USAFA Library Guides: Combatant Commands Research Guide: Combatant Command Overview

Introduction

This section provides essential resources for understanding U.S. Combatant Commands (CCMDs) and their roles in military operations, strategy, and global security. Below you will find important information, including command overviews, key reports, and research materials.

Overview

U.S. Combatant Commands (CCMDs) are unified military commands responsible for planning and executing operations across geographic or functional regions. The Unified Command Plan (UCP) assigns these missions and ensures coordination between commands.

Combatant Command Structure

The U.S. military is organized into 11 unified commands, each with specific responsibilities:

Geographic Commands (responsible for specific regions):

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM): HQ Stuttgart, Germany
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), HQ MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
U.S. European Command (EUCOM): HQ Stuttgart, Germany
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM): HQ Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii
U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM): HQ Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM): HQ Doral, Florida
U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM): HQ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Functional Commands (cross-cutting responsibilities):

U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM): HQ Fort Meade, Maryland
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM): HQ MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM): HQ Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska
U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM): HQ Scott Air Force Base, Illinois

The Map of Combatant Commands does not reflect announced changes in area of responsibility for Israel and Greenland.

U.S. Army Map Resources
Provides a map of Combatant Command AOR with links to additional geospatial resources.

Key Background Resources

These materials provide context for understanding CCMDs, their operations, and their evolution:

Combatant Commands by Cynthia Watson
Publication Date: 2010

Overview of the structure and history of U.S. Combatant Commands. Also available in print.

Defense Primer by CRS: Commanding US Military Operations
Key updates from the CRS on U.S. military command structure.
DoD Agency Financial Reports
Annual overview of the Defense Department financial reports of operations and programming.
Joint Chiefs of Staff: Insights and Best Practices
Focus papers on CCMD command and control, such as Combatant Command (CCMD) Command and Control Organizational Options,
Mission Command and more.
Unified Command Plan & Combatant Commands (CRS Report, 2013)
Congressional background on the UCP and CCMD responsibilities written by Andrew Feicket, Congressional Research Service.
What is a Combatant Command? (2025)
Article written by the U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs.

Regional & Functional Command Information

Air Force and Space Force Almanac
Find latest almanac that describes major AF commands and reserve components, US Space Force, structure, installations, weapons and more
History of the Unified Command Plan, 1942-2012
Official history of the UCP’s development.
Military Units (DoD)
Find out how each service branch is organized
Missile Defense Agency (DoD)
Missile defense elements are operated by US military personnel from STRATCOM, NORTHCOM, INDOPACOM, EUCOM, U.S. Forces Japan and others
U.S. Overseas Basing: Background and Issues for Congress (CRS, 2024)
Offers a regional overview of U.S. overseas bases, organized by Combatant Command areas of responsibility.
Understanding the U.S. Military (2022)
See Chapter 9, "Command Relationships" by Francis J. H. Park
Unified Combatant Command System: Centerpiece of the 1986 U.S. Armed Forces Reforms (MCUP, 2022)
Looks at all 11 combatant commands and how they work together better under the 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Act.

Additional Reference Tools

Campaign Planning Handbook
Produced by the U.S. Army War College, this handbook aids students and planners by supplementing joint doctrine with emerging combatant command-level concepts.
DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms
CAC required for full access to the DoD Dictionary on JEL+.
Encyclopedia of Military Science (2013)
Find entries for U.S. combatant commands
Global Trends
Published every four years by the National Intelligence Council, it outlines trends and uncertainties shaping the U.S. strategic outlook for the next 20 years.
Intelligence Community Assessments & Reports
Access to unclassified reports about national security issues from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Joint Electronic Library
Joint publications from the JCS for Joint Planning, Strategy, Concepts, Lessons Learned, Insights and more. CAC required to access the full list of joint doctrine publications on the JEL+.
National Defense Strategy
Strategic priorities from the Department of Defense.

Related Agencies & Resources

Links to U.S. military agencies and academic resources for further research:

Defense Security Cooperation Agency
Information on military diplomacy and international security cooperation.
DoD Regional Centers for Security Studies
Academic forums and research supporting U.S. defense strategy.
Military Departments - DoD Websites
Access to detailed information about the military branches and their operational roles.
Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)

Research Reports

Important sources for CCMD research:

JSTOR's Security Studies collection offers research reports from leading policy institutes. Use keyword search with filters for year, content type, or subject (e.g., Military Studies, Area Studies, Peace & Conflict Studies). Advanced Search and Browse by Subject provide more targeted results.

Selected Reports from JSTOR and Think Tanks

These notable studies provide in-depth perspectives on the structure and strategic application of CCMDs:

Additional Open Access Reports

These resources are freely available from prominent policy institutions and government research agencies:

Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Authoritative, nonpartisan backgrounders on CCMD structure and responsibilities.
EveryCRSReport.com
A public-facing aggregator of updated CRS reports on defense and foreign policy topics.
Marine Corps University Press (MCUP)
Publishes peer-reviewed research on doctrine, theater strategy, and joint operations.
RAND Corporation
Features extensive reports on joint operations, command and control, regional threats, and force planning.

RAND publishes research on combatant commands, including the Air Force component, with a focus on key topics such as:

Notable examples:

Select Reports from Other Sources:

Air Force Structure in the Next National Defense Strategy (CNAS, 2020)
Annual Estimate of the Strategic Security Environment
Serves as a guide for academics and defense professionals on current strategic challenges and opportunities.
Bad Idea: Geographic Combatant Commands (CSIS, 2021)
Opinion article featured in Defense360's Bad Ideas in National Security series from CSIS
Climate Change: Considerations for Geographic Combatant Command (SFASID, 2015)
Index of U.S. Military Strength (Heritage, 2023)
Annual assessment of U.S. military strength by the Heritage Foundation
Modernizing COCOMs: Information Warfare in the 21st Century (DTIC, 2021)
A Security Threat Assessment of Global Climate Change (NSMIP, 2020)
Provides regional climate security threat assessments for AFRICOM, CENTCOM, EUCOM, INDOPACOM, NORTHCOM and SOUTHCOM
Using Artificial Intelligence to Rethink the Unified Command Plan (CSIS, 2024)

Books

Electronic Book Collections: Use these e-book databases to find titles on military, national security, and international affairs

ProQuest Ebook Central - Over 200,000 books across all disciplines, including military and strategic studies
Praeger Security International - Find recent works on security studies, strategy and terrorism
JSTOR - Access thousands of books and research reports, in addition to journals
EBSCO eBook Collection - Search for books on military and security studies

Below are several e-books on combatant commands and regional defense strategy:

Defense 101: Understanding the Military of Today and Tomorrow (2021)
Four Guardians : A Principled Agent View of American Civil-Military Relations (2018, 1-User License)
Covers each service and key case studies, including the Joint Task Force's creation and the passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Act (1986).
Military Strategy, Joint Operations, and Airpower: An Introduction (2018)
Responding to Violent Conflicts and Humanitarian Crises: A Guide to Participants (2021)
Overview of the U.S. military, international organizations, NGOs, and civilian agencies. See Chapter 4 (Civilian Agencies) and Chapter 5 (U.S. Military).
Stand Up and Fight!: The Creation of U.S. Security Organizations, 1942-2005 (2015)
Provides summaries on the formation and roles of U.S. combatant commands.
The U.S.Intelligence Community (2015)
Includes Chapter 6. Unified Command Intelligence Organizations
U. S. Naval Power in the 21st Century : A New Strategy for Facing the Chinese and Russian Threat (2023)

Scholarly Journals

Search for Journals
Use the search box below to check if a journal is available in the library, including full-text access and coverage dates. Topics include military and strategic studies, with examples like Contemporary Security Policy, Geopolitics, International Security, Journal of Strategic Studies, and Security Dialogue.

Open Access Journals
Below is a list of key open access journals published by the Department of Defense, Joint Chiefs, and various military departments. These journals focus on military and strategic studies, featuring both scholarly and non-scholarly journal titles.

Selective List of Journal Articles
Below is a brief list of journal articles published by military organizations and other sources.