# Presentation: 294009

## “USNORTHCOM 101”

**Notes:**
Good morning/afternoon.  My name is __________.  I am the __________ at U.S. Northern Command, headquartered on Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and introduce you to America’s newest unified military command.

## Overview

**Where we’ve come from**
**Who we are**
**What we do**
**What we don’t do**
**Summary**
**Questions**

**Notes:**
I’ll be providing you with an overview of U.S. Northern Command – or, USNORTHCOM – explaining where we’ve come from, what we do, what we don’t do, and the way ahead for the future.

## Where we’ve come from – a look back

**Notes:**
For most of our history, America’s wars were usually fought “over there.” The oceans were natural allies, helping to keep external threats at a safe distance.

Before September 11, 2001, 1942 was the last time that enemy forces struck against American sovereignty on American soil when the Japanese dropped incendiary bombs on Oregon.  Few people know about this because President Roosevelt ordered a “news blackout” of the event.

Reflecting the assumption that threats to the United States were mostly external, the Department of Defense had assigned the regions of the world to various commands whereby one commander would leverage various land, sea and air forces, to address threats to American interests arising within his specific area of responsibility.  

However, the defense of America itself was left to a variety of military organizations located within the country.

## Where we are now

**Notes:**
Subsequent to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, we realized that placing the defense of the United States -- and the coordination of military assistance to civil authorities -- under a single unified command would allow us to respond faster and operate more efficiently than the various military organizations had been able to do in the past.

When a contingency occurs, it is critically important that there be unity of command.  That’s what the other regional combatant commands provide in their respective corners of the world – and that is what USNORTHCOM now provides in this region.

## The Area of Responsibility

**Notes:**
As a regional combatant command, USNORTHCOM has a specific area of responsibility that it operates in.  This particular region is referred to as the “homeland” – generally defined as North America, including the 48 contiguous states, Alaska, Canada and Mexico, some Caribbean island nations including Puerto Rico and Cuba, and the surrounding water out to approximately 500 nautical miles.

## Who’s in the Area of Responsibility

**Mexico**

**Puerto Rico**

**United States**

**U.S. Virgin Islands**

**Cuba**

**Bahamas**

**The AOR includes U.S. territories, island nations and European possessions.  It does not include Greenland.  Alaska is in the AOR.  Alaskan *****forces***** and the State of Hawaii remain within U.S. Pacific Command’s AOR.**

***Who’s in the Area of Responsibility***

**Notes:**
It is important to note that the existence of USNORTHCOM does not alter the relationship the United States has with any of the territories, countries or possessions.  Many of these are sovereign nations and we respect their sovereignty.  They do not in any way “fall under” USNORTHCOM’s command and control.

In addition to the countries shown, the AOR also includes the British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, Bermuda and, St. Pierre and Miquelon – French territorial islands off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

## Strategic environment has changed

**Shanksville, PA**

**Washington, D.C.**

**New York City**

**Notes:**
The importance of the unity of command that USNORTHCOM provides cannot be overstated.  The terrorist attacks that occurred September 11, 2001 made it very clear that the strategic environment we operate in has changed significantly from what it was just a few years a go.

The oceans no longer protect our homeland from external threats.  Moreover, we now realize that we are vulnerable to attacks from within – attacks that can come unexpectedly and that demand a rapid, determined response.

## Who we are - U.S. Northern Command

***Who we are - U.S. Northern Command***

**Gen. Eberhart**

**A regional **
**unified command **
**for homeland defense**

**ARNORTH**

**NORTHAF**

**MARFORNORTH**

**NAVNORTH**

**JOINT FORCE**
**HQ - HLS**

**JOINT TASK FORCE **
**CIVIL SUPPORT**

**JOINT TASK FORCE 6**

**CMOC**

**ACC**

**FORSCOM**

**MARFORLANT**

**CFFC/LANTFLT**

**Notes:**
In April 2002, the President and Secretary of Defense called for the creation of USNORTHCOM to unify the military defense of our homeland and to coordinate the Department of Defense’s assistance to civil authorities when needed. 

This chart shows many of the forces available to USNORTHCOM – some, like Joint Force Headquarters-Homeland Security, Joint Task Force-6 and Joint Task Force-Civil Support, are permanently assigned to USNORTHCOM.  The others support USNORTHCOM as well as other commands.  Each of the military services are tasked with providing support to USNORTHCOM when needed. 

USNORTHCOM is a joint command, with a headquarters staff comprising members of all branches of military service – Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard. It also includes civilian employees, contractors and liaisons from various federal agencies, including FEMA, the FBI, the Department of State, and others.  The budget for fiscal year 2003 is $81 million.

The Commander of USNORTHCOM is Air Force General Ed Eberhart.  He is dual-hatted, also serving as the Commander of NORAD.  NORAD and USNORTHCOM headquarters are now located in what is referred to as “Building 2” on Peterson Air Force Base.

## NORTHCOM’s  Mission

**Conduct operations to deter, prevent and defeat threats and aggression aimed at the United States, its territories, and interests within the assigned area of responsibility;**
**As directed by the President or Secretary of Defense, provide military assistance to civil authorities including consequence management operations.**

**Notes:**
Most combatant commands have a mission that is focused on military defense.  USNORTHCOM is different in that it was formed to provide both military defense and military support to civil authorities if needed and when directed.  Our mission statement shows these two taskings.  The military assistance to civil authorities will most often be help provided to a lead federal agency to mitigate the effects or damages caused by some disaster.

It is incumbent on USNORTHCOM to build and maintain solid relationships with civilian agencies to ensure good cooperation, coordination, and that information flows throughout the entire network of organizations involved in homeland security.  

## Not a new mission

**“... ****against all enemies, foreign and domestic...”**
**Millions of service members have been taking this oath for many years.**

**Notes:**
Defending our homeland is nothing new to the American military service member.  All of us who have served in the U.S. military took an oath that we would support and defend the Constitution of the United States against ALL enemies...foreign AND domestic.

The military officer’s oath states: 

"I...do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter, so help me God.”

## Homeland security & Homeland defense

**Homeland Security**
**National, team effort**
**Fights against terrorism**
**Homeland Defense**
**Protects territory, sovereignty, population and infrastructure.****	**

**Notes:**
You may be wondering what the difference is between homeland security and homeland defense, and how USNORTHCOM fits in to those two things.

Homeland security is a national effort that includes individuals and organizations working together to prevent terrorist attacks within the USA, reduce our vulnerability to terrorism and if terrorist attacks should occur again, to minimize the damage and recover from them.

Homeland defense is the protection of U.S. territory, sovereignty, the domestic population and our critical infrastructure.  USNORTHCOM provides homeland defense and is only one piece of the national homeland security effort.

## The USNORTHCOM shield

**Notes:**
Shields and crests have been an important tradition in military service for centuries.  This is the symbol we have taken to be the emblem of U.S. Northern Command.  

(NOTE:  The full text explaining the shield and its symbols is found on the last slide.  It is a hidden slide.  It is located there because the text is too long to fit in the “notes” section of this slide.)

## How NORTHCOM fits together

***How NORTHCOM fits together***

**PRESIDENT**

**SECRETARY**
**OF DEFENSE**

**CHAIRMAN OF THE**
**JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF**

**CDRARNORTH**

**FORSCOM**

**CDRNORTHAF**

**ACC**

**UNITED STATES**
**NORTHERN COMMAND**

**CDRMARFORNORTH**

**MARFORLANT**

**CFFC/LANTFLT**

**CDRNAVNORTH**

** ****JOINT FORCE HQ**
** ****HLS**

**CDRCMOC**

**COMBATANT COMMANDS**

**OTHER FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS & AGENCIES**

**COMMAND RELATIONSHIP**
**SUPPORTING/SUPPORTED RELATIONSHIP**
**COORDINATING RELATIONSHIP**

**DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY**

**STATE **
**GOV’S**

**Notes:**
Most people understand what the separate services, like the Navy or the Air Force, do.  What is not as well understood is, how the separate services provide forces to the combatant commands like USNORTHCOM.

USNORTHCOM has comparatively few assigned forces, which maximizes efficiency and minimizes redundancy.  If a contingency develops warranting a response from USNORTHCOM, the command may respond with its own assigned forces or, it may reach out to any or all of the various services, including the Coast Guard, to provide the appropriate forces.

As you can imagine, building and sustaining relationships is very important to USNORTHCOM.  Not only does USNORTHCOM maintain relationships with other commands and all the services, it also has relationships with many federal agencies.

## Interagency coordination

**Federal**

**Military**

**Notes:**
USNORTHCOM has as part of its mission, providing military assistance to civil authorities when tasked by the President or Secretary of Defense – most likely in response to an emergency, helping deal with its consequences or clean-up.  

Its important to note that USNORTHCOM only provides assistance after the lead federal agency asks the Department of Defense for it, and after DoD tasks USNORTHCOM to provide it.

The Federal Emergency Response Plan categorizes national emergencies into 12 main areas. It also identifies which of 27 federal agencies has the lead in responding to each type of emergency and which agencies are in support.  Except in national emergencies classified as “public works,” the Department of Defense is always in support of civilian agencies.  

USNORTHCOM works with  approximately 50 different agencies, including those listed here.  Several agencies have people permanently assigned to USNORTHCOM who assist with communication and coordination, including the NSA, FBI, NASA, DIA, DISA, DTRA, NRO, FAA, NIMA, USGS, USA Corps of Engineers, and Joint Theater Air Missile Defense Organization.

It is also important to note that several federal agencies are now part of the Department of Homeland Security.  USNORTHCOM is not a part of, nor does it report to, the Department of Homeland Security.  USNORTHCOM is a military command within the Department of Defense.

## Who-does-what – and when

***Who-does-what – and when***

**FEDERAL **

**STATE **

**LOCAL **

**Notes:**
This slide illustrates at what point local, state, and federal organizations may become involved in responding to an emergency.

When a disaster happens, the first responders are the local agencies – police, fire, EMS.  If the emergency exceeds their ability to contain or manage it, they usually seek state-level assistance.

If the emergency is large enough, the state may seek federal assistance.  If the emergency pushes the limits of the lead federal agency’s ability to manage it – for example, if they need additional people with specific skills or some special equipment – they may contact the President or Department of Defense and ask for that assistance.  DOD will evaluate the request and, if it looks like the military does indeed have those skills or that equipment, DOD may task USNORTHCOM with providing that support to the lead federal agency.

## What we do...

**Regional combatant command**

**Assistance to civil authorities**

**Notes:**
But first and foremost, we are warfighters – a point we want to underscore. It is USNORTHCOM’s job to safeguard and defend America and American interests within our area of responsibility.

## Actions since October 1, 2002

** ****Hurricane Lili**
** ****Washington, D.C. Sniper**
** ****State of the Union Address**
** ****Space Shuttle Columbia **
** ****Exercises**

**Notes:**
We have been busy.  In addition to all of the work in actually starting up a new combatant command, NORTHCOM has been a participant in each of these:

In October 2002, we were ready with a Defense Coordination Officer when Hurricane Lili came ashore in Louisiana.
NORTHCOM provided assistance to the FBI in their search for the sniper terrorizing the National Capital region.
We supported the U.S. Capitol Police in their efforts to keep our nation’s capital safe and secure during the President’s state of the union speech early in 2003.
NORTHCOM aided the recovery efforts of the Space Shuttle Columbia.
We also conduct or participate in exercises. Some, like “Top Officials 2” in early 2002, are opportunities for several state and federal agencies including the Department of Defense, to practice working together responding to simulated disasters.

In addition to these activities, we have been moving toward attaining full operational capability and running several internal exercises to help ourselves train and prepare.

## What we don’t do...

**Not the police auxiliary**
**Not taking the lead over federal, state or local agencies**

**Notes:**
I’ve explained what USNORTHCOM is.  Now, let me touch on what USNORTHCOM is not:

USNORTHCOM is not a new security or law enforcement agency. It is not part of the Department of Homeland Security.

USNORTHCOM does not replace or take control over any civilian agency, whether it is the city fire department, the county sheriff, the state highway patrol, or the federal bureau of investigation.  

## Only when directed

**Provide **
**military assistance **
**to civil authorities **
**when requested  **
_**and **_** **
**when directed.**

**Notes:**
USNORTHCOM does not jump into every emergency.  In fact, USNORTHCOM will probably support civil authorities during comparatively few emergencies.  The reason is, local, state and federal agencies are very experienced in handling emergencies.  For USNORTHCOM to become involved, the emergency must exceed the ability of the local, state and federal agencies to provide the total response.  

If that occurs, then, the lead agency – most likely FEMA or the FBI – decide themselves whether to ask the Department of Defense for help – for example, to lend some special medical equipment.  The DOD will evaluate that request and, if it looks like USNORTHCOM has the kinds of skills or equipment that can meet that specific need, DOD will direct USNORTHCOM to provide that support.

The local police cannot pick up the phone and ask USNORTHCOM for backup.  Neither can NORTHCOM decide to go and help or take control over some situation without being tasked to do so.

## Assistance to civil authorities

**Communications**
**Information sharing**
**Special equipment**
**Special skills**

**Notes:**
“Support” does not mean that we deploy troops or scramble fighter jets.  In most cases, support will be limited, localized, and specific.  Also, the support provided will come as a last resort and, when the volatility of the disaster is reduced to the point that the lead agency can again assume full control and management without military assistance, then we will exit leaving the on-scene experts to finish the job.

## Summary	

**Combatant Command**
**One-stop shop for MACA**
***When asked***
***When tasked***
**Relationship building**

**Notes:**
USNORTHCOM provides warfighters... it is a unified combatant command that deters, prevents and defeats threats against America and American interests within the AOR.

Unlike the other combatant commands, USNORTHCOM has an additional aspect  of our mission: Providing military assistance to civil authorities.  However, it is important to remember that USNORTHCOM doesn’t rush into every emergency and take charge.  USNORTHCOM can provide assistance only when the lead federal agency asks, and only when the President or DOD task us to provide that assistance.

While we are executing our mission, we will continue to develop our relationships with other federal agencies and, when and as appropriate, with agencies in other countries within our area of responsibility.

## Questions

***Visit ***_[www.](http://www.northcom.mil/)__[northcom](http://www.northcom.mil/)__[.mil](http://www.northcom.mil/)_*** ***
***for more information***

***Questions***

**Notes:**
Thank you for your time and your interest in U.S. Northern Command.  Are there any questions?

## In the forefront is the American eagle, symbolizing our great nation and our commitment to national security.  Representing peace and war are the olive branch and arrows held in the eagle’s talons.  There are 13 leaves on the branch and 13 arrows, signifying the first thirteen states.  The eagle's head is turned toward the olive branch, indicating our desire for peace.
On the eagle's chest is a shield, a warrior’s primary piece of defensive equipment.  The 13 alternating red (courage and fortitude) and white (peace and sincerity) bars on the shield represent the 13 original colonies.  The chief (the upper part of the shield), in blue, embodies the colonies’ strength, vigilance and perseverance.  The chief holds 13 six-pointed stars, a reference to the six-pointed design from General George Washington's personal flag.  This flag was flown during his winter encampment at Valley Forge.  General Washington had a personal protection force, which consisted of a few hand-picked men from each of the colonies.  This special guard carried these colors.  The symbols from the Washington flag are a reminder of the efforts of the Continental Army, who served as our nation's first military organization to free and protect our homeland. 
The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, provided the impetus for the formation of United States Northern Command to defend our homeland.  A depiction of United States Northern Command’s area of responsibility is in the background, shielded by the eagle.  On the area of responsibility are three gold stars, signifying each of the attack sites of September 11, 2001.  These gold stars pay tribute to those who lost their lives, reminiscent of the Gold Star Mothers and Widows who lost family members in service to our nation.  The "gold star" tradition began in World War I when white service flags were displayed from homes, businesses, schools and churches.  These flags contained blue stars, representing loved ones serving in the military.  Gold stars stitched over blue stars subsequently showed those who gave their lives for our country, and the devotion and pride of their family. 
The five stars at the top of the crest represent the five services: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.  The stars are eight-pointed, signifying the eight points on a compass, and symbolizing our mission to counter the global threat of terrorism.  The stars are lined up over the area of responsibility, depicting the umbrella of protection that United States Northern Command provides North America.
The outside rings of red, blue and red with the white lettering of the Command's name are representative of the colors of the Nation and our national flag.

**On the eagle's chest is a shield, a warrior’s primary piece of defensive equipment.  The 13 alternating red (courage and fortitude) and white (peace and sincerity) bars on the shield represent the 13 original colonies.  The chief (the upper part of the shield), in blue, embodies the colonies’ strength, vigilance and perseverance.  The chief holds 13 six-pointed stars, a reference to the six-pointed design from General George Washington's personal flag.  This flag was flown during his winter encampment at Valley Forge.  General Washington had a personal protection force, which consisted of a few hand-picked men from each of the colonies.  This special guard carried these colors.  The symbols from the Washington flag are a reminder of the efforts of the Continental Army, who served as our nation's first military organization to free and protect our homeland. **
**The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, provided the impetus for the formation of United States Northern Command to defend our homeland.  A depiction of United States Northern Command’s area of responsibility is in the background, shielded by the eagle.  On the area of responsibility are three gold stars, signifying each of the attack sites of September 11, 2001.  These gold stars pay tribute to those who lost their lives, reminiscent of the Gold Star Mothers and Widows who lost family members in service to our nation.  The "gold star" tradition began in World War I when white service flags were displayed from homes, businesses, schools and churches.  These flags contained blue stars, representing loved ones serving in the military.  Gold stars stitched over blue stars subsequently showed those who gave their lives for our country, and the devotion and pride of their family. **
**The five stars at the top of the crest represent the five services: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.  The stars are eight-pointed, signifying the eight points on a compass, and symbolizing our mission to counter the global threat of terrorism.  The stars are lined up over the area of responsibility, depicting the umbrella of protection that United States Northern Command provides North America.**
**The outside rings of red, blue and red with the white lettering of the Command's name are representative of the colors of the Nation and our national flag.**