<

Northern Command to Assume Defense Duties Oct. 1
Wednesday, September 25, 2002
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

The idea of a combatant command for the continental United States is not new. Then-Defense Secretary William Cohen suggested such a move in 1998. Instead, Cohen had to be satisfied establishing JTF -- Civil Support and Joint Force Headquarters -- Homeland Security. The attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, swung the pendulum in favor of establishing the command.

WASHINGTON -- AFIS
A page in history will turn Oct. 1 as U.S. Northern Command stands up at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.

NORTHCOM, created as part of changes to the Unified Command Plan, will be the combatant command for defense of the United States. Air Force Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, current commander of U.S. Space Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, will head NORTHCOM.

Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is scheduled to preside at the ceremony establishing NORTHCOM and casing the colors of U.S. Space Command. U.S. Strategic Command will be absorbing Space Command into its headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

The establishment of NORTHCOM is part of the greatest transformation of the Unified Command Plan since its inception in 1947, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said during the April 17 unveiling of the command.
(More: DoD News Source)
2002 © The United States Department of Defense.

Thought Larry might be interested in some local news.

Dan