milestones, statistics and trends, accident details, leadership concerns, etc. This ensures all spokespersons are singing from the same sheet of music.

y Message development is a deliberate process and should involve close coordination with approved DOD public affairs guidance, the Joint Force commander, the nations involved and the American Embassy. Never let your messages develop haphazardly. Staff all responses through primary and personal staff members.

y Your troops can also be used as force multipliers for disseminating your messages. This will mean providing media training to service members as they deploy.

3. JIBs develop and provide in theater PA guidance to the field, such as ground rules, security review, theater airlift approval and logistical support policies.

4. JIBs provide a link between the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs and public affairs staffs throughout the area of operations.

JIBs are organized in a hub and spoke fashion. The main JIB makes communications policies and decisions. It should be organized in a rear, easily accessible area near the operations hub. This location allows for the easiest access to needed information and commanders, and ensures communications capability.

• Sub JIBs gather information, escort media and arrange transportation. These elements are established as needed at forward operating bases and locations of intense activity. Sub JIBs ideally consist of about five people, and PA cells may have as few as one individual.




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Joint operational and public affairs terms

Public affairs guidance

A package of information to

support the public discussion of

defense issues and operations. It may include news releases and responses to anticipated

questions.

Joint

Operations or commands involving more than one U.S.

service.

Sub-unified

A subordinate joint command that

has a continuing mission for a

geographically smaller area

within a unified command’s area of

operations.

Component commanders

Service commanders in a unified command.

Joint information bureau (JIB)

This is the temporary public affairs element

assigned to a JTF or set up for a

joint operation or exercise.

Combined

A command, staff or exercise

involving the military forces of more than one nation. (Note: Having foreign

national employees does not make

your organization a combined

organization.)

Joint task force (JTF)

A temporary subordinate command,

normally given a specific operational

mission.

Annex F

The annex to an operation plan or order that describes the public affairs aspects of the

operation.


Basic Public Affairs Specialist Course

Operational Public Affairs

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Conclusion


Due to the nature of today’s military operations, it is necessary to understand why we fight as a joint service team and each service’s role as a member of the team. By understanding this, we can contribute to the realization of our country’s national security goals by facilitating the media’s needs in a joint atmosphere.


The Center of Excellence for Visual Information and Public Affairs14

References


(2005) Joint publication 3-61: Public affairs. http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/new_pubs/jp3_61.pdf Retrieved May 04, 2009

http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/new_pubs/jp3_61.pdf

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