On February 6, 2007, President George W. Bush formally announced the creation of a new Unified Combatant Command for the African continent, reflecting Africa's increasing strategic importance to the United States. The Department of Defense (DOD) organizes its command structure by dividing its activities among joint military commands based either on a geographic or functional area of responsibility (AOR). With the creation of the new command, DOD now has six geographic commands and four functional commands. Previously, U.S. military involvement in Africa was divided among three geographic commands: European Command (EUCOM), Central Command (CENTCOM), and Pacific Command (PACOM). The command's area of responsibility (AOR) includes all African countries except Egypt, which remains in the AOR of CENTCOM. Africa Command (AFRICOM) was launched with initial operating capability (IOC) as a sub-unified command under EUCOM on October 1, 2007, and reached full operating capability (FOC) as a stand-alone unified command on October 1, 2008. AFRICOM's first commander, Army General William E. "Kip" Ward, former Deputy Commander of EUCOM, retired in 2011, transferring command authority to General Carter F. Ham, formerly Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe, on March 9. Although the precise wording of AFRICOM's mission statement has evolved since the command was first announced, DOD officials have broadly suggested that the command's mission is to promote U.S. strategic objectives and protect U.S. interests in the region by working with African partners to strengthen their defense capabilities so that they are better able to contribute to regional stability and security. A key aspect of this mission is its supporting role to other agencies' and departments' efforts on the continent. But like other combatant commands, AFRICOM is expected to oversee military operations, when directed, to deter aggression and respond to crises. AFRICOM's first major military operation was Operation Odyssey Dawn, the U.S. contribution to a multilateral military effort to enforce a no-fly zone and protect civilians in Libya, in support of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973. Initial U.S. military operations, launched on March 19, 2011, included Tomahawk cruise missile attacks targeting Libyan command and control and air defense facilities. General Ham served as theater commander for the operation, with tactical operations coordinated by a Joint Task Force under Admiral Sam Locklear. Locklear serves jointly as Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, and as Commander of Allied Joint Force Command, Naples, which has operational responsibility for NATO missions in the Mediterranean. The Commander of U.S. Air Forces Africa served as Joint Force Air Component Commander for Operation Odyssey Dawn. AFRICOM also supported the U.S. humanitarian response that commenced on March 4, through the delivery of relief supplies and the evacuation of foreign nationals fleeing the violence. NATO assumed the lead for military operations in Libya on April 1 under Operation Unified Protector. Congress continues to closely monitor developments related to the ongoing conflict in Libya. The Bush Administration's motivation for the creation of a new unified command for Africa evolved in part out of concerns about DOD's division of responsibility for Africa among three geographic commands, which reportedly posed coordination challenges. Although some military officials had advocated the creation of an Africa Command for over a decade, more recent crises highlighted the challenges created by "seams" between the commands' boundaries. One such seam was located between Sudan (then within CENTCOM's AOR), Chad and the Central African Republic (then within EUCOM's AOR), an area of periodic instability. The United States, acting both alone and a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has provided airlift and training for African peacekeeping troops in the Darfur region of Sudan, and although CENTCOM had responsibility for Sudan, much of the airlift and training was done by EUCOM. Additionally, close observers say that EUCOM and CENTCOM had become overstretched by the mid 2000s, particularly given the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Commander of EUCOM, whose AOR included 92 countries prior to AFRICOM's creation, testified before Congress that the increasing strategic significance of Africa will continue to pose the greatest security stability challenge in the EUCOM AOR. The large ungoverned area in Africa, HIV/AIDS epidemic, corruption, weak governance, and poverty that exist throughout the continent are challenges that are key factors in the security stability issues that affect every country in Africa. His predecessor, General James L. Jones, who later served as President Barack Obama's National Security Advisor, pointed out in 2006 that EUCOM's staff were spending more than half their time on Africa issues, up from almost none three years prior. AFRICOM has faced myriad challenges in its establishment, and outstanding issues remain as the command moves forward. Some of these issues have been or may be addressed by Congress. Key oversight questions relating to the command may include the following: What are the United States' strategic interests in Africa? How are U.S. strategic interests influencing the size and scope of the U.S. military footprint on the continent, and what effect might AFRICOM's creation have on future U.S. military operations in Africa? Is AFRICOM's mission well defined? The 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) addresses steps the U.S. military will take in order to improve potential "contingency response." How has AFRICOM prepared to meet potential contingencies on the continent? How are AFRICOM and U.S. military efforts in Africa perceived by Africans and by other foreign countries, including China? Have those perceptions evolved since the command was first announced? What are the costs associated with AFRICOM? How are these costs affected by AFRICOM's chosen headquarters location? How closely do the State Department and DOD coordinate on plans for the command and on U.S. military efforts in Africa in general? What are the Obama Administration's views on the development of AFRICOM's interagency process? Has AFRICOM's enhanced integration of non-DOD USG agency personnel proven effective in supporting the command's mission? How is AFRICOM addressing the intelligence community's need to realign its resources directed toward the continent? What are AFRICOM's current intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) needs? How is the Obama Administration ensuring that U.S. military efforts in Africa do not overshadow or contradict U.S. diplomatic and development objectives? Should conflict prevention activities be an essential part of DOD's mandate, and are they sustainable? What are the authorities granted to U.S. Chiefs of Mission regarding combatant command activities in the countries to which they are posted, and are these authorities sufficient? How prominent are counterterrorism operations and programs, particularly relative to the peacekeeping training and support components, in AFRICOM's mandate? Would some DOD-implemented counterterrorism programs be more appropriately implemented by other U.S. agencies? How do AFRICOM's civil affairs teams contribute to the command's mission? Are the legal authorities guiding DOD's implementation of security cooperation programs sufficient for AFRICOM to fulfill its mandate? Do any of these authorities hinder the U.S. military's ability to conduct these programs? Are there procedural challenges that hinder AFRICOM's ability to conduct its capacity building mandate in a timely manner? Does the lack of assigned forces affect AFRICOM's ability to implement its mandate? How can AFRICOM ensure that improvements in partner capacity are sustained? How does DOD ensure that the training and equipment provided to African forces are not used to suppress internal dissent or threaten other nations? This report provides information on AFRICOM's mission, structure, interagency coordination, and its basing and manpower requirements. It also gives a broad overview of U.S. strategic interests in Africa and the role of U.S. military efforts on the continent. The mission of geographic commands is defined by a general geographic area of responsibility (AOR), while the mission of functional commands is the worldwide performance of trans-regional responsibilities. There are currently six geographic combatant commands: Africa (AFRICOM), European (EUCOM), Pacific (PACOM), North (NORTHCOM), Southern (SOUTHCOM), and Central (CENTCOM) Commands. There are four functional commands, including Transportation (TRANSCOM), Special Operations (SOCOM), Joint Forces (JFCOM) and Strategic (STRATCOM) Commands. As mentioned above, DOD responsibilities for Africa were divided among three geographic commands prior to October 2008. EUCOM, based in Germany, had 42 African countries in its AOR; CENTCOM, based in Florida, covered eight countries in East Africa, including those that make up the Horn of Africa; and PACOM, based in Hawaii, was responsible for the islands of Comoros, Madagascar, and Mauritius. The creation of a new combatant command requires changes by the President to a classified executive document, the Unified Command Plan (UCP), which establishes responsibilities and areas of responsibilities for the commanders of combatant commands. Changes to the UCP are usually initiated by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), who presents a recommendation to the Secretary of Defense. After the Secretary's review, a proposal is presented to the President for approval. Prior to the advent of AFRICOM, the most recent geographic command to be established was NORTHCOM, which was created in 2002, after the September 11 terrorist attacks, to protect the U.S. homeland.