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Combatant Commands
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Combatant Commands

United States military
Also known as: COCOMS
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Quick Summary

The United States military's Combatant Commands (COCOMs) are unified organizations that combine forces from different branches to carry out specific missions. Established by the Unified Command Plan, these commands were created to improve coordination and overcome inter-service friction that arose during World War II.

There are currently nine COCOMs: six are organized geographically, covering regions like the Pacific (PACOM), Latin America (SOUTHCOM), Europe (EUCOM), Africa (AFRICOM), the Middle East and North Africa (CENTCOM), and North America (NORTHCOM). The remaining three are functional commands: Special Operations Command (SOCOM), Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), and Strategic Command (STRATCOM). These commands are responsible to the president and the secretary of defense, with operational direction often managed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
5 Britannica Sources
  1. Unified Command Plan
  2. U.S. Department of Defense
  3. United States Army - Administrative structure
  4. CENTCOM
  5. combat command

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