List of former unified combatant commands explained

Since the first Unified Command Plan was approved on 14 December 1946, several unified and specified (see JP 1-02, p. 222) combatant commands have been established and disestablished.[1] Some of the commands existed before they were officially established as unified or specified commands, or continued to exist after they were disestablished as such.

Emblem Command Acronym Type Established Disestablished Comments
SAC Specified 1946-12-14 1992-05-31 Replaced by United States Strategic Command, which also took over its command facilities at Offutt AFB, NB.
ALCOM Unified 1947-01-01 1975-06-30 Became a subunified command under U.S. Pacific Command; subsequently a subunified command under U.S. Northern Command
FECOM Unified 1947-01-01 1957-07-01 Duties assumed by United States Pacific Command
CARIBCOM Unified 1947-11-01 1963-06-06 Replaced by USSOUTHCOM
NELM Specified 1947-11-01 1963-12-01 Became part of USEUCOM as its USN component and renamed United States Naval Forces Europe.
LANTCOM Unified 1947-12-01 1999-09-31 Replaced by United States Joint Forces Command
USNEC Unified 1950-10-01 1956-09-01 Most functions assumed by Northeast Air Command.[2]
USAFE Specified 1951-01-22 1956-07-01 Became part of USEUCOM as its USAF component command; still remains a USAF major command (MAJCOM)
CONAD Unified 1954-09-01 1975-06-30 Replaced by ADCOM
USSTRICCOM Unified 1962-01-01 1971-12-31 Reorganized as United States Readiness Command
ADCOM Specified 1975-07-01 1979-10-01 Duties assumed by Air Defense, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC); responsibilities now rest with First Air Force.
USREDCOM Unified 1972-01-01 1987-04-15
MAC Specified 1977-02-01 1987-07-01 Duties as a specified command assumed by USTRANSCOM; later replaced as a USAF major command (MAJCOM) by Air Mobility Command in 1992
USSPACECOM Unified 1985-09-23 2002-10-01 Merged with US Strategic Command to form a new US Strategic Command. A second Space Command, separate from the first incarnation, was established 29 August 2019.
USSTRATCOM Unified 1992-06-01 2002-10-01 Merged with US Space Command to form a new US Strategic Command.
USJFCOM Unified 1999-10-01 2011-09-03 Duties assumed by the Joint Staff and various other combatant commands

Notes and References

  1. JCS (1977), p. 38
  2. Web site: Joint Chiefs of Staff . History of the Unified Command Plan, 1946–1977 . 20 December 1977 . 14 June 2020 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100528174827/http://www.dod.gov/pubs/foi/reading_room/268.pdf . 28 May 2010. 15, 16.