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Since the first Unified Command Plan was approved on 14 December 1946, several unified and specified (see JP 1-02, p. 222) combatant commands have been established and disestablished. [1] Some of the commands existed before they were officially established as unified or specified commands, or continued to exist after they were disestablished as such.
Emblem | Command | Acronym | Type | Established | Disestablished | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Strategic Air Command | SAC | Specified | 1946-12-14 | 1992-05-31 | Replaced by United States Strategic Command, which also took over its command facilities at Offutt AFB, NB. | |
Alaskan Command | ALCOM | Unified | 1947-01-01 | 1975-06-30 | Became a subunified command under U.S. Pacific Command; subsequently a subunified command under U.S. Northern Command | |
Far East Command | FECOM | Unified | 1947-01-01 | 1957-07-01 | Duties assumed by United States Pacific Command | |
Caribbean Command | CARIBCOM | Unified | 1947-11-01 | 1963-06-06 | Replaced by USSOUTHCOM | |
U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean | NELM | Specified | 1947-11-01 | 1963-12-01 | Became part of USEUCOM as its USN component and renamed United States Naval Forces Europe. | |
Atlantic Command | LANTCOM | Unified | 1947-12-01 | 1999-09-31 | Replaced by United States Joint Forces Command | |
Northeastern Command | USNEC | Unified | 1950-10-01 | 1956-09-01 | Most functions assumed by Northeast Air Command. [2] | |
United States Air Forces in Europe | USAFE | Specified | 1951-01-22 | 1956-07-01 | Became part of USEUCOM as its USAF component command; still remains a USAF major command (MAJCOM) | |
Continental Air Defense Command | CONAD | Unified | 1954-09-01 | 1975-06-30 | Replaced by ADCOM | |
Strike Command | USSTRICCOM | Unified | 1962-01-01 | 1971-12-31 | Reorganized as United States Readiness Command | |
Aerospace Defense Command | ADCOM | Specified | 1975-07-01 | 1979-10-01 | Duties assumed by Air Defense, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC); responsibilities now rest with First Air Force. | |
Readiness Command | USREDCOM | Unified | 1972-01-01 | 1987-04-15 | ||
Military Airlift Command | MAC | Specified | 1977-02-01 | 1987-07-01 | Duties as a specified command assumed by USTRANSCOM; later replaced as a USAF major command (MAJCOM) by Air Mobility Command in 1992 | |
U.S. Space Command | USSPACECOM | Unified | 1985-09-23 | 2002-10-01 | Merged with US Strategic Command to form a new US Strategic Command. A second Space Command, separate from the first incarnation, was established 29 August 2019. | |
U.S. Strategic Command | USSTRATCOM | Unified | 1992-06-01 | 2002-10-01 | Merged with US Space Command to form a new US Strategic Command. | |
Joint Forces Command | USJFCOM | Unified | 1999-10-01 | 2011-09-03 | Duties assumed by the Joint Staff and various other combatant commands |
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