A joint task force is a "joint" (multi-service) ad hoc military formation. The task force concept originated with the United States Navy in the 1920s and 1930s. [1]
"Combined" is the British-American military term for multi-national formations.
There are two ways in which a U.S. or U.S.-allied task force may be assigned a number. [2] The first is the originally naval scheme promulgated and governed by the Military Command, Control, Communications, and Computers Executive Board (MC4EB), chaired by the Joint Staff J6. Task force numbers allocated under this scheme form the majority of the listings below.
The second is a by-product of the U.S. Army's procedure for forming task-organised forces for combat, differing from strictly doctrinally assigned table of organization and equipment organizations. A battalion, company or brigade commander has very wide latitude in selecting a task force name, [3] though often the name of the commander is used (e.g. Task Force Faith; Task Force Smith was named for the commander of the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment). This has often resulted in derivations from the originator unit's numerical designation being used. For example, when a special operations aviation unit was being formed in the late 1970s, the original unit drew heavily on personnel from the 158th Aviation. The designation chosen was Task Force 158, which later grew to become the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Another example comes from 2004 in Afghanistan. On 15 April 2004 the headquarters of the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Division arrived in Afghanistan and took command of CJTF-180 from the 10th Mountain Division. Lieutenant General David Barno, commanding then decided to rename CJTF 180 because the “180” designation had traditionally been given to Joint task forces led by the Army's XVIII Airborne Corps. Barno chose Combined Joint Task Force 76 as the new name to evoke America's history and the democratic spirit of 1776. [4] The CFC-A commander intended this new designation to highlight the change in command at the operational level at a time when Afghanistan appeared to be moving closer to democracy.
No coordination appears to occur between U.S. Army task forces designated in this way, and the USMCEB scheme. This has resulted in simultaneous designations being used at the same time. For example, Combined Joint Task Force 76, was in use in Afghanistan in 2004, but doubling up on the Task Force 76 designation used for decades by Amphibious Force, United States Seventh Fleet, in north Asia.
Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) [5] is designed to test a strike group's ability to operate in hostile and complex environments with other U.S. and coalition forces. The integrated exercise combines specific warfare areas with the purpose of making preparations for the strike group's upcoming deployment. An example of such an exercise includes The John F. Kennedy (CV-67) Carrier Battle Group which participated in Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) 02–1, [6] in the waters off the East Coast as well as on training ranges in North Carolina and Florida during Operation Enduring Freedom January 19, 2002
Allied Communications Publication 113: Call Signs Book for Ships in its Annex B lists allocations of task force numbers from 1 to approximately 1000, allocated by the United States Military Communications-Electronic Board in blocks for use by the United States Department of Defense and allies.
Norman Polmar noted in Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, 2005, that the task forces under the commanders of the Atlantic and Pacific Fleet are mainly for contingency purposes. [7] They are employed for specific operations and exercises.
Combined Task Force (CTF) 13 conducted a simulated long range raid on Camp Hanson, Okinawa Japan, March 21, 2016. CTF-13 conducted the raid, which commenced in South Korea, to demonstrate air assault, multi-continent long-range raid capabilities and the ability to deliver security and stability. CTF 13 included 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines.
Joint task force | Abbrev. | State | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Joint Task Force 1 | JTF-1 | US | Operation Crossroads, Task Force One later utilized for Operation Sea Orbit |
Joint Task Force 2 | JTF-2 | CAN | In September 1964, Major General George Brown was selected to organize and command JTF-2, a Joint Chiefs of Staff organization formed at Sandia Base, New Mexico, to test the services' weapon systems. It was staffed by personnel of all three services. [8] Low Altitude Program nuclear test organisation, 1965–70. [9] In 1990s seemingly transferred to Canada, possibly completely out of USMCEB formal system for use by Canadian special forces. The Canadian SOF unit that took this designation was formed on 1 April 1993. |
Joint Task Force 3 | JTF-3 | US | Formed late 1949 in preparation for Operation Greenhouse nuclear test series. [10] |
Joint Task Force 4 | JTF-4 | US | From 1960 to 1 December 1963, planning headquarters for Sub-Saharan Africa, responsible to Atlantic Command. Lt Gen Louis W. Truman reassigned as chief of staff for Caribbean operations during Cuban Missile Crisis. Superseded by creation of CINCMEAFSA (Commander-in-Chief U.S. Strike Command). [11] Drug interdiction task force in Caribbean Sea from December 1989. Became Joint Interagency Task Force East on 1 October 1994. [12] Later amalgamated into Joint Interagency Task Force South in 1994. Later became post-conflict reconstruction task force, eventually to become the ill-fated Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance. |
Joint Task Force 5 | JTF-5 | US | Drug interdiction task force at Coast Guard Island, Alameda, California, from December 1989. Later became Joint Interagency Task Force West. |
Joint Task Force 6 | JTF-6 | US | Drug interdiction task force at El Paso, Texas, from December 1989. Became Joint Task Force North in 2004. Now seemingly Task Force 6, the naval component commander, U.S. Africa Command, an additional duty post for Commander, Sixth Fleet. [13] |
Joint Task Force 7 | JTF-7 | US | Operation Sandstone, a series of nuclear weapon tests in 1948; Operation Chromite, Inchon amphibious landing under Vice Admiral Arthur Struble. As Commander, Joint Task Force Seven, and Commander, Seventh Fleet, Struble was in command of the amphibious phase of the operation. [14] Used for Operation Castle atomic tests in the 1940s-1950s. |
Combined Joint Task Force 7 | CJTF-7 | US | CJTF 7 was the interim military formation that directed the U.S. military effort in Iraq between June 2003 and May 2004. |
Joint Task Force 8 | JTF-8 | US | TF 8 was the USS Enterprise (CV-6) carrier task force in 1941; during the 1942 Aleutian Islands campaign Rear Admiral Robert A. Theobald commanded Task Force 8 afloat. Theobald as Commander North Pacific Force (ComNorPac) reported to Admiral Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief Pacific Ocean Areas, in Hawaii. Task Force 8 consisted of five cruisers, thirteen destroyers, three tankers, six submarines, as well as naval aviation elements of Fleet Air Wing Four. [15] [16] Later JTF 8 was the Operation Dominic nuclear test organization, April–November 1962. [17] |
Joint Task Force 11 | JTF-11 | US | During World War II, Task Force 11 was a United States Navy aircraft carrier task force in the Pacific theater. JTF at Soto Cano Air Base, 1983. By 1984 redesignated Joint Task Force Bravo. |
Task Force 12 | TF-12 | US | Theater Anti-Submarine Warfare Force, Pacific / Patrol and Reconnaissance Force, Pacific (PATRECONFORPAC). [18] |
Task Force 13 | TF-13 | US | In 1945, was Amphibious Training Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet. [19] |
Task Force 14 | TF-14 | US | Force sent to raid Wake Island on 5–6 October 1943. Under Rear Admiral Alfred E. Montgomery, the force included Essex,Lexington, USS Yorktown (CV-10), USS Cowpens (CVL-25), two other escort carriers, two heavy and four light cruisers, and 24 destroyers. [20] |
Task Force 16 | TF-16 | US | Celebrated carrier task force c. 1941–42; Service Force, Pacific Fleet, by 1943; [19] Maritime Defense Zone, U.S. Pacific Fleet, commanded by a Coast Guard officer (2005). [7] |
Task Force 17 | TF-17 | US | Celebrated carrier task force during World War II; Submarines, Pacific Fleet, 1943; [19] Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet (2005). [7] |
Task Force 18 | TF-18 | US | USS Hornet (CV-8)'s task force for 1942 Doolittle Raid; Minecraft, Pacific Fleet, under Rear Admiral Alexander Sharp, 1 May 1945 (sometime flagship was USS Terror (CM-5)); [21] Sealift forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet (2005). [7] |
Task Force 19 | TF-19 | US | Air Force, Pacific, December 1, 1943, under Vice Admiral John Towers. [19] |
Task Force 20 | TF-20 | US | Task Group 20.5, a carrier battle group built around USS Independence (CV-62), was part of Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, 1982. [22] Deputy Commander, Fleet and Joint Operations, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, with responsibility for subordinate seagoing formations, until 1 October 2012. |
Task Force 25 | TF-25 | US | Caribbean Contingency Force, United States Second Fleet |
Task Forces 30-39 | TF-30 | US | All allocated to United States Third Fleet |
Task Force 31 | TF-31 | US | |
Task Force 35 | TF-35 | US | Service forces, South Pacific Force, Rear Admiral Cobb, December 1, 1943. [19] |
Task Force 38 | TF-38 | US | Fast Carrier Task Force, World War II. |
Task Force 44 | TF-44 | US | |
Task Forces 50-57 | TF-50 | US | All allocated to United States Fifth Fleet |
Task Force 57 | TF-57 | US | |
Task Force 58 | TF-58 | US | Recently Maritime Surveillance Force in the North Persian Gulf. Fast Carrier Task Force, World War II. |
Task Force 60 | TF-60 | US | United States Sixth Fleet; Battle Force from c.1950s-c.2010 |
Task Force 61 | TF-61 | US | United States Sixth Fleet |
Task Force 64 | TF-64 | US | On 23 September 1942, USS San Francisco (CA-38), Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, Chester, Boise, and Helena, and Destroyer Squadron 12 (DesRon 12) became TF 64, a surface screening and attack force under the command of Rear Admiral Norman Scott in San Francisco. The next day, the force headed to the New Hebrides. Now United States Sixth Fleet. |
Task Force 67 | TF-67 | US | |
Task Force 73 | TF-73 | US | Commander, Logistics Group, Western Pacific, Seventh Fleet, Singapore. |
Task Force 74 | TF-74 | US | Submarine Force, U.S. Seventh Fleet. Previously Enterprise task force during Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. |
Task Force 76 | TF-76 | US | Amphibious Force, United States Seventh Fleet. CJTF 76 was a designation given to a division-sized U.S. Army task force in Afghanistan, seemingly outside the formal USMCEB system. |
Task Force 77 | TF-77 | US | Carrier Striking Force, U.S. Seventh Fleet. As of 2016 [update] built around Carrier Strike Group Five. Also used by a USSOCOM task force, the former Task Force 145, seemingly not within the USMCEB numbering scheme. |
Task Force 80 | TF-80 | US | Roughly in the 2012-2015 period, TF-80 was the Maritime Headquarters component for the U.S. Fleet Forces Command. |
Task Force 84 | TF-84 | US | Seemingly Anti-Submarine Warfare Force, Atlantic (ASWFORLANT). [23] |
Task Force 88 | TF-88 | US | Used during World War II for Task Force 88 (Operation Dragoon); after World War II for Task Force 88 (Operation Argus). Also used by a USSOCOM task force, seemingly not within the USMCEB numbering scheme. |
Task Force 90 | TF-90 | US | Aircraft, North Pacific Force (Maj Gen Davenport Johnson USA, commanding general, Eleventh Air Force), 1 May 1945. [21] Amphibious Force, Naval Forces Far East, during the Korean War, and later involved in Operation Passage to Freedom. |
Task Force 91 | TF-91 | US | Allocated to North Pacific Force, 1945 (as was Task Force 92 as well). [21] In 1944, Rear Admiral Ralph Wood was appointed as Commandant, Seventeenth Naval District, which comprised all of Alaska, together with additional duties (ADDU) as Commander Task Force 91; Fleet Air Wing Four; Deputy Commander, Alaskan Sea Frontier; and Deputy Commander of the North Pacific Force and Area. [24] |
Task Force 93 | TF-93 | US | Strategic Air Forces, Pacific Ocean Areas, 1944–45, under Lt Gen Millard Harmon. [25] Commander Alaskan Sea Frontier, late 1960s. Rear Admiral Donald M. White during SS Robert Louis Stevenson sinking incident, late 1960s. [26] |
Task Force 95 | TF-95 | US | United States Navy, World War II. Established around Okinawa in July 1945 and conducted three operations into the East China Sea before the end of the war in mid-August that year. This iteration of the Task Force was active as late as November 1945. The designation was reactivated for use during the Korean War, when it was used for the United Nations Command Blockading and Escort Force, often helmed by the British Flag Officer Second in Command Far East Fleet. Vice Admiral William Andrewes served as Commander, Task Force 95 (CTF 95), for a period. [27] |
Task Force 97 | TF-97 | US | Hawaiian Sea Frontier - Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley, December 1, 1943. [19] |
Task Force 98 | TF | US | Maj. Gen Richardson, USA, Hawaiian Sector Defence, Hawaiian Department, U.S. Army, local naval defence forces. [19] |
Task Force 99 | TF | US | Task Force 39 was sent to reinforce the Royal Navy's Home Fleet at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands in March 1942. Designation changed to TF 99 about 5 April 1942 (Morison). Consisted of USS Washington, the aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-7), the heavy cruisers USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37) and USS Wichita (CA-45), and eight destroyers. It thereafter assist the Home Fleet in covering Arctic convoys bound for the Soviet Union. [28] |
Task Force 100 | TF 100 | US | Involved in USS Liberty incident, 1967. CINCUSNAVEUR established TF 100 under the command of Rear Admiral Renken, Commander, Service Forces, Atlantic, at 0000Z, 12 June 1967. With forces from Sixth Fleet, Commander Fleet Air Mediterranean, Service Forces, Sixth Fleet, Naval Securities Group Europe, plus the Liberty herself, TF 100 was to '..supervise the drydocking of USS Liberty at Malta on or about 13 June 1967 in order to prevent disclosure of classified information and equipment to unauthorised personnel.' [29] TF 100's functions were expected to be completed in about two days. Previously at times held by Deputy Commander-in-Chief United States Naval Forces Europe (DCINCUSNAVEUR). The task force (or Task Group 100.1) was also involved in a mid-May 1975 visit to Leningrad. [30] Leahy and Tattnall, part of Cruiser-Destroyer Group 12, were commanded by Rear Admiral Justin D. Langille III. On 1 April 2010, it was announced that Rear Adm. (lower half) Charles K. Carodine was to be assigned new duties. Carodine was at the time serving as chief of staff, JTF-100 Maritime Operations Center, United States Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Va. [31] Also by 2010 TF 100 had become the Service Cryptographic Component Operations task force of United States Tenth Fleet. [32] |
Task Force 101 | TF 101 | US | Northern European Force after 1946–1956. [33] [34] When Admiral Wright became CINCNELM was commanded by Rear Admiral Robert B. Pirie, Chief of Staff to CINCNELM. After the beginning of the War on Terror in 2001, Combined Joint Task Force – 101 was a 101st Airborne Division rotation in Afghanistan. |
Task Forces 102-109 | TF 102 | US | All now seemingly allocated to United States Tenth Fleet. [32] |
Task Force 104 | TF 104 | US | United States Naval Forces Germany, 1944–45, and possibly afterwards |
Task Force 111 | TF 111 | UK/US | Seemingly Admiral Bruce Fraser, Commander-in-Chief, British Pacific Fleet, aboard HMS Duke of York, soon after the end of World War II. A 2019 report by military journalist Wesley Morgan also identified the "CT [counter-terrorism] unit that works for AFRICOM [United States Africa Command] [as] Task Force 111, a JSOC [Joint Special Operations Command] task force that is led by SEAL Team 6." [35] JSOC's Task Force 111 was formerly Task Force 48–4. [36] |
Task Forces 111-119 | TF 112 | UK/US | Allocated to miscellaneous activities on Dec 1, 1943, inc Western, NW Sea Frontier [19] and by September 1945 to British Pacific Fleet. [37] |
Task Force 113 | TF 113 | UK/US | Southeast Pacific Force, Rear Admiral Francis Whiting, December 1, 1943; [19] 110-series designation for British Pacific Fleet Carrier Task Force under Vice Admiral Bernard Rawlings, Vice-Admiral BPF, aboard HMS King George V, November 1945. [38] |
Task Force 115 | TF 115 | US | Coastal Surveillance Force, Naval Forces Vietnam [39] |
Task Force 116 | TF 116 | US | River Patrol Force, Naval Forces Vietnam |
Task Force 117 | TF 117 | US | Mobile Riverine Force, Naval Forces Vietnam |
Joint Task Force 120 | JTF 120 | US | In times of crisis and during certain exercises, Commander Second Fleet became Commander, JTF 120. This joint task force drew from the Atlantic Fleet, U.S. Army airborne and air assault units, U.S. Air Force aircraft and support personnel, U.S. Marine Corps amphibious forces, and at times, the United States Coast Guard. Ran Operation Urgent Fury, the United States invasion of Grenada in October 1983. Later ran Operation Uphold Democracy regarding Haiti in 1994–95. |
Task Force 121 | TF 121 | US | Possibly part of United States Twelfth Fleet during World War II. Task Force of Army Rangers during Operation Urgent Fury, Grenada, 1982. [22] After 2001, one of the designations for the Joint Special Operations Command high value targets task force. This was made up of soldiers, naval personnel, air force personnel, and civilians from the U.S. Army's Delta Force, 75th Ranger Regiment, and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, CIA Special Activities Division, USAF Combat Controllers, Pararescuemen, Tactical Air Control Party air force personnel, and Special Operations Weather Technicians, the Aviation Tactics Evaluation Group (AvTEG), and the Joint Communications Unit. Two troops from the U.S. Army 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment provided armor support for the Task Force. On occasions, Canadian, British, Australian and Polish special force personnel assisted and augmented the task force. It served in Iraq and Afghanistan. |
Task Force 122 | TF 122 | US | United States Twelfth Fleet, World War II. Commanded by Rear Admiral Alan G. Kirk, who commanded D-Day's Western Naval Task Force (Utah and Omaha Beaches). When the Dominican Civil War of 1965 began, USS Newport News (CA-148) sortied from Norfolk on 29 April for Santo Domingo, where she was flagship for Commander Joint Task Force 122. Newport News remained on station off Santo Domingo until 7 May 1965 when JTF 122 was dissolved, and command was shifted to the Army ashore in the Dominican Republic. |
Task Force 123 | TF 123 | US | 82nd Airborne Division, Operation Urgent Fury, Grenada 1982. [22] |
Task Force 124 | TF 124 | US | Omaha Beach landing force, World War II. [40] In Grenada 1982, was the amphibious force, headquartered aboard USS Guam. [22] Now Strategic Communications Wing One, [41] Tinker AFB, Oklahoma (E-6A Mercury aircraft) |
Task Force 125 | TF 125 | US | Designation for Commander, Western Hemisphere Group, when acting as a naval component commander for U.S. Southern Command, circa 1995–2000. [42] |
Task Force 130 | TF 130 | US | Manned Spacecraft Recovery Force, Pacific, for Project Apollo. Flagship USS Arlington (AGMR-2). |
Joint Task Force 132 | TF 130 | US | Operation Ivy nuclear test force. [43] |
Task Force 134 | TF 134 | US | Commander, Task Force 134, COMSUBPAC, is an operational commander responsible to USSTRATCOM for strategic deterrent submarine operations. [44] |
Task Force 136 | TF 136 | US | Under the commander of Commander, Second Fleet, was quarantine force during Cuban Missile Crisis. [45] Led for a time by Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla 2 aboard USS Canberra. |
Task Force 140 | TF 140 | US | Project Mercury Recovery Force (early 1960s), later Manned Spacecraft Recovery Force, Atlantic (for Apollo 9). In the 1980s, as JTF 140, designation for Second Fleet for Caribbean contingency operations. Ocean Venture '90 was a JCS directed field exercise sponsored by the U.S. Atlantic Command and executed by JTF 140, a standing JTF assigned to LANTCOM which had existed since 1979. [46] Utilised for Haiti operations during 1994. [12] |
Task Force 144 | TF 144 | US | CTF 144, Commander Submarine Forces/COMSUBLANT. Operational commander for Atlantic ballistic missile submarines, responsible to Commander, U.S. Strategic Command |
Task Force 151 | TF 151 | US | Combined Maritime Forces |
Task Force 157 | TF 157 | US | In 1966, the Navy created Task Force 157 as a covert division to control their clandestine human intelligence operations (HUMINT). [47] Disbanded 1977 with some functions transferred to Task Force 168. |
Joint Task Force 160 | JTF 160 | US | Directed Operation Sea Signal. This humanitarian operation receiving Haitian refugees at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, took place from August 1994 to February 1996. [48] Task Force 160 was a non-USMCEB, U.S. Army allocation. |
Combined Joint Task Force-180 | JTF 180 | US | Appears to be the permanently assigned designator for HQ XVIII Airborne Corps when operating as a combined joint task force or joint task force, for example in Afghanistan after 2002. |
Task Force 214 | TF 214 | US | Twentieth Air Force, while acting as the ICBM task force for U.S. Strategic Command |
Task Force 294 | TF 294 | US | U.S. Air Force air refueling forces while acting as a task force for U.S. Strategic Command |
Task Force 301 | TF 301 | CAN | Royal Canadian Navy, Atlantic Coast, 1964 [49] |
Task Force 311 | TF 311 | UK | Commander, Task Force 311 (CTF-311), located in Northwood, Middlesex, is the Royal Navy's sole submarine operating authority (SUBOPAUTH). CTF-311 maintains operational control of all Britain's attack submarines, wherever they may be. [50] [51] |
Task Group 316.1 | TF 316 | UK | Used for Endeavour 90 deployment, under Capt Franklyn, HMS Bristol (DTS) [52] |
Task Force 317 | TF 317 | UK | For 1974 group deployment by TG 317.2 see HMS Leander (F109); Falklands Task Force; see British naval forces in the Falklands War |
Task Force 318 | TF 318 | UK | In November 1967, TF 318, under Flag Officer Second in Command Far East Fleet, Rear Admiral Edward Ashmore, managed the British withdrawal from Aden after 128 years of colonial rule. [53] Reestablished with effect from 1 November 1971 to cover withdrawal of British forces from Persian Gulf (Roberts, 95) |
Task Force 321 | TF 321 | UK | Seemingly Royal Navy in the Mediterranean and Middle East. Used Cyprus 1974 [54] during Falklands War when RNZN frigates deployed, and after Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (deployed force TG 321.1 in both later cases). [55] In 1990 CINCFLEET acted as CTF 321. |
Task Group 323.2 | TF 323 | UK | RN Mediterranean group during Operation Desert Storm |
Task Force 324 | TF 324 | UK | Royal Navy Red Sea force during Suez Crisis of 1956. Consisted of HMS Newfoundland [56] and others. Newfoundland and HMS Diana (D126) sank the Egyptian frigate 'Domiat' (ex-HMS Nith (K215)) on the first night of the war. [57] |
Task Force 326 | TF 326 | UK | Roberts, 294, says Liverpool and RFA Wave Knight were assigned as Atlantic Patrol Task (North) from February 2005, as TG 326.01. Meanwhile, Gloucester was on Atlantic Patrol Task (South) and relieved by Portland in March 2005, as TG 326.02. |
Task Force 330 | TF 330 | UK | UK naval forces during Operation Telic [58] |
Task Force 333 | TF 333 | UK | Involved in Operation Grapple nuclear tests at Christmas Island, August 1958. [59] TG 333.1 seemingly utilised by Captain 11th Frigate Squadron (Captain F11), Royal New Zealand Navy, in November 1972, during LONGEX 71 between Auckland and Wellington. [60] TGs of TF 333 later used in NATO area (Roberts) |
Task Force 345 | TF 345 | UK | UK Mediterranean naval task force during Suez Crisis of 1956. [56] Now is reported as '..CTF 345 is the organisation that provides command and control of the UK deterrent' at Northwood Headquarters. This is the force of Vanguard-class submarines. Rear Admiral Ian Corder commanded the task force as of September 2012. [61] [51] |
Task Force 373 | TF 373 | US | JSOC or SOCCENT special operations forces task force in Afghanistan |
Task Force 402 | TF 402 | US | |
Joint Task Force 435 | JTF 435 | US | (Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435) Afghanistan theatre detention operations |
Task Force 439 | TF 439 | NATO attack submarine force, Mediterranean | |
Task Force 440 | TF 440 | Operation Sharp Guard, 1993–96 (WEU, SNFL, SNFM) | |
Task Force 442 | TF 442 | US | From 1967, Commander Submarine Flotilla 8 became COMSUBMED under NAVSOUTH in addition to wartime SSBN responsibilities as CTF 442. [62] |
Task Force 465 | TF 465 | Allied | Deployed task force of Operation Atalanta, EUNAVFOR Somalia, combating Somali piracy |
Task Force 472 | TF 472 | SEATO (1969) | At the time USS Evans and HMAS Melbourne collided on the early morning on 3 June 1969, both were part of Exercise Task Group 472.1. Command of Task Force 472, and TG 472.1, was being exercised by Rear Admiral G.J.B. Crabb, Flag Officer Commanding Australian Fleet. TF 472 included Melbourne, USS Evans, Kyes, Larson, HMS Blackpool (F77), and HMS Cleopatra (F28). TF 472 was taking part in SEATO Exercise Sea Spirit. [63] |
Task Force 473 | TF 473 | France | Seemingly permanently assigned to the carrier battle group ('aeronaval group') build around Charles de Gaulle. Part of Force d'action navale. |
Task Force 500 | TF 500 | NATO | Flag Officer Denmark (FOD), Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (1963). [64] |
Task Force 502 | TF 502 | NATO | Carrier battle force, Naval Striking and Support Forces, Southern Europe, 1970s-1980s. Provided by U.S. Carrier Group or Cruiser-Destroyer Group headquarters. |
Task Force 503 | TF 503 | NATO | Amphibious force, Naval Striking and Support Forces, Southern Europe, 1970s-1980s. Provided by U.S. Amphibious Squadron headquarters. |
Task Force 504 | TF 504 | NATO | Landing force, Naval Striking and Support Forces, Southern Europe, 1970s-1980s. |
Task Force 505 | TF 505 | NATO | Support force, Naval Striking and Support Forces, Southern Europe, 1970s-1980s. |
Task Force 506 | TF 506 | NATO | Special Operations Force, Naval Striking and Support Forces, Southern Europe, 1970s-1980s. |
Task Force 508 | TF 508 | NATO (or member) | As of late 2013, Operation Ocean Shield Somali counter-piracy force. CTF 508 was Rear Admiral Eugenio Diaz del Rio on board flagship Alvaro de Bazan on 14 January 2014. [65] |
Joint Task Force 510 | JTF 510 | US | Special Operations Command Pacific standing joint task force for rapid deployment. Involved in Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines, 2002. |
Joint Task Force 622 | JTF 622 | AUS | Operation VIC FIRE ASSIST [66] |
Joint Task Force 627 | JTF 627 | AUS | SUBmarine Search And Rescue (SUBSAR) [67] May be designator for Commander Australian Fleet; CTF 627 was allocated to this officer under his previous title of Maritime Commander Australia in 1999–2000. |
Joint Task Force 629 | JTF 629 | AUS | 2004: Operation Sumatra Assist - ADF response to the earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia. 2005: Operation Sumatra Assist II - ADF response to further earthquakes in Sumatra. [68] 2009: Operation Padang Assist - the ADF response to earthquakes in Padang, Indonesia. [69] At the same time in 2009 as the Padang earthquake, an earthquake and tsunami hit Samoa and the JTF 629 designation extended to the operation in that region, Operation Samoa Assist. [68] 2017-19: Operation Augury-Philippines - the ADF training mission to the Armed Forces of the Philippines in support of their counter terror operations. [70] |
Joint Task Force 630 | JTF 630 | AUS | Op Larry Assist after Cyclone Larry, March 2006. Commander was Mick Slater. |
Joint Task Force 631 | JTF 631 | AUS | Operation Astute – Timor Leste International Stabilisation Force |
Joint Task Force 632 | JTF 632 | AUS | Operation Pakistan Assist (2005-6) - the ADF response to earthquake disaster relief in Pakistan. The TF632 designation was later used for a Special Operations group in Iraq in 2018. [71] |
Joint Task Force 633 | JTF 633 | AUS | Operation Okra, HQJTF 633, based in the United Arab Emirates, provides command and control of all ADF elements deployed throughout the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) as part of Operation Slipper. JTF 633 is commanded by Major General Craig Orme. [72] Previous commanders have included MAJGEN Stuart Smith. Included Security Detachment Iraq |
Joint Task Force 634 | JTF 634 | AUS | Supported 2007 Sydney APEC Conference. [73] Commander: Brigadier Andrew Smith, Cdr 7th Brigade. |
Combined Task Force 635 | CTF 635 | AUS | Operation Anode, the ADF led support mission to RAMSI Between 2003 and 2017. CTF 635 incorporated elements of the NZDF and participating pacific nations as well as the ADF and AFP. [74] |
Joint Task Force 636 | JTF 636 | AUS | 2010: Operation Pakistan Assist II - ADF disaster relief operation in Pakistan following flooding and landslide events. [75] 2014-15: Operation Highroad - ADF operations in Afghanistan [76] until June 6, 2015, when it transitioned to the downsized Task Group Afghanistan. [77] |
Joint Task Force 637 | JTF 637 | AUS | 2007: Operation Kiribati Assist; 2011: Operation Queensland Flood Assist; 2019: South West Pacific and Timor Leste defence engagement mission [78] |
Joint Task Force 638 | JTF 638 | AUS | Operation Landscape - 2013 ADF support to expansion of offshore immigration detention facilities on Manus Island, PNG. Included HMAS Choules, elements of 6 Brigade, 1 AOSS and 381 ECSS. [79] |
Joint Task Force 639 | JTF 639 | AUS | Operation Resolute - The ongoing ADF support to Maritime Border Command, a joint command of the ADF and Australian Border Force tasked with protecting Australia's maritime borders. [80] |
Joint Task Force 641 | JTF 641 | AUS | Operation Outreach - ADF support to the 2007 Northern Territory National Emergency Response [81] |
Joint Task Force 643 | JTF 643 | AUS | During Operation Gold, the ADF support to the 2000 Summer Olympics, the JTF 643 designation was assigned to at least part the counter terror force, consisting of elements of SASR, 5th Aviation Regiment and 4 RAR (Commando). The designation may have continued to be used by one of the Australian ready CT Tactical Assault Groups beyond the scope of the 2000 Olympics. |
Joint Task Force 644 | JTF 644 | AUS | During Operation Gold, the ADF support to the 2000 Summer Olympics, the JTF 644 designation was assigned to at least part the counter terror force, consisting of elements of SASR, 5th Aviation Regiment and 4 RAR (Commando). The designation has continued to be used by unconfirmed elements of SOCOMD with the Officer Commanding JTF 644 in 2014, identified only as "Major P" receiving the Conspicuous Service Medal in the 2016 Australia Day Honours. |
Joint Task Force 645 | JTF 645 | AUS | Commander INTERFET, 1999 (TF 645), [82] CHOGM 2001, CHOGM 2002 [83] |
Task Force 646 | TF 646 | AUS | RAAF Air Command [84] Aerospace Operational Support Group TG 646.7. In 2019 the JTF 646 designation was used for the ADF response to the bushfires in the Australian state of Victoria, which included elements from the PNG Defence Force and the Fijian military. [85] |
Joint Task Force 658 | JTF 658 | AUS | 2014; designation given to the ADF led task force involved for the search for missing airliner MH370. [86] 2019; used for the task force assigned to Operation North Queensland Flood Assist [87] |
Joint Task Force 659 | JTF 659 | AUS | ADF support during 2018 in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Marcus in the Northern Territory. [88] |
Joint Task Force 661 | JTF 661 | AUS | ADF support during 2017 for Operation Queensland Assist in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Debbie. [89] In 2019 the designation was assigned to Operation Indo-Pacific Endeavour, a military outreach mission with regional neighbours. [90] |
Joint Task Force 662 | JTF 662 | AUS | ADF support during the 2009 Victorian Black Saturday bushfires. [91] |
Joint Task Force 663 | JTF 663 | AUS | Operation Render Safe 2011. [92] HMAS Gascoyne, HMAS Diamantina, HMNZS Resolution (A14), HMNZS Wellington. |
Joint Task Force 664 | JTF 664 | AUS | Operation Yasi Assist |
Joint Task Force 665 | JTF 665 | AUS | Operation Testament, ADF commitment to World Youth Day 2008, Commander Brigadier David Saul |
Combined Joint Task Force 667 | CJTF 667 | AUS | The joint Australian/US force during the 2019 iteration of Exercise Talisman Saber. [93] |
Task Force 714 | TF 714 | US | United States Special Operations Command. Designation for JSOC high-value targets task force in Iraq and Afghanistan during General Stanley McChrystal's time in command. [94] |
Joint Task Force 728 | TF 728 | US | Established in mid-1966 under Lieutenant General Alfred Starbird, Director, Defense Communications Agency, to build the McNamara Line barrier between North and South Vietnam. |
Task Force 825 | TF 825 | Spain | Task Group 825.1 was the Spanish aircraft carrier Principe de Asturias task group in May 2008. [95] |
Joint Task Force 950 | JTF 950 | US | Commander, United States Second Fleet whilst in a training role. [96] |
Task Force 976 | TF 976 | Thailand | Thai Humanitarian Assistance Task Force 976 Thai-Iraq, 2003–2004 |
Task Force 1099 | US | Alias for Task Force 121. |
Joint Task Force Shining Hope; Joint Task Force Eagle Vista (1998 Presidential African visit)
These included Combined Joint Task Force 76, Combined Joint Task Force 82, and Combined Joint Task Force 180.
Task force | Abbrev. | Who | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Task Force 1-41 Infantry | TF 1-41 INF | US | U.S. Army combined-arms heavy battalion mechanized Task Force consisting primarily of the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, and the 4th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment all being part of the 2nd Armored Division (Forward). It served at the Battle of 73 Easting and the Battle of Norfolk. Formed in various other incarnations during other conflicts. |
Task Force 77 | US | See Joint Special Operations Command Task Force in the Iraq War | |
Combined Joint Task Force 82 | CJTF-82 | US | |
Special Operations Task Force 103 | SOTF-103 | US | On 11 May 2010, Malian and Senegalese soldiers worked on small unit tactics, movements, and convoy vehicle recover drills with special operations forces personnel from Special Operations Task Force 103 in Bamako, Mali. The classes were part of Exercise Flintlock 10, an exercise focused on military interoperability and capacity-building, which was part of an AFRICOM-sponsored annual exercise program with partner nations in northern and western Africa. Flintlock 10, which includes participation of key European U.S. allies, was conducted by SOCAFRICA and was designed to build relationships and develop capacity among security forces throughout the Trans-Saharan region of Africa. |
Task Force 118 | TF-118 | US | a regular army aviation unit flying AH-58D Warrior helicopters whose mast-mounted IR sights helped spot small boats during Operation Prime Chance |
Task Force 121 | US | See Joint Special Operations Command Task Force in the Iraq War | |
Task Force 145 | US | See Joint Special Operations Command Task Force in the Iraq War | |
Task Force ALBA | Swiss | Humanitarian operation in Albania during 1999. | |
Task Force Aegis | US | Redirects to Combined Joint Task Force 76 | |
Task Force Alpha | UK | Redirects to 7th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom) | |
Task Force Baum | US | Concentration camp rescue force "set up by U.S. Army general George S. Patton" | |
Task Force Bayonet | US | Task Force Bayonet (disambiguation) | |
Task Force Black | US | Redirects to Task Force 88 (anti-terrorist unit) | |
Task Force Blue | US | United States Navy SEALs | |
Task Force Danbi | South Korea | Haiti earthquake relief 2010 | |
Task Force Eagle | NATO | IFOR | |
Task Force East | US | US European Command initiative to strengthen relationships with Eastern European allies | |
Task Force Faith | US | US Army unit during the Korean War | |
Task Force Falcon (US) | US | US Army Task Force serving as part of KFOR in Kosovo | |
Task Force Frigid | US | After World War II, the War Department decided that U.S. Army personnel must be able to live and operate in any degree of cold. [100] A group of task forces was therefore organized to test U.S. Army equipment in the cold. Task Force Frigid and Task Force Williwaw were dispatched to what is now Fort Greely, Alaska during the winters of 1946 and 1947. | |
Task Force Harvest | NATO | Operation Essential Harvest | |
Task Force Hawk | US | Kosovo | |
Task Force Helmand | NATO | Part of ISAF in Helmand Province, Afghanistan | |
Task Force K-Bar | US | "The first major ground deployment in the US-led invasion of Afghanistan" | |
Task Force Kandahar | NATO | ISAF in Kandahar, Afghanistan | |
Task Force Kean | UN | North Korea | |
Task Force Leatherneck | US | Located at Camp Leatherneck, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Marine Air-Ground Task Force currently operating in Helmand Province. 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade during 2009–10 for Operation Enduring Freedom. Also used by the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions during their deployments to Afghanistan | |
Task Force Libeccio | CAN | Operation Mobile#Royal Canadian Air Force – 2011 military intervention in Libya. | |
Task Force Lightning | US | 25th Infantry Division (United States) | |
Task Force Manchu | US | Second Battle of Naktong Bulge#The end of Task Force Manchu | |
Task Force Mustang | US | Combat Aviation Brigade, 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard | |
Task Force ODIN | US | US Army aviation battalion created to combat improvised explosive devices in Iraq | |
Task Force Phoenix | CJTF Phoenix | US | Initially organized by CENTCOM to train and mentor the newly created Afghan National Security Forces |
Task Force Ranger | US | Battle of Mogadishu (1993)#The August killings and the deployment of Task Force Ranger | |
Task Force Scorpio | Swiss | Biological and chemical response team activated during the first Gulf War - not deployed | |
Task Force Shield | US/UK/Iraq | Set up in 2003 to provide security for Iraq's critical oil infrastructure | |
Task Force Sinai | US | U.S. element of Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) | |
Task Force Smith | US | Battle of Osan#Task Force Smith | |
Task Force Tarawa | US | The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade during the 2003 invasion of Iraq | |
Task Force Taro | US | 3rd Marine Regiment (United States) | |
Task Force Trinity | US | 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines | |
Task Force Tripoli | US | USMC air ground task force formed after the fall of Baghdad during the 2003 invasion of Iraq | |
Task Force Uruzgan | Netherlands | Part of NATO's Regional Command South, ISAF, Afghanistan. Significant Australian Army linkages. | |
Task Force Viking | US | Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – North (CJSOTF–N), also known as Task Force Viking, was the U.S. joint task force responsible for the northern front during the initial period of the 2003 invasion of Iraq | |
Task Force White Eagle | Poland | A brigade sized detachment of Polish Land Forces in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. The brigade was under the command of the US 1st Cavalry Division. |
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consist of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. All six armed services are among the eight uniformed services of the United States, along with the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps.
A task force (TF) is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology. Many non-military organizations now create "task forces" or task groups for temporary activities that might have once been performed by ad hoc committees. In non-military contexts, working groups are sometimes called task forces.
The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with 50 to 70 ships, 150 aircraft and 27,000 Sailors and Marines. Its principal responsibilities are to provide joint command in natural disaster or military operations and operational command of all U.S. naval forces in the region.
The Fifth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. Its area of responsibility encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles, and includes the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. It shares a commander and headquarters with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) in Bahrain. Fifth Fleet/NAVCENT is a component command of, and reports to, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
The United States Second Fleet is a numbered fleet in the United States Navy responsible for operations in the East Coast and North Atlantic Ocean. Established after World War II, Second Fleet was deactivated in 2011, when the United States government believed that Russia's military threat had diminished, and reestablished in 2018 amid renewed tensions between NATO and Russia.
The United States Naval Forces Europe and Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF), is the United States Navy component command of the United States European Command and United States Africa Command. Prior to 2020, NAVEUR-NAVAF was previously referred to as United States Naval Forces Europe – Naval Forces Africa and sometimes referred to as United States Naval Forces Europe – Africa.
Northwood Headquarters is a military headquarters facility of the British Armed Forces in Eastbury, Hertfordshire, England, adjacent to the London suburb of Northwood. It is home to the following military command and control functions:
A space command is a military organization with responsibility for space operations and warfare. A space command is typically a joint organization or organized within a larger military branch and is distinct from a fully independent space force. The world's first space command, the United States' Air Force Space Command was established in 1982 and later became the United States Space Force in 2019.
Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) is a multinational coalition naval task force working under the 34-nation coalition of Combined Maritime Forces and is based in Bahrain established to monitor, board, inspect, and stop suspect shipping to pursue the "War on Terror" and in the Horn of Africa region (HOA) includes operations in the North Arabia Sea to support operations in the Indian Ocean. These activities are referred to as Maritime Security Operations (MSO).
United States Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) is the United States Navy element of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM). Its area of responsibility includes the Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea. It consists of the United States Fifth Fleet and several other subordinate task forces, including Combined Task Force 150, Combined Task Force 158 and others.
The Naval Network Warfare Command (NAVNETWARCOM) is the United States Navy's information operations, intelligence, networks, and space unit. Naval Network Warfare Command's mission is to execute, under Commander TENTH Fleet Operational Control, tactical-level command and control of Navy Networks and to leverage Joint Space Capabilities for Navy and Joint Operations.
Combined Task Force Iraqi Maritime or CTF IM was an international naval task group, established as a result of Operation Iraqi Freedom. It consisted of naval assets from the United States Navy and Coast Guard, the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Navy, working alongside elements of the Iraqi Navy and the Iraqi Marines. It reported to the Coalition Maritime Component Commander in Bahrain.
U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command is the naval element of United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). Its areas of operation include South America, Central America, the Caribbean and surrounding waters. Its headquarters are located at Naval Station Mayport, Florida. USNAVSO is currently under the command of General Laura J. Richardson.
The U.S. Tenth Fleet is a functional formation and a numbered fleet in the United States Navy. It was first created as an anti-submarine warfare coordinating organization during the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War. It was reactivated as a force provider for Fleet Cyber Command on 29 January 2010. U.S. Tenth Fleet serves as the numbered fleet for U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and exercises operational control of assigned naval forces to coordinate with other naval, coalition and Joint Task Forces to execute the full spectrum of cyber, electronic warfare, information operations, and signal intelligence capabilities and missions across the cyber, electromagnetic, and space domains.
Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) is a multinational naval task force, set up in 2009 as a response to piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off the eastern coast of Somalia. Its mission is to disrupt piracy and armed robbery at sea and to engage with regional and other partners to build capacity and improve relevant capabilities in order to protect global maritime commerce and secure freedom of navigation. It operates in conjunction with the EU's Operation Atalanta and NATO's Operation Ocean Shield.
Task Force 73/Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific is a U.S. Navy task force of the United States Seventh Fleet that is based in Singapore. CTF 73/CLWP is the U.S. 7th Fleet's provider of combat-ready logistics, maintaining and operating government-owned ships and operating government-contracted vessels to sustain combatant ships and units throughout the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. CTF 73/CLWP also acts as the Navy Region commander for naval activities in Singapore, with its only subordinate command being the U.S. Navy Region Center Singapore.
The Commander, Task Force 75 , properly named Navy Expeditionary Forces Command Pacific; or simply NEFCPAC, is a US Navy task force of the United States Seventh Fleet and is 7th Fleet's primary expeditionary task force composed of EOD, Coastal Riverine, Cargo Handling, and Seabee detachments. CTF 75 is responsible for the planning and execution of coastal riverine operations, explosive ordnance disposal, diving, expeditionary logistics, engineering and construction, and underwater construction. Additionally, it provides direct support to salvage operations and expeditionary intelligence throughout the Indo-Pacific region as directed by 7th Fleet.
Rear Admiral (R) Muhammad Moazzam IlyasHI(M) SI(M) is a retired Two Star Admiral and a flag officer from the Pakistan Navy and his last appointment was Director General Joint Warfare and Training at Joint Staff Headquarters (JSHQ).
The Western Hemisphere Group was a United States Navy formation active from 1 September 1995 to 1999–2000. Headquarters was at Naval Station Mayport, Florida.
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