United States Southern Command

Command responsible for South American area

Not to be confused with United States Special Operations Command.

United States Southern Command

Founded| 11 June 1963
(61 years, 5 months ago)
Country|  United States
Type| Unified combatant command
Role| Geographic combatant command
Size| 1,200 personnel[1]
Part of| United States Department of Defense
Headquarters| Doral, Florida, U.S.
Engagements| United States invasion of Grenada
Invasion of Panama
Operation Uphold Democracy
Operation Secure Tomorrow
Operation New Horizons
Operation Unified Response
Operation Continuing Promise
Decorations|  Order of San Carlos[2]
Website| www.southcom.mil
Commanders
Commander| Admiral Alvin Holsey, USN[3]
Military Deputy Commander| Lieutenant General Evan L. Pettus, USAF[4]
Civilian Deputy to the Commander| Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch, DOS[5]
Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia|
NATO Map Symbol[6][7]|

Unit Flag|

Military unit

United States
Armed Forces

Executive departments

* United States Department of Defense
* Department of Homeland Security

Staff

* Office of the Secretary of Defense
* Joint Chiefs of Staff

Military departments

* U.S. Department of the Army
* U.S. Department of the Navy
* U.S. Department of the Air Force

Military services

* United States Army
* United States Marine Corps
* United States Navy
* United States Air Force
* United States Space Force
* United States Coast Guard

Command structure

Unified combatant commands

* Africa Command
* Central Command
* European Command
* Indo-Pacific Command
* Northern Command
* Southern Command
* Cyber Command
* Space Command
* Special Operations Command
* Strategic Command
* Transportation Command

Combat support agencies

* Defense Contract Management Agency
* Defense Health Agency
* Defense Information Systems Agency
* Defense Intelligence Agency
* Defense Logistics Agency
* Defense Threat Reduction Agency
* National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
* National Security Agency

Combat Response Agencies

* Central Command
* European Command
* Indo-Pacific Command
* Northern Command
* Southern Command
* Cyber Command
* Space Command
* Special Operations Command
* Strategic Command
* Transportation Command

* v
* t
* e

In this map, SOUTHCOM Area of Responsibility is shown in green letters

The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), located in Doral in Greater Miami, Florida, is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation for Central and South America, the Caribbean (except U.S. commonwealths, territories, and possessions), their territorial waters, and for the force protection of U.S. military resources at these locations. USSOUTHCOM is also responsible for ensuring the defense of the Panama Canal and the canal area.[8]

Under the leadership of a four-star Commander, USSOUTHCOM is organized into a headquarters with six main directorates, component commands and military groups that represent SOUTHCOM in the region. USSOUTHCOM is a joint command[9] of more than 1,201 military and civilian personnel representing the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and several other federal agencies. Civilians working at USSOUTHCOM are, for the most part, civilian employees of the Army, as the Army is USSOUTHCOM's Combatant Command Support Agent. The Services provide USSOUTHCOM with component commands which, along with their Joint Special Operations component, two Joint Task Forces, one Joint Interagency Task Force, and Security Cooperation Offices, perform USSOUTHCOM missions and security cooperation activities. USSOUTHCOM exercises its authority through the commanders of its components, Joint Task Forces/Joint Interagency Task Force, and Security Cooperation Organizations.

## Area of Responsibility

[edit]

SOUTHCOM Area of Focus

The USSOUTHCOM Area of Responsibility (AOR) encompasses 32 nations (19 in Central and South America and 13 in the Caribbean), of which 31 are democracies, and 14 U.S. and European territories. As of October 2002, the area of focus covered 14.5 million square miles (23.2 million square kilometers.)[10]

The United States Southern Command area of interest includes:

* The land mass of Latin America south of Mexico
* The waters adjacent to Central and South America
* The Caribbean Sea, its 12 island nations and European territories
* A portion of the Atlantic Ocean

## Components

[edit]

USSOUTHCOM accomplishes much of its mission through its service components, four representing each service, one specializing in Special Operations missions, and three additional joint task forces:[11]

### U.S. Army South (Sixth Army)

[edit]

United States Army South (ARSOUTH) forces include aviation, intelligence, communication, and logistics units. Located at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, it supports regional disaster relief and counter-drug efforts. ARSOUTH also exercises oversight, planning, and logistical support for humanitarian and civic assistance projects throughout the region in support of the USSOUTHCOM Theater Security Cooperation Strategy. ARSOUTH provides Title 10 and Executive Agent responsibilities throughout the Latin American and Caribbean region. In 2013, around four thousand troops were deployed in Latin America.[12]

### Air Forces Southern (Twelfth Air Force)

[edit]

Main article: Twelfth Air Force

Located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, AFSOUTH consists of a staff; a Falconer Combined Air and Space Operations Center for command and control of air activity in the USSOUTHCOM area and an Air Force operations group responsible for Air Force forces in the area. AFSOUTH serves as the executive agent for forward operating locations; provides joint/combined radar surveillance architecture oversight; provides intra-theater airlift; and supports USSOUTHCOM's Theater Security Cooperation Strategy through regional disaster relief exercises and counter-drug operations. AFSOUTH also provides oversight, planning, execution, and logistical support for humanitarians and civic assistance projects and hosts a number of Airmen-to-Airmen conferences. Twelfth Air Force is also leading the way in bringing the Chief of Staff of the Air Force's Warfighting Headquarters (WFHQ) concept to life. The WFHQ is composed of a command and control element, an Air Force forces staff and an Air Operations Center. Operating as a WFHQ since June 2004, Twelfth Air Force has served as the Air Force model for the future of Combined Air and Space Operations Centers and WFHQ Air Force forces.

### U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command & U.S. Fourth Fleet

[edit]

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. 4th Fleet official logos

Main article: U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command

Located at Naval Station Mayport, Florida, USNAVSO exercises command and control over all U.S. naval operations in the USSOUTHCOM area including naval exercises, maritime operations, and port visits. USNAVSO is also the executive agent for the operation of the cooperative security location at Comalapa, El Salvador, which provides basing in support of aerial counter-narcoterrorism operations.

On 24 April 2008, Admiral Gary Roughead, the Chief of Naval Operations, announced that the United States Fourth Fleet would be re-established, effective 1 July, responsible for U.S. Navy ships, aircraft and submarines operating in the Caribbean Sea, as well as Central and South America. Rear Admiral Joseph D. Kernan was named as the fleet commander and Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command.[13] Up to four ships are deployed in the waters in and around Latin American, at any given time.[12]

### U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South

[edit]

Main article: United States Marine Corps Forces, South

Located in Doral, Florida, USMARFORSOUTH commands all United States Marine Corps Forces (MARFORs) assigned to USSOUTHCOM; advises USSOUTHCOM on the proper employment and support of MARFORs; conducts deployment/redeployment planning and execution of assigned/attached MARFORs; and accomplishes other operational missions as assigned.

### Special Operations Command South

[edit]

Brigadier General Sean Mulholland, SOCSOUTH Commander in 2014, honors 7th SFG(A) soldiers in Honduras

Located at Homestead Air Reserve Base near Miami, Florida, Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH) provides the primary theater contingency response force and plans, prepares for, and conducts special operations in support of USSOUTHCOM. USSOCSOUTH controls all Special Operations Forces in the region and also establishes and operates a Joint Special Operations Task Force when required. As a Theater Special Operations Command (TSOC), USSOCSOUTH is a sub-unified command of USSOUTHCOM.

SOCSOUTH has five assigned or attached subordinate commands including "Charlie" Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (7th SFG(A)); "Charlie" Company, 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne); Naval Special Warfare Unit FOUR; 112th Signal Detachment SOCSOUTH; and Joint Special Operations Air Component-South.

There are also three task forces with specific missions in the region that report to U.S. Southern Command:

### Joint Task Force Bravo

[edit]

Main article: Joint Task Force Bravo

Located at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, Joint Task Force (JTF) -Bravo operates a forward, all-weather day/night C-5-capable airbase. JTF – Bravo organizes multilateral exercises and supports, in cooperation with partner nations, humanitarian and civic assistance, counter-drug, contingency and disaster relief operations in Central America.

### Joint Task Force Guantanamo

[edit]

Main article: Joint Task Force Guantanamo

Located at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, JTF – Guantanamo conducts detention and interrogation operations in support of the War on Terrorism, coordinates and implements detainee screening operations, and supports law enforcement and war crimes investigations as well as Military Commissions for Detained Enemy Combatants. JTF – Guantanamo is also prepared to support mass migration operations at Naval Station GTMO.

### Joint Interagency Task Force South

[edit]

Main article: Joint Interagency Task Force South

Located in Key West, Florida, JIATF South is an interagency task force that serves as the catalyst for integrated and synchronized interagency counter-drug operations and is responsible for the detection and monitoring of suspect air and maritime drug activity in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern Pacific. JIATF- South also collects, processes, and disseminates counter-drug information for interagency operations. Manta Air Base was one of JIATF-South's bases, in Ecuador until 19 September 2009.[14]

## Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief

[edit]

USSOUTHCOM's overseas humanitarian assistance and disaster relief programs build the capacity of host nations to respond to disasters and build their self-sufficiency while also empowering regional organizations.

These programs provide valuable training to U.S. military units in responding effectively to assist the victims of storms, earthquakes, and other natural disasters through the provision of medical, surgical, dental, and veterinary services, as well as civil construction projects.

The Humanitarian Assistance Program funds projects that enhance the capacity of host nations to respond when disasters strike and better prepare them to mitigate acts of terrorism. Humanitarian Assistance Program projects such as technical aid and the construction of disaster relief warehouses, emergency operation centers, shelters, and schools promote peace and stability, support the development of the civilian infrastructure necessary for economic and social reforms, and improve the living conditions of impoverished regions in the AOR.

Humanitarian assistance exercises such as Exercise Nuevos Horizontes (New Horizons) involve the construction of schools, clinics, and water wells in countries throughout the region. At the same time, medical readiness exercises involving teams consisting of doctors, nurses and dentists also provide general and specialized health services to host nation citizens requiring care. These humanitarian assistance exercises, which last several months each, provide much-needed services and infrastructure, while providing critical training for deployed U.S. military forces. These exercises generally take place in rural, underprivileged areas. USSOUTHCOM attempts to combine these efforts with those of host-nation doctors, either military or civilian, to make them even more beneficial.

In 2006, USSOUTHCOM sponsored 69 Medical Readiness Training Exercises in 15 nations, providing medical services to more than 270,000 citizens from the region. During 2007, USSOUTHCOM is scheduled to conduct 61 additional medical exercises in 14 partner nations.

USSOUTHCOM sponsors disaster preparedness exercises, seminars and conferences to improve the collective ability of the U.S. and its partner nations to respond effectively and expeditiously to disasters. USSOUTHCOM has also supported the construction or improvement of three Emergency Operations Centers, 13 Disaster Relief Warehouses and prepositioned relief supplies across the region. Construction of eight additional Emergency Operation Centers and seven additional warehouses is ongoing.

This type of multinational disaster preparedness has proven to increase the ability of USSOUTHCOM to work with America's partner nations. For example, following the 2005 Hurricane Stan in Guatemala, USSOUTHCOM deployed 11 military helicopters and 125 personnel to assist with relief efforts. In conjunction with their Guatemalan counterparts, they evacuated 48 victims and delivered nearly 200 tons of food, medical supplies and communications equipment. Following Tropical Storm Gamma in Honduras, JTF-Bravo deployed nine helicopters and more than 40 personnel to assist with relief efforts. They airlifted more than 100,000 pounds of emergency food, water and medical supplies. USSOUTHCOM was deployed to Haiti following the 2010 Haiti earthquake to lead the humanitarian effort.[15]

USSOUTHCOM also conducts counter-narcotics and counter-narcoterrorism programs.

## History

[edit]

The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) traces its origins to 1903 when the first U.S. Marines arrived in Panama to ensure U.S. control of the Panama Railroad connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the narrow waist of the Panamanian Isthmus.[16][17]

The Marines protected the Panamanian civilian uprising against the government of Colombia led by former Panama Canal Company general manager Philippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla, thereby guaranteeing the separation of Panama from Colombia and his creation of the Panamanian state. Following the signing of the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty granting control of the Panama Canal Zone to the United States, the Marines remained to provide security during the early construction days of the Panama Canal.[16]

In 1904, Army Colonel William C. Gorgas was sent to the Canal Zone (as it was then called) as chief sanitary officer to fight yellow fever and malaria. In two years, yellow fever was eliminated from the Canal Zone. Soon after, malaria was also brought under control. With the appointment of Army Lieutenant Colonel George W. Goethals to the post of chief engineer of the Isthmian Canal Commission by then President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907, the construction changed from a civilian to a military project.[16]

In 1911, the first troops of the U.S. Army's 10th Infantry Regiment arrived at Camp E. S. Otis, on the Pacific side of the Isthmus. They assumed primary responsibility for Canal defense. In 1914, the Marine Battalion left the Isthmus to participate in operations against Pancho Villa in Mexico. On 14 August 1914, seven years after Goethals' arrival, the Panama Canal opened to world commerce.[16]

The first company of coast artillery troops arrived in 1914 and later established fortifications at each end (Atlantic and Pacific) of the Canal as the Harbor Defenses (HD) of Cristobal and HD Balboa, respectively, with mobile forces of infantry and light artillery centrally located to support either end. By 1915, a consolidated command was designated as Headquarters, U.S. Troops, Panama Canal Zone. The command reported directly to the Army's Eastern Department headquartered at Fort Jay, Governors Island, New York. The headquarters of this newly created command was first located in the Isthmian Canal Commission building in the town of Ancon, adjacent to Panama City. It relocated in 1916 to the nearby newly designated military post of Quarry Heights, which had begun construction in 1911.[16]

On 1 July 1917, almost three months after the American entry into World War I, the Panama Canal Department was activated as a geographic command of the U.S. Army. It remained as the senior Army headquarters in the region until activation of the Caribbean Defense Command (CDC) on 10 February 1941. The CDC, co-located at Quarry Heights, was commanded by Lieutenant General Daniel Van Voorhis, who continued to command the Panama Canal Department.[16]

The new command eventually assumed operational responsibility over air and naval forces assigned in its area of operations during World War II, which included all U.S. forces and bases in the Caribbean basin outside the continental United States. By early 1942, a Joint Operations Center had been established at Quarry Heights. Meanwhile, 960 jungle-trained officers and enlisted men from the CDC deployed to New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific to help form the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), codenamed 'Galahad' and later nicknamed Merrill's Marauders for its famous exploits in Burma.[18] In the meantime, military strength in the area was gradually rising and reached its peak in January 1943, when 68,000 personnel were defending the Panama Canal. Military strength was sharply reduced with the termination of World War II. Between 1946 and 1974, total military strength in Panama fluctuated between 6,600 and 20,300 (with the lowest force strength in 1959).

In December 1946, President Harry S. Truman approved recommendations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for a comprehensive system of military commands to put responsibility for conducting military operations of all military forces in various geographical areas, in the hands of a single commander. Although the Caribbean Command was designated by the Defense Department on 1 November 1947, it did not become fully operational until 10 March 1948, when the old Caribbean Defense Command was inactivated.[16]

On 6 June 1963, reflecting the fact that the command had a responsibility for U.S. military operations primarily in Central and South America, rather than in the Caribbean, President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara formally redesignated it as the United States Southern Command.[16] The command's mission began to shift with the expansion of the Cold War to Latin America. Kennedy and his successor Lyndon B. Johnson expanded the division in the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis and reoriented it towards irregular warfare against the establishment of another Communist state in the Western Hemisphere.[19] From 1975 until late 1994 total military strength in Panama remained at about 10,000 personnel.[16]

In January 1996 and June 1997, two phases of changes to the Department of Defense Unified Command Plan (UCP) were completed. Each phase of the UCP change added territory to SOUTHCOM's area of responsibility. The impact of the changes is significant. The new AOR includes the Caribbean, its 13 island nations and several U.S. and European territories, the Gulf of Mexico, as well as significant portions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The 1999 update to the UCP also transferred responsibility of an additional portion of the Atlantic Ocean to SOUTHCOM. On 1 October 2000, Southern Command assumed responsibility of the adjacent waters in the upper quadrant above Brazil, which was presently under the responsibility of U.S. Joint Forces Command.[16]

The new AOR encompasses 32 nations (19 in Central and South America and 13 in the Caribbean), of which 31 are democracies, and 14 U.S. and European territories covering more than 15,600,000 square miles (40,000,000 km2).[16]

With the creation of the United States Department of Homeland Security, USSOUTHCOM Area of Responsibility (October 2002) experienced minor upper boundary redistribution or changes decreasing its total boundary by 1.1 square miles. (14.5 million square miles (23.2 million square kilometers.)

With the implementation of the Panama Canal Treaties (the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 and the Treaty concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operations of the Panama Canal), the U.S. Southern Command was relocated in Miami, Florida, on 26 September 1997.[16]

A new headquarters building was constructed and opened in 2010 adjacent to the old rented building in the Doral area of Miami-Dade County. The complex features state-of-the-art planning and conference facilities. This capability is showcased in the 45,000-square-foot Conference Center of the Americas, which can support meetings of differing classification levels and multiple translations, information sources and video conferencing.

In 2012, as many as a dozen SouthCom service members, together with a number of Secret Service officers, were disciplined after they were found to have brought prostitutes to their rooms shortly before President Obama arrived for a summit in Cartagena, Colombia. According to the Associated Press seven Army soldiers and two Marines received administrative punishments for what an official report cited by the wire service said was misconduct consisting "almost exclusively of patronizing prostitutes and adultery." Hiring prostitutes, the report added, "is a violation of the U.S. military code of justice."[20] In 2014, SouthCom commander Kelly testified that while border security was an 'Existential' threat to the country, due to Budget sequestration in 2013 his forces were unable to respond to 75% of illicit trafficking events.[21]

USSOUTHCOM's 2017-2027 Theater Strategy states that potential challenges in the future include transregional and transnational threat networks (T3Ns) which include traditional criminal organizations, as well as the expanding potential of extremist organizations such as ISIL and Hezbollah operating in the region by taking advantage of weak Caribbean and Latin American institutions. USSOUTHCOM also notes that the region is "extremely vulnerable to natural disasters and the outbreak of infectious diseases" due to issues with governance and inequality. Finally, the report recognizes the growing presence of China, Iran and Russia in the region, and that the intentions of these nations bring "a challenge to every nation that values nonaggression, rule of law, and respect for human rights". These challenges have been used to promote relationships between the United States and other governments in the region.[22]

## State Partnership Program

[edit]

Main article: State Partnership Program

US SOUTHCOM currently has 22 state partnerships under the state partnership program (SPP). SPP creates a partnership between a state of the U.S. and a foreign nation by linking the host nation military or security forces with the National Guard. SOUTHCOM is equaled only by EUCOM in its number of partnerships.

## Commanders

[edit]

Main article: Leadership of the United States Southern Command

Admiral Craig S. Faller, commander, U.S. Southern Command, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, and Admiral Kurt W. Tidd, outgoing commander, share the stage during the SOUTHCOM change of command ceremony on 26 November 2018.

The U.S. Southern Command was activated in 1963, emerging from the U.S. Caribbean Command, established in 1947. Last commander of the U.S. Caribbean Command from January 1961 to June 1963 and first commander of the U.S. Southern Command since June 1963 was Lieutenant General–later General–Andrew P. O'Meara.[23]

No. | Commander  | Term  | Service branch

|
|
|

Portrait  | Name  | Took office  | Left office  | Term length

| Crittenberger, Willis D.Lieutenant General
Willis D. Crittenberger
(1890–1980)| November 1947| June 1948| ~ 213 days|
U.S. Army

| Ridgway, Matthew B.Lieutenant General
Matthew B. Ridgway
(1895–1993)| June 1948| October 1949| ~ 1 year, 122 days|
U.S. Army

| Morris Jr., William H. H.Lieutenant General
William H. H. Morris Jr.
(1890–1971)| October 1949| April 1952| ~ 2 years, 183 days|
U.S. Army

| McBride, Horace L.Lieutenant General
Horace L. McBride
(1894–1962)| April 1952| June 1954| ~ 2 years, 61 days|
U.S. Army

| Harrison Jr., William K.Lieutenant General
William K. Harrison Jr.
(1895–1987)| June 1954| January 1957| ~ 2 years, 214 days|
U.S. Army

| Montague, Robert M.Lieutenant General
Robert M. Montague
(1899–1958)| January 1957| February 1958| ~ 1 year, 31 days|
U.S. Army

| Gaither, RidgelyLieutenant General
Ridgely Gaither
(1903–1992)| April 1958| July 1960| ~ 2 years, 91 days|
U.S. Army

| Sink, Robert F.Lieutenant General
Robert F. Sink
(1905–1965)| July 1960| January 1961| ~ 184 days|
U.S. Army

| O'Meara, AndrewGeneral
Andrew P. O'Meara
(1907–2005)| 6 January 1961| 22 February 1965| 4 years, 47 days|
U.S. Army
10|

| Porter, RobertGeneral
Robert W. Porter Jr.
(1908–2000)| 22 February 1965| 18 February 1969| 3 years, 362 days|
U.S. Army
11|

| Mather, GeorgeGeneral
George R. Mather
(1911–1993)| 18 February 1969| 20 September 1971| 2 years, 214 days|
U.S. Army
12|

| Underwood, GeorgeGeneral
George V. Underwood Jr.
(1913–1984)| 20 September 1971| 17 January 1973| 1 year, 119 days|
U.S. Army
13|

| Rosson, WilliamGeneral
William B. Rosson
(1918–2004)| 17 January 1973| 1 August 1975| 2 years, 196 days|
U.S. Army
14|

| McAuliffe, DennisLieutenant General
Dennis P. McAuliffe| 1 August 1975| 1 October 1979| 4 years, 61 days|
U.S. Army
15|

| Nutting, WallaceLieutenant General
Wallace H. Nutting
(1928–2023)| 1 October 1979| 24 May 1983| 3 years, 235 days|
U.S. Army
16|

| Gorman, PaulGeneral
Paul F. Gorman
(born 1927)| 24 May 1983| 1 March 1985| 1 year, 281 days|
U.S. Army
17|

| Galvin, JohnGeneral
John R. Galvin
(1929–2015)| 1 March 1985| 6 June 1987| 2 years, 97 days|
U.S. Army
18|

| Woerner, FrederickGeneral
Frederick F. Woerner Jr.
(1933–2023)| 6 June 1987| 1 October 1989| 2 years, 117 days|
U.S. Army
19|

| Thurman, MaxwellGeneral
Maxwell R. Thurman
(1931–1995)| 1 October 1989| 21 November 1990| 1 year, 51 days|
U.S. Army
20|

| Joulwan, GeorgeGeneral
George A. Joulwan
(born 1939)| 21 November 1990| October 1993| ~ 2 years, 314 days|
U.S. Army

| Worthington, W.Major General
Walter T. Worthington
Acting| October 1993| 17 February 1994| ~ 139 days|
U.S. Air Force
21|

| McCaffrey, BarryGeneral
Barry McCaffrey
(born 1942)| 17 February 1994| 1 March 1996| 2 years, 13 days|
U.S. Army

| Perkins, JamesRear Admiral
James Perkins
Acting| 1 March 1996| 26 June 1996| 117 days|
U.S. Navy
22|

| Clark, WesleyGeneral
Wesley Clark
(born 1944)| 26 June 1996| 13 July 1997| 1 year, 17 days|
U.S. Army

| Doran, Walter F.Rear Admiral
Walter F. Doran
(born 1945)
Acting| 13 July 1997| 25 September 1997| 74 days|
U.S. Navy
23|

| Wilhelm, CharlesGeneral
Charles E. Wilhelm
(born 1941)| 25 September 1997| 8 September 2000| 2 years, 349 days|
U.S. Marine Corps
24|

| Pace, PeterGeneral
Peter Pace
(born 1945)| 8 September 2000| 30 September 2001| 1 year, 22 days|
U.S. Marine Corps

| Speer, GaryMajor General
Gary D. Speer
Acting| 30 September 2001| 18 August 2002| 322 days|
U.S. Army
25|

| Hill, JamesGeneral
James T. Hill
(born 1946)| 18 August 2002| 9 November 2004| 2 years, 83 days|
U.S. Army
26|

| Craddock, BantzGeneral
Bantz J. Craddock
(born 1949)| 9 November 2004| 19 October 2006| 1 year, 344 days|
U.S. Army
27|

| Stavridis, JamesAdmiral
James G. Stavridis
(born 1955)| 19 October 2006| 25 June 2009| 2 years, 249 days|
U.S. Navy
28|

| Fraser, DouglasGeneral
Douglas M. Fraser
(born 1953)| 25 June 2009| 19 November 2012| 3 years, 147 days|
U.S. Air Force
29|

| Kelly, JohnGeneral
John F. Kelly
(born 1950)| 19 November 2012| 14 January 2016| 3 years, 56 days|
U.S. Marine Corps
30|

| Tidd, KurtAdmiral
Kurt W. Tidd
(born 1956)| 14 January 2016| 26 November 2018| 2 years, 316 days|
U.S. Navy
31|

| Faller, CraigAdmiral
Craig S. Faller
(born 1961)| 26 November 2018| 29 October 2021| 2 years, 337 days|
U.S. Navy
32|

| Richardson, LauraGeneral
Laura J. Richardson
(born 1963)| 29 October 2021| 7 November 2024| 3 years, 9 days|
U.S. Army
33|

| Holsey, AlvinAdmiral
Alvin Holsey
(born 1965)| 7 November 2024| Incumbent| 6 days|
U.S. Navy

## See also

[edit]

* Florida portal

* Caribbean Regional Maritime Agreement
* Manta Air Base
* Operation Coronet Nighthawk
* Operation Enduring Freedom - Caribbean and Central America
* Partnership for Prosperity and Security in the Caribbean
* Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (formerly School of the Americas)
* Naval Base Panama Canal Zone

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "About USSOUTHCOM". U.S. Southern Command. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
2. ^ Colombian President Visits, Thanks Southcom for its Support, DoD, dated 2018, last accessed 25 April 2018
3. ^ "Adm. Alvin Holsey". U.S. Southern Command. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
4. ^ "Lt. Gen. Evan L. Pettus". U.S. Southern Command. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
5. ^ "Amb. Sarah-Ann Lynch". U.S. Southern Command. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
6. ^ FM 1-02 Operational Terms and Graphics (PDF). US Army. 21 September 2004. pp. 5–36.
7. ^ ADP 1-02 Terms and Military Symbols (PDF). US Army. 14 August 2018. pp. 4–8.
8. ^ "About Us". U.S. Southern Command. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
9. ^ See TITLE 10 > Subtitle A > PART I > CHAPTER 6 > § 164 for assignment, powers and duties.
10. ^ [1] Archived 14 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
11. ^ "SOUTHCOM Component Commands & Units". U.S. Southern Command. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
12. ^ a b martha Mendoza (3 February 2013). "Military expands its drug war in Latin America". Army Times. Associated Press. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
13. ^ "News Release View - Navy Re-Establishes U.S. Fourth Fleet – DOD New Release No. 338-07 – 24 April 2008". Defenselink.mil. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
14. ^ "Last US forces abandon Manta military base in Ecuador". DEn.mercopress.com. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
15. ^ [2] Archived 17 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine
16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "U.S. Southern Command History". USSOUTHCOM. 11 September 2006. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
17. ^ U.S. Army South – A Brief History
18. ^ "MERRILL'S MARAUDERS ASSOCIATION WELCOME PAGE". www.marauder.org.
19. ^ Collins, N.W. (2021). Grey wars : a contemporary history of U.S. special operations. New Haven. ISBN 978-0-300-25834-9. OCLC 1255527666.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
20. ^ "Report: Colombian prostitute scandal involved military". Content.usatoday.com. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
21. ^ O'Toole, Molly (5 July 2014). "Top General Says Mexico Border Security Now 'Existential' Threat to U.S." Defenseone.com. National Journal Group, Inc. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
22. ^ "2017-2027 Theater Strategy" (PDF). USSOUTHCOM. 4 April 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 June 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
23. ^ "A Half-Century of Service SOUTHCOM" (PDF). USSOUTHCOM. 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2017.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Conn, Stetson; Engelman, Rose C.; Fairchild, Byron (2000) [1964], Guarding the United States and its Outposts, United States Army in World War II, Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, United States Army
* Vasquez, Cesar A. "A History of the United States Caribbean Defense Command (1941-1947)." Florida International University, doctoral thesis (2016).

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Latin, Caribbean allies hail new U.S. Southern Command chief by John Yearwood, Miami Herald, 26 June 2009

* v
* t
* e

Unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense

Geographic combatant commands|

* Africa Command
* Central Command
* European Command
* Northern Command
* Indo-Pacific Command
* Southern Command
* Space Command

Functional combatant commands|

* Cyber Command
* Special Operations Command
* Strategic Command
* Transportation Command

Inactivated|

* Atlantic Command
* Joint Forces Command
* Strike Command

* v
* t
* e

United States Department of Defense

* Headquarters: The Pentagon

* Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense
* Kathleen Hicks, Deputy Secretary of Defense

Office of the Secretary of Defense
(including defense agencies and DoD field activities)

| Deputy Secretary of Defense|

* Deputy's Advisory Working Group
* Office of Net Assessment
* Special Access Program Oversight Committee

|

Under Secretary of Defense
for Acquisition and Sustainment|

* Defense Contract Management Agency
* Defense Logistics Agency
* Defense Threat Reduction Agency
* Office of Economic Adjustment
* Defense Acquisition University
* Defense Acquisition Board
* Defense Microelectronics Activity

Under Secretary of Defense
for Research and Engineering|

* Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
* Defense Innovation Unit
* Defense Technical Information Center
* Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center
* Missile Defense Agency

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy|

* Defense Security Cooperation Agency
* Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
* Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee

Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)|

* Defense Contract Audit Agency
* Defense Finance and Accounting Service

Under Secretary of Defense
for Personnel and Readiness|

* Defense Commissary Agency
* Department of Defense Education Activity
* Defense Human Resources Activity
* Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support
* Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute
* Defense Travel Management Office
* Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service
* Defense Health Agency
* Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Under Secretary of Defense
for Intelligence|

* Defense Intelligence Agency
* Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency
* Defense Information Systems Agency (White House Communications Agency)
* National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
* National Reconnaissance Office
* National Security Agency/Central Security Service (Director/Chief)

Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs|

* Defense Media Activity (American Forces Press Service, American Forces Radio and Television Service, Stars and Stripes, The Pentagon Channel)

General Counsel of the Department of Defense|

* Defense Legal Services Agency (Office of Military Commissions)

Chief Management Officer of the Department of Defense|

* Pentagon Force Protection Agency
* Washington Headquarters Services (White House Military Office)

Military Departments

| Department of the Army|

* Secretary of the Army
The Secretariat: Under Secretary of the Army
* Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology
* Assistant Secretary for Civil Works
* Assistant Secretary (Financial Management and Comptroller)
* Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment
* Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs
* General Counsel of the Army
* The Administrative Assistant
The Army Staff: Chief of Staff of the Army
* Vice Chief of Staff of the Army
* Sergeant Major of the Army
* Deputy Chief of Staff G-8
* Chief of Chaplains
* Judge Advocate General
* Provost Marshal General
* Surgeon General
U.S. Army field organizations: see Structure of the United States Army

|

Department of the Navy|

* Secretary of the Navy
The Secretariat: Under Secretary of the Navy
* Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller)
* Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment)
* Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
* Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisitions)
* General Counsel of the Navy
* Judge Advocate General
* Naval Criminal Investigative Service
* Naval Inspector General
Headquarters Marine Corps: Commandant of the Marine Corps
* Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps
* Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
* Chaplain
U.S. Marine Corps field organizations: see Organization of the United States Marine Corps
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations: Chief of Naval Operations
* Vice Chief of Naval Operations
* Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
* Director of Naval Reactors
* Chief of Chaplains
* Chief of Naval Personnel
* Surgeon General
United States Navy field organizations: see Structure of the United States Navy

Department of the Air Force|

* Secretary of the Air Force
The Secretariat: Under Secretary of the Air Force
* Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition)
* Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management & Comptroller)
* Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Installations, Environment & Logistics)
* Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs)
* General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force
* Air Force Office of Special Investigations
The Air Staff: Chief of Staff of the Air Force
* Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force
* Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
* Chief of Chaplains
* Chief of Safety
* Chief Scientist
* Judge Advocate General
* Surgeon General
U.S. Air Force field organizations: Major Commands
* Direct Reporting Units
* Field Operating Agencies
Space Staff: Chief of Space Operations
* United States Space Force field organizations

Joint Chiefs of Staff

* Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
* Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman
* Joint Requirements Oversight Council
* Director of the Joint Staff
* Joint Staff
* National Military Command Center
* Alternate National Military Command Center
* National Defense University
* Joint Personnel Recovery Agency

Combatant Commands

* Africa Command
* Central Command
* European Command
* Northern Command
* Indo-Pacific Command
* Southern Command
* Space Command
* Cyber Command
* Special Operations Command
* Strategic Command
* Transportation Command

National Guard Bureau

* Chief of the National Guard Bureau
* Air National Guard
* Army National Guard

Office of the Inspector General

* Defense Criminal Investigative Service

* v
* t
* e

United States Armed Forces

Legend
A = Army
MC = Marine Corps
N = Navy
AF = Air Force
SF = Space Force
CG = Coast Guard

Leadership|

* President of the United States
* Secretary of Defense
* Deputy Secretary of Defense
* Secretary of Homeland Security
* Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
* Joint Chiefs of Staff:
* Chairman
* Vice Chairman
* Committees on Armed Services
* Senate
* House
* Active duty four-star officers
* Active duty three-star officers
* United States military seniority
* National Security Act of 1947
* Goldwater–Nichols Act

Components|

| Military departments|

* Department of Defense
* Secretary
* Department of the Army
* Secretary
* Department of the Navy
* Secretary
* Department of the Air Force
* Secretary
* Department of Homeland Security
* Secretary

|

Service branches and heads|

* Chief of Staff of the United States Army
* Commandant of the Marine Corps
* Chief of Naval Operations
* Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
* Chief of Space Operations
* Commandant of the Coast Guard

Reserve components|

* Reserves:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* CG
* National Guard:
* A
* AF

Civilian auxiliaries|

* Military Auxiliary Radio System
* Marine Corps Cyber Auxiliary
* Merchant Marine
* Civil Air Patrol
* Coast Guard Auxiliary

Unified combatant command|

* Africa
* Central
* European
* Indo-Pacific
* Northern
* Southern
* Space
* Cyber
* Special Operations
* Strategic
* Transportation

Structure|

* United States Code
* Title 10
* Title 14
* Title 32
* Title 50
* The Pentagon
* Installations
* Units:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG
* Logistics
* Media
* Unit mottoes

Operations
and history|

* Budget
* Current deployments
* Conflicts
* Wars
* Civil affairs

History|

* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG

Timeline|

* Colonial
* World War II

By ancestry|

* African Americans
* Asian Americans
* Buddhist Americans
* Jewish Americans
* Muslim Americans
* Sikh Americans
* Hispanic Americans
* Civil War
* Air Force
* Coast Guard
* Marine Corps
* Navy
* Academy

History centers|

* Army Center of Military History
* Marine Corps History Division
* Naval History and Heritage Command
* Air Force Historical Research Agency

War artists|

* Army Art Program
* Air Force Art Program

Personnel|

| Training|

* Service academies:
* A (prep)
* MC/N (prep)
* AF/SF (prep)
* CG
* Merchant Marine
* ROTC
* A
* MC/N
* AF/SF
* Officer candidate/training school:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF/SF
* Warrant officer:
* A
* MEPS
* ASVAB
* The Basic School (MC)
* Enlisted recruit training:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF/SF
* CG
* Other education

|

Uniforms|

* Uniforms:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* Awards & decorations:
* Inter-service
* A
* MC/N
* AF/SF
* CG
* Foreign
* International
* Devices
* Badges:
* Identification
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG

Ranks|

* Officer:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG
* Warrant officers
* Enlisted:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG

Other|

* Oath:
* Enlistment
* Officer
* Creeds & Codes:
* Code of Conduct
* NCO
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* CG
* Service numbers:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* CG
* Military Occupational Specialty/Rating/Air Force Specialty Code
* Pay
* Uniform Code of Military Justice
* Judge Advocate General's Corps
* Military Health System/Tricare
* Separation
* Veterans Affairs
* Conscription
* Chiefs of Chaplains:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* CG

Equipment|

* A (Designations)
* MC:
* vehicles
* weapons
* other
* N
* AF
* CG

| Land|

* Individual weapons
* Crew-served weapons
* Vehicles (active)

|

Sea|

* All watercraft
* Ships:
* A
* N
* active
* future
* AF
* CG
* MSC
* Weapons:
* N
* Reactors

Air|

* Aircraft
* World War I
* active
* future
* Aircraft designation
* Helicopter arms

Other|

* WWII equipment
* Nuclear football
* Electronics (designations)
* Flags:
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG
* Ensign
* Jack
* Guidons
* Food
* WMDs:
* Nuclear
* Biological
* Chemical

* Category
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG
* Navboxes
* A
* MC
* N
* AF
* SF
* CG

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Israel

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