The Joint Commander's Authority

Abstract

The operational command of United States military force falls under the command of theater warfighting commander in chiefs. They have operational control of their assigned forces, but do not control most force training, acquisition of equipment, etc. Unity of command has been a historical problem for United States forces. This study looks historically at the United States chain of command, unity of command, and those aspects of the issue that contribute to the problem. Additionally, it looks at the DoD Reorganization Act of 1986 and its major changes to the way of doing business. Finally, remaining issues are discussed, with recommendations on those issues. Three major issues still face the United States military and national command authority: budget participation by the joint commanders; joint planning; and chain of command. Unity of command is affected by all three issues, and remains a real problem area.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1989
Accession Number
ADA217525

Entities

People

  • Joe R. Mcdonald

Organizations

  • Air War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Air Force
  • Army
  • Artillery
  • Combatant Commanders
  • Command And Control
  • Congress
  • Department Of Defense
  • Employment
  • Law
  • National Security
  • Navy
  • Second World War
  • Unified Combatant Commands
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.