U.S. Unified Command Plan

Abstract

The Unified Command Plan (UCP) is the “big picture” document, signed by the president, that establishes the nation’s Unified Commands and assigns them geographic areas of responsibilities and missions. In a sense, the UCP is the “Constitution” of the military’s joint organization that defines the current U.S. military command framework. The UCP was first implemented by President Harry S. Truman in 1946 and has been updated at least 20 times, most recently by President George W. Bush in 2002. While the principles of military command and control within each unified combatant command have changed very little since the National Security Act of 1947, the importance of unified commands has increased significantly. Originally creatures of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, unified combatant commanders are now powerful and independent actors in both military and political matters. Their growth in power is a product of legislative, executive, and bureaucratic actions taken during the last 50 years.

The views expressed in this chapter are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. government.