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The Homeland Defense layer provides operations centers and services for many levels of Homeland Defense operations.  Operations centers include: NORTHCOM; NORAD; STRATCOM; CENTCOM, JFCOM, PACOM, and EUCOM.  Each of these commands forms an umbrella of sub-components.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  (Redirected from Northcom)

 

United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM, or informally just NORTHCOM) is a Unified Combatant Command of the United States military. Created on October 1, 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, its mission is to protect the United States homeland and support local, state, and federal authorities. The support that USNORTHCOM provides to civil authorities is limited by the Posse Comitatus Act which limits the role of the U.S. military in civil law enforcement.

 

USNORTHCOM’s Area of Responsibility (AOR) includes air, land and sea approaches and encompasses the United States, and its territories[1], Canada, and the surrounding water out to approximately 500 nautical miles (930 km). It also includes the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida. The commander of USNORTHCOM is responsible for theater security cooperation with Canada and Mexico.

 

USNORTHCOM is composed of several standing Joint Task Forces (JTFs) previously assigned to United States Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM): Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region, Joint Task Force-Civil Support, Joint Task Force Alaska, and Joint Task Force North. USNORTHCOM service components include U.S. Fifth Army/ARNORTH, First Air Force/AFNORTH, MARFORNORTH, and United States Fleet Forces Command.

 

USNORTHCOM headquarters has approximately 1,200 uniformed and civilian members, and few permanent forces. Forces from all branches of the U.S. military may be assigned to the Command as needed to complete its mission.

 

Commander, U.S. Northern Command is concurrently Commander of the U.S.-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). The two are co-located at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. General Ralph Eberhart was the first CDRUSNORTHCOM.

 

The current commander of the U.S. Northern Command is General Victor E. Renuart Jr., USAF.