Indignation

 

After the shootings in Arizona, cries arose from the public and pundits for a return to civility.   But if you are aware of the silence in response to the US wars and other harms, you realize that not civility but indignation is needed.   For example, all across the nation budget discussions in towns and cities occur with no apparent concern that half of the US budget is for militarism and empire.  Or do you know of any local church speaking up against the US illegal, immoral, and now our longest wars? D   

Contents
Editors of The Nation
Stephane Hessel
Letter on the Silence 

The Outrage Deficit

The Editors   The Nation March 7/14, 2011

in 2011 America’s social compact, already frayed by the right’s decades-long assault on its essential elements, is in danger of coming apart.

The Great Recession was caused by the depredations of Wall Street and enabled by a political class captive to its greed. Those same forces have conspired to deprive the recession’s victims—millions of ordinary Americans who have lost jobs, homes and hope—of comfort and justice.

Where is the outrage?

The truth is, it is hard to find—at least on a scale commensurate with the magnitude of the betrayal we have endured. True, the Tea Party’s calls to slash an additional $100 billion from an already crimped 2011 budget elicited jeers across the leftish blogosphere. And next to the GOP’s spreadsheet of cruelty, President Obama’s blueprint for 2012 appears relatively gentle and sane, with its targeted investments in infrastructure and cuts to fossil fuel subsidies. But let’s not forget the human context in which this budget debate is occurring: 25 million unemployed, 50 million without health insurance, 44 million living in poverty.

That Obama’s plan was greeted with barely a grumble from his liberal base—surprising even the White House, which, according to the New York Times, had braced for a backlash on its left flank—reflects our diminished expectations, not only of Obama but of society.

It is time, as Stéphane Hessel reminds us in this issue, to regain a sense of outrage. In the first English translation of a cri de coeur that has topped bestseller lists for months in France, the 93-year-old former diplomat and hero of the French Resistance recalls the ideals of that movement—which not only struggled against Fascism but for “a true economic and social democracy”—and urges a new generation to seek their fulfillment. “The worst possible outlook is indifference that says, ‘I can’t do anything about it; I’ll just get by,’” he writes. “Behaving like that deprives you of one of the essentials of being human: the capacity and the freedom to feel outraged. That freedom is indispensable, as is the political involvement that goes with it.”

In the United States today, one need look no further than our state legislatures to find ample cause for outrage. As Robert Pollin and Jeffrey Thompson detail on page 19, states struggling with dropping revenues and spiking demand for social services are not contemplating such reasonable measures as raising taxes on the wealthiest 1 percent of households, who collected a breathtaking 65 percent of income gains between 2002 and 2007. Instead, state officials—including many newly elected Republicans, but also some Democrats—are taking aim at the benefits and jobs of hospital nurses, schoolteachers, firefighters—public servants who are the backbone of the middle class.

And that’s not all. The public sector unions—the last redoubt of organized labor, the first of “five pillars” of Democratic strength, according to right-wing guru Grover Norquist—have been marked for destruction by a longstanding right-wing campaign now coming to fruition, as Jane McAlevey reports (page 22).  States like Wisconsin, where Republicans won a “trifecta”—control of the governor’s office and both chambers of the statehouse—are moving to take away the fundamental right of government workers to engage in collective bargaining.

The stakes could hardly be higher for unions and for all progressives. Indignez-vous!

More information about Hessel and his book:

Indignez-vous! | The Nation

Feb 22, 2011 ... On the American publication of Stéphane Hessel's Indignez-vous! ... Bravo, editors of The Nation. Can't wait to read the full English copy ...www.thenation.com/article/158683/indignez-vous - Cached

1.                             Time for Outrage! | The Nation

Time for Outrage! | The Nation. Did You Join US Uncut on Saturday? ...www.thenation.com/article/158644/time-outrage - Cached

Show more results from thenation.com

2.                             Stéphane Hessel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stéphane Hessel was a member of the National Consultative Commission on Human ... In October 2010 his essay "Indignez-vous! was published with a first ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stéphane_Hessel - Cached - Similar

3.                             Indignez vous! by Stephane Hessel – the text « Sapte Stele / Seven ...

Jan 8, 2011 ... CRY OUT! INDIGNEZ VOUS! By Stephane Hessel, 93. Page 1 ... and the sixty-six years program developed by the National Council of Resistance! ...saptestele.wordpress.com/.../indignez-vous-by-stephane-hessel-the-text/ - Cached

4.                             Stephane Hessel Indignez-vous - French Connections Home

Jan 6, 2011 ... In October 2010 Stephane Frédéric Hessel's essay "Indignez-vous! ... Stéphane Hessel was a member of the National Consultative Commission on ...www.lafrance.com › ... › French Connections Home - Cached

5.                             Resistance Hero Stephane Hessel, 93, Cries “Indignez Vous - Bruce ...

Jan 6, 2011 ... Resistance Hero Stephane Hessel, 93, Cries “Indignez Vous! ... others see a nation hungry for a passionately rebellious French voice. ...brucefrankel.net/.../french_resistance_hero_stephane_hessel_93_cries_ indignez_vous_and_ignites_b/ -

6.                             Indignez-vous! Stéphane Hessel's bestseller Indignez-vous! serves ...

Feb 21, 2011 ... In the first English translation of a cri de coeur that has topped bestseller lists for months in France, the 93-year-old hero of the French ...peacenews.org/.../indignez-vous-stephane-hessels-bestseller-indignez-vous- serves-as-reminder-of-the-power-of-outraged-united-citizens-to-ena...

7.                             "Time for Outrage" (Indignez-vous!), Hessel, Now in English ...

Jan 28, 2011 ... INDIGNEZ-VOUS By Stéphane Hessel Booklet "Indignez-vous" by Man 93 Incites .... out 66 years ago by the National Council of the Resistance! ...www.timeforoutrage.net/2011/01/english-translation.html -

 Dick, Where’s the outrage deficit? It’s a victim of profound apathy encouraged by mendacity in our political and educational environments. It’s a victim of our affluence and brain washing by the non truth tellers flooding every form of news media. Those who should be most outraged, the poor and lower middle class, grasp to the mistaken hope and belief that the American dream riches will befall them. I fear nothing short of complete economic collapse will solve this as well as the hope to reduce co2.
Robert

 

 

New Video vs. Corporate "Personhood" Elections Influence

Corporatio​ns vs. Democracy: The Movie
From: Robert Weissman, President
[mailto:publiccitizen@mail.democracyinaction.org]
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2011 12:37 PM

Public Citizen is going viral!
For more than a year, you've been hearing from us about the U.S. Supreme
Court's "Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission" ruling and Public
Citizen's campaign for a constitutional amendment to prevent a full-scale
corporate takeover of our elections.

*Now, there's a fun video that shows how we got to this pivotal moment for
our nation, and how we can work together to win a historical victory for We,
the People.*
Watch the animated short film "The Story of Citizens United v. FEC: Why
Democracy Only Works When People are in Charge" now. [
http://democracyisforpeople.org/ ]

We were very happy to work on this project with filmmaker, author, activist
and Public Citizen board member Annie Leonard - creator of viral Internet
videos like "The Story of Stuff" and "The Story of Cosmetics."
In under nine minutes, Annie explains:
- The history of "corporate personhood" in America.
- The dangers of allowing disproportionate corporate influence over our
lives.
- Why a constitutional amendment is the best way to defend our democracy
from an all-out assault by corporations motivated solely by an unquenchable
thirst for profits.
*This movie is going to take our amendment campaign to the next level.*
Watch "The Story of Citizens United" now! [ http://democracyisforpeople.org/
]
*Enjoy the film, then get the word out through email, Facebook and Twitter
to your friends, family members, neighbors and colleagues.*
Democracy is for people. Corporations are not people.
For democracy,
Robert Weissman
President, Public Citizen
P.S. Visit our brand-new campaign website, DemocracyIsForPeople.org [
http://democracyisforpeople.org/ ], to learn more about how you can get
involved in this critical movement.

US Unecessary Wars

UNITED STATES UNNECESSARY WARS (Unprovoked, Illegal, Self-destructive) MANUFACTURED BY THE MILITARY-CORPORATE-WHITE HOUSE-CONGRESSIONAL-CORPORATE MEDIA COMPLEX

 For seventy years few US wars have been necessary but have originated from the darkness of official and popular dysfunctions.   Since so many people have been killed as the consequence of these US wars, and since we now possess considerable information about the origins of the wars (take your pick--a half-million Iraqi children during the 1990s embargo?) despite massive secrecy, it is time for our historians to examine the subject comprehensively.    Here is an outline of one possible approach.    Readers:  I will be temporary editor.   Send me author, title, publisher, date of outstanding books.  But we need someone with more time and strength than I have for the job.  One of you would be the editor?     Let’s help the historians.   Let’s be part of the ending of these unnecessary wars by making them known to the US public.   Dick

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL

WORLD WAR I

WORLD WAR II

EUROPE

PACIFIC

POST-WORLD WAR II

COLD WAR

the interventions and invasions discussed in Blum, e.g.:

IRAN

GRENADA

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

GUATEMALA

NICARAGUA

ETC.   Blum in his 2^nd ed. discusses over 50 unnecessary US-initiated wars.

WAR ON TERROR

 AFGHANISTAN

IRAQ

BOOKS

At least one book for each war.

GENERAL

James R. Bennett.  Control of Information in the United States: An Annotated Bibliography.  Meckler, 1987.   Control of the Media in the United States: An Annotated Bibliography.  Garland, 1992.  Together a good source on US wars for books published before 1992.

WORLD WAR I

Buchanan, Pat.  Churchill, Hitler, and the Unnecessary War.

WORLD WAR II

EUROPE

Buchanan, Pat.  Churchill, Hitler, and the Unnecessary War.

PACIFIC

Worth, Roland, Jr.   No Choice But War.

POST-WORLD WAR II

Blum, William.   Killing Hope and Rogue State

COLD WAR

Cox, Arthur M.  Russian Roulette: The Superpower Game. Times, 1982.  

WAR ON TERROR

Jane Mayer.   The Dark Side: the Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals.   Doubleday, 2008. 

US Military-Industrial-(Corporate-Congressional-Presidential-Corporate Media) Complex

Contents:
Why We Fight, Film
James Ledbetter's Book, Unwarranted Influence
William Hartung's Book, Prophets of War

OMNI CENTER FOR PEACE JUSTICE AND ECOLOGY continues its video series on post-World War II Empire.

Our next film is WHY WE FIGHT, about the military–industrial complex President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned the nation against in his Farewell Address. Why We Fight was first screened at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, exactly forty-four years after Eisenhower's farewell address. It won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary.

The film will be shown SUNDAY, MARCH 13, at 7 PM at the OMNI Center, 3274 Lee Ave. in Fayetteville, a block north of Office Depot. Film length is 99 minutes. Contact Dick Bennett 442-4600. Phone Gladys Tiffany at OMNI 935-4422.

Related Reading:
Bill Hartung. Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military-Industrial Complex. Nation Books, 2011.

James Ledbetter. Unwarranted Influence: Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Military Industrial Complex. Yale UP, 2011.


Additional Information about the film:

Why We Fight, directed by Eugene Jarecki, is a 2005 documentary film about the military–industrial complex. The title refers to the World War II-era eponymous propaganda movies commissioned by the U.S. Government to justify their decision to enter the war against the Axis Powers.

Why We Fight was first screened at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival on 17 January 2005, exactly forty-four years after President Dwight D. Eisenhower's farewell address. It won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary. It received a limited public cinema release on 20 January 2005, and then was released on DVD on 27 June 2005, by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Synopsis
Why We Fight describes the rise and maintenance of the United States military–industrial complex (originally called the military–industrial–congressional complex by Eisenhower) and its fifty-year causative involvement with the wars led by the United States to date, especially its 2003 Invasion of Iraq. The documentary asserts that in every decade since World War II, the American public was misled so that the Government (incumbent Administration) could take them to war, fuel the military-industrial economy, and maintain American political dominance in the world. Interviewed about this matter, are politician John McCain, political scientist and former-CIA analyst Chalmers Johnson, politician Richard Perle, neoconservative commentator William Kristol, writer Gore Vidal, and public policy expert Joseph Cirincione.

Why We Fight documents the consequences of US foreign policy with the stories
of a Vietnam War veteran whose son was killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks, and who then asked the military to write the name of his dead son on any bomb to be dropped in Iraq;
of a twenty-three-year-old New Yorker who enlists in the United States Army because he was poor and in debt, his decision impelled by his mother's death;
and of a female military explosives scientist who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee child from Vietnam in 1975.

Do you want to increase your understanding of why the USA intervened or invaded over fifty nations since 1945 and is occupying two nations and bombing two more today? SEE THIS FILM AND READ THESE BOOKS.

James Ledbetter.  Unwarranted Influence: Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Military Industrial Complex.  Yale UP, 2011.

1.                             Unwarranted Influence: Dwight D. Eisenhower and the ... - Google Books Result

James Ledbetter - 2011 - Biography & Autobiography - 268 pages
In this book, published to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of Eisenhower’s farewell address, journalist James Ledbetter shows how the government, ...
books.google.com/books?isbn=0300153058...

►

2.                             Unwarranted Influence - Ledbetter, James - Yale University Press

In this book, published to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of Eisenhower's farewell address, journalist James Ledbetter shows how the government, ...yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=9780300153057 - Cached

3.                             Unwarranted Influence | The Big Book | Marketplace from American ...

Jan 17, 2011 ... Title: Unwarranted Influence: Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Military-Industrial Complex. Author: James Ledbetter ...www.publicradio.org/columns/.../the.../unwarranted-influence.html - Cached

4.                             Excerpt: Unwarranted Influence | The Big Book | Marketplace from ...

The following excerpt is from Unwarranted Influence by James Ledbetter ...www.publicradio.org/.../the.../excerpt-unwarranted-influence.html - Cached

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5.                             Amazon.com: Unwarranted Influence: Dwight D. Eisenhower and the ...

6.                              4 reviews - $17.16 - In stock

7.                             This item: Unwarranted Influence: Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Military- Industrial Complex (Icons of America) by James Ledbetter Hardcover $17.16 ...www.amazon.com › ... › Industries & Professions › Industrial Relations - Cached

8.                             Amazon.com: Unwarranted Influence eBook: James Ledbetter: Kindle Store

Amazon.com: Unwarranted Influence eBook: James Ledbetter: Kindle Store.www.amazon.com › ... › Industries & Professions › Industrial Relations - Cached

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9.                             Twitter / AEI: James Ledbetter's "Unwarra ...

James Ledbetter's "Unwarranted Influence" explains what Eisenhower meant by the military-industrial complex @WSJ http://ow.ly/3s0uj.twitter.com/AEIonline/status/16923320444264449 - Cached

10.                        Unwarranted Influence by James Ledbetter - Reviews, Discussion ...

Jan 17, 2011 ... 0.00 avg rating - 0 ratings - 0 reviews - isbn 0300153058. In Dwight D. Eisenhower's last speech as president, on January 17, 1961, ...www.goodreads.com/book/show/9432422-unwarranted-influence - Cached

11.                        Unwarranted Influence: Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Military ...

$26.00 - In stock

Find Unwarranted Influence: Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Military Industrial Complex - James Ledbetter at Borders - Books, Music and Movies.www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=0300153058 - Cached

12.                        Unwarranted Influence: Eisenhower and the MIC - Jan. 14, 2011

Jan 14, 2011 ... By James Ledbetter, contributorJanuary 14, 2011: 1:44 PM ET. FORTUNE -- In this excerpt from "Unwarranted Influence: Dwight D. Eisenhower ...money.cnn.com/...ledbetter-unwarranted-influence.../index.htm - Cached - Add to iGoogle

Bill Hartung.  Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military-Industrial Complex.  Nation Books, 2011.

1.                             Prophets of War by William Hartung

Enthralling and explosive, Prophets of War is an exposé of America's largest military contractor, Lockheed Martin. When President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave ...www.prophetsofwar.com/ - Cached

2.                             Reviews - Prophets of War by William Hartung

“Bill Hartung's “Prophets of War” is a searing indictment of the collusion ...www.prophetsofwar.com/?p=2 - Cached

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3.                             Amazon.com: Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the ...

4.                              12 reviews - $12.92 - In stock

5.                             Amazon.com: Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military- Industrial Complex eBook: William D. Hartung: Kindle Store.www.amazon.com › Books › Literature & Fiction - Cached

6.                             Videos for Bill Hartung Prophets of War

After Words with William Hartung59 min - Dec 15, 2010 c-spanvideo.org

Interview - William Hartung - Prophets of War67 min - 3 days ago Uploaded by talkingsticktv youtube.com

7.                             After Words - After Words: William Hartung, "Prophets of War ...

In "Prophets of War," William Hartung presents the history of the largest military contractor in U.S. history, Lockheed Martin. Mr. Hartung argues that with ...www.booktv.org/.../After+Words+William+Hartung+Prophets+of+War+ hosted+by+Pierre+Sprey.aspx - Cached

8.                             FDL Book Salon Welcomes William Hartung, Prophets of War: Lockheed ...

Jan 16, 2011 ... A detailed accounting of all of Lockheed Martin's government contracts could fill several large volumes,” writes William Hartung, ...fdlbooksalon.com/2011/.../fdl-book-salon-welcomes-william-hartung/ - Cached

9.                             William D. Hartung Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making ...

Feb 10, 2011 ... William D. Hartung will discuss his new book, Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military-Industrial Complex. ...www.watsoninstitute.org/events_detail.cfm?id=1638 - Cached

10.                        the veganarchist's vent: William Hartung - Prophets of War ...

Jan 20, 2011 ... Bill Hartung, director of Arms and Security Initiative at the New America Foundation. His latest book is Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin ...theveganarchist.blogspot.com/.../william-hartung-prophets-of-war.html - Cached

11.                        Hartung's 'Prophets of War' a tell-all on Lockheed Martin ...

Jan 24, 2011 ... "Prophets of War," William D. Hartung's exposé of the world's most pervasive private corporation that benefits from military weaponry, ...www.usatoday.com/money/.../2011-01-24-warprophets24_ST_N.htm - Cached

12.                        Prophets of War

"Bill Hartung's Prophets of War is a searing indictment of the collusion between Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon, and Congress to boost the company's profits ...www.nationbooks.org/book/221/Prophets%20of%20War - Cached

US Empire's Global Organization

US GLOBAL COMBATANT COMMANDS
See post on US military bases around the world.

Dick:
I just discovered this in Pfaff's book. So I googled it and found what I think is amazing but fits with all the Imperialism stuff we have learned about our government and why there are no funds for anything else.
Kaye




Areas of Responsibility

President George W. Bush and Secretary Robert Gates meeting with the joint chiefs and combatant commanders.
A Unified Combatant Command (UCC) is a United States joint military command that is composed of forces from two or more services and has a broad and continuing mission.[1] These commands are established to provide effective command and control of U.S. military forces, regardless of branch of service, in peace and war.[2] They are organized either on a geographical basis (known as "Area of Responsibility", AOR) or on a functional basis. Each UCC is commanded by a combatant commander (CCDR), who is a four-star general or admiral. UCCs are "joint" commands with specific badges denoting their affiliation.
The Unified Command Plan (UCP) is updated annually in conjunction with the DoD Fiscal Year and can modify areas of responsibility or combatant command alignments or assignments.[3] As of January 2008, there were ten Unified Combatant Commands as specified in Title 10 and the latest annual UCP. Six have regional responsibilities, and four have functional responsibilities.

HISTORY
The current system of unified commands in the US military emerged during World War II with the establishment of geographic theaters of operation composed of forces from multiple service branches that reported to a single commander who was supported by a joint staff.[4] A unified command structure also existed to coordinate British and American military forces operating under the Combined Chiefs of Staff, which was composed the British Chiefs of Staff Committee and the American Joint Chiefs of Staff.[5] In the European Theater, Allied military forces fell under the command of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). After SHAEF was dissolved at the end of the war, the American forces were unified under a single command, the US Forces, European Theater (USFET), commanded by General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Unified commands in the Pacific Theater proved more difficult to organize as neither General of the Army Douglas MacArthur nor Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz were willing to become subordinate to the other. Nevertheless, the Joint Chiefs of Staff continued to advocate in favor of establishing permanent unified commands, and President Harry S. Truman approved the first plan on 14 December 1946.[6] Known as the "Outline Command Plan," it would become the first in a series of Unified Command Plans.

Although not part of the original plan, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) also created specified commands that had broad and continuing missions but were composed of forces from only one service.[7] Examples include the U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean and the US Air Force's Strategic Air Command. Like the unified commands, the specified commands reported directly to the JCS instead of their respective service chiefs.[8] Although these commands have not existed since the Strategic Air Command was disestablished in 1992, federal law still contains a provision authorizing the President to establish a new specified command.[9]
Under the original plan, each of the unified commands operated with one of the service chiefs (the Chief of Staff of the Army or Air Force, or Chief of Naval Operations) serving as an executive agent representing the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[10] This arrangement was formalized on 21 April 1948 as part of a policy paper titled the "Function of the Armed Forces and the Joint Chiefs of Staff" (informally known as the "Key West Agreement").[11]. The responsibilities of the unified commands were further expanded on 7 September 1948 when the commanders' authority was extended to include the coordination of the administrative and logistical functions in addition to their combat responsibilities.[12]

The Goldwater-Nichols Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 clarified and codified responsibilities that commanders-in-chief (CINCs) and their predecessors (theater or area commanders) had undertaken since World War II, and which were first given legal status in 1947.
The U.S. Atlantic Command became the Joint Forces Command in the 1990s after the Soviet threat to the North Atlantic had disappeared and the need rose for an integrating and experimentation command for forces in the continental United States.
Regional CINCs were created in order to have a local supreme commander who could exercise unified command and control across service boundaries, ideally eliminating or diminishing interservice rivalries. CINCs reported directly to the United States Secretary of Defense, and through him to the President of the United States. One of the best known CINCs was Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) during Operation Desert Storm.

On 24 October 2002, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld announced that in accordance with Title 10 of the US Code (USC), the title of "Commander-in-Chief" would thereafter be reserved for the President, consistent with the terms of Article II of the United States Constitution. Thereafter, the military CINCs would be known as "combatant commanders", as heads of the Unified Combatant Commands.
The sixth geographical combatant command for Africa (USAFRICOM) was approved and established in 2007. It operated under U.S. European Command during its first year. It transitioned to independent Unified Command Status October 2008. In 2009, it focused on synchronizing hundreds of activities inherited from three regional commands that previously coordinated U.S. military relations in Africa.[13]

[edit] Current Unified Combatant Commands
EmblemCommandAcronymRoleEstablishedHeadquarters
United States Africa CommandUSAFRICOMGeographic2007-10-01Kelley Barracks, Germany
United States Central CommandUSCENTCOMGeographic1983-01-01MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
United States European CommandUSEUCOMGeographic1947-03-15Patch Barracks, Germany
United States Joint Forces CommandUSJFCOMFunctional1999-10-01Norfolk, Virginia
United States Northern CommandUSNORTHCOMGeographic2002-10-01Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
United States Pacific CommandUSPACOMGeographic1947-01-01Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii
United States Southern CommandUSSOUTHCOMGeographic1963-06-06Miami, Florida
United States Special Operations CommandUSSOCOMFunctional1987-04-16MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
United States Strategic CommandUSSTRATCOMFunctional1992-06-01Offut Air Force Base, Nebraska
United States Transportation CommandUSTRANSCOMFunctional1987-07-01Scott Air Force Base, Illinois

[edit] Former Unified and Specified Commands
Since the first Unified Command Plan was approved on 14 December 1946, several unified and specific combatant commands have been established and disestablished.[14] Some of the commands existed before they were officially established as unified or specified commands, or continued to exist after they were disestablished.
EmblemCommandAcronymTypeEstablishedDisestablishedComments
Strategic Air CommandSACSpecified1946-12-141992-05-31Duties assumed by USSTRATCOM
Alaska CommandALCOMUnified1947-01-011975-06-30Became part of USPACOM
Far East CommandFECOMUnified1947-01-011957-07-01Became part of USPACOM
Caribbean CommandCARIBCOMUnified1947-11-011963-06-06Replaced by USSOUTHCOM
U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and MediterraneanNELMSpecified1947-11-011963-12-01Became part of USEUCOM
Atlantic CommandLANTCOMUnified1947-12-011999-09-31Replaced by USJFCOM
US Northeast CommandUSNECUnified1950-10-011956-09-01
US Air Forces, EuropeUSAFESpecified1951-01-221956-07-01Became part of USEUCOM
Continental Air Defense CommandCONADUnified

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The operational chain of command runs from the President to the Secretary of Defense to the combatant commanders of the Unified Combatant Commands. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff may transmit communications to the Commanders of the Unified Combatant Commands from the President and Secretary of Defense and advises both on potential courses of action, but does not exercise direct military command over any combatant forces. Under Goldwater-Nichols, the service chiefs (also four stars in rank) are charged with the responsibility of the "strategic direction, unified operation of combatant commands, and the integration of all land, naval, and air forces in an efficient "unified combatant command" force. Furthermore, the services' "civilian" secretaries are responsible to "organize, train and equip" forces for use by the combatant commands and also do not exercise any operational control over their forces.

Each combatant command can be led by a general or flag officer from any of the services. Most commands have traditional service affiliations, but in recent years, non-traditional appointments have become more common. EUCOM was traditionally an Army command with USAF generals on occasion, but was held by a Marine from 2003 through 2006. CENTCOM was traditionally an Army and Marine command but William J. Fallon, commander from 2007 through 2008, was a Navy admiral. PACOM has always been commanded by a Navy admiral due to the wide expanse of ocean, although Air Force generals have been nominated for the post. U.S. Atlantic Command (USACOM) was also a traditional Navy assignment until it was successively commanded by Marine, Army, and Air Force generals, thereby becoming the first to have had commanders from all four services (USACOM was redesignated as JFCOM in 1999).[16] CENTCOM and SOUTHCOM were traditionally Army general positions until the Marines received their first CinC assignments. This led the way for General Pace, a Marine, to become the first Marine Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and ultimately Chairman. CCDRs are strong candidates for either position.
Other changes and proposals
At some points, there have been proposals to create some sort of Reserve Affairs Worldwide Support command for the Reserve and National Guard
...