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United States Indo-Pacific Command

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United States Pacific Command
Official USPACOM Emblem
Official USPACOM Emblem
Active1 January 1947-present
Country United States of America
TypeUnified Combatant Command
HeadquartersCamp H.M. Smith, Hawai'i
Nickname(s)PACOM, USPACOM
EngagementsKorean War, Vietnam War
Commanders
CommanderAdmiral Harry B. Harris Jr., USN
Deputy CommanderLieutenant General Anthony G. Crutchfield, USA
Chief of StaffMajor General Eric P. Wendt, USA

United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States armed forces responsible for the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. It is the oldest and largest of the unified combatant commands. Its commander, the senior U.S. military officer in the Pacific, is responsible for military operations in an area which encompasses more than 100 million square miles, or roughly 50 percent of the Earth’s surface, stretching from the waters off the west coast of the United States to the western coastal boarder of India, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. The Commander reports to the President of the United States through the Secretary of Defense and is supported by Service component and subordinate unified commands, including U.S. Army Pacific, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Marine Forces Pacific, U.S. Forces Japan, U.S. Forces Korea, Special Operations Command Korea, and Special Operations Command Pacific. The USPACOM headquarters building, the Nimitz-MacArthur Pacific Command Center, is located on Camp H.M. Smith, Hawai’i.

Mission

United States Pacific Command protects and defends, in concert with other U.S. Government agencies, the territory of the United States, its people, and its interests. With allies and partners, we will enhance stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression and, when necessary, fighting to win. This approach is based on partnership, presence and military readiness.

We recognize the global significance of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region and understand that challenges are best met together. Consequently, we will remain an engaged and trusted partner committed to preserving the security, stability, and freedom upon which enduring prosperity in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region depends. We will collaborate with the Services and other Combatant Commands to defend America's interests.

Area of responsibility

USPACOM Area Of Responsibility in blue

The United States Pacific Command's area of jurisdiction covers over fifty percent of the world's surface area – approximately 105 million square miles (nearly 272 million square kilometers) – nearly sixty percent of the world's population, thirty-six countries, twenty territories, and ten territories and possessions of the United States.

Its AOR encompasses the Pacific Ocean from Antarctica at 92° W, north to 8° N, west to 112° W, northwest to 50° N/142° W, west to 170° E, north to 53° N, northeast to 65°30′ N/169° W, north to 90° N, the Arctic Ocean west of 169° W and east of 100° E; the People's Republic of China, Mongolia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, Japan; the countries of Southeast Asia and the southern Asian landmass to the western border of India; the Indian Ocean east and south of the line from the India/Pakistan coastal border west to 68° E, south to 5° S/68° E, west to 5° S/59° E, south to 8° S/59° E, southwest to 11° S/54° E, west to 11° S/42° E, and south along 42° E to Antarctica; Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii.

It is charged with fulfilling the following mutual defense treaties signed by the United States:

  • U.S./Republic of the Philippines (Mutual Defense Treaty, 1951)
  • U.S./Australia/New Zealand (ANZUS – U.S., 1952)
  • U.S./Republic of Korea (Mutual Defense Treaty, 1954)
  • U.S./Japan (Mutual Defense Treaty, 1960)

In addition, PACOM's area of responsibility covers Taiwan whose defense relationship with the United States is governed by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979. Furthermore, while the SEATO organization was disestablished in the late 1970s, SEACDT, the Collective Defense Treaty, still formally binds the U.S., France, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Thirty-five percent of the total trade of the United States globally falls within the watch of the United States Pacific Command, amounting to more than $548 billion in 1998. Five of the world's largest militaries are monitored by the United States Pacific Command: People's Republic of China, India, Russia, North Korea and South Korea.

Force structure

Component Commands

Subordinate Unified Commands

Direct Reporting Units

Commanders

No. Image Name Start of Term End of Term
1. Admiral John H. Towers, USN 1 January 1947 28 February 1947
2. File:CINCPAC ADM Denfeld.jpg Admiral Louis E. Denfeld, USN 28 February 1947 3 December 1947
3. Admiral DeWitt C. Ramsey, USN 12 January 1948 30 April 1949
4. Admiral Arthur W. Radford, USN 30 April 1949 10 July 1953
5. Admiral Felix B. Stump, USN 10 July 1953 31 July 1958
6. Admiral Harry D. Felt, USN 31 July 1958 30 June 1964
7. Admiral Ulysses S. Grant Sharp, Jr., USN 30 June 1964 31 July 1968
8. Admiral John S. McCain, Jr., USN 31 July 1968 1 September 1972
9. Admiral Noel A.M. Gayler, USN 1 September 1972 30 August 1976
10. Admiral Maurice F. Weisner, USN 30 August 1976 31 October 1979
11. Admiral Robert L.J. Long, USN 31 October 1979 1 July 1983
12. Admiral William J. Crowe, Jr., USN 1 July 1983 18 September 1985
13. Admiral Ronald J. Hays, USN 18 September 1985 30 September 1988
14. Admiral Huntington Hardisty, USN 30 September 1988 1 March 1991
15. Admiral Charles R. Larson, USN 1 March 1991 11 July 1994
16. Admiral Richard C. Macke, USN 19 July 1994 31 January 1996
17. Admiral Joseph W. Prueher, USN 31 January 1996 20 February 1999
18. Admiral Dennis C. Blair, USN 20 February 1999 2 May 2002
19. File:CDRUSPACOM ADM Fargo.jpg Admiral Thomas B. Fargo, USN 2 May 2002 26 February 2005
20. Admiral William J. Fallon, USN 26 February 2005 3 March 2007
21. File:CDRUSPACOM ADM Keating.jpg Timothy J. Keating, USN 23 March 2007 19 October 2009
22. Admiral Robert F. Willard, USN 19 October 2009 9 March 2012
23. Admiral Samuel J. Locklear III, USN 9 March 2012 27 May 2015
24. Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr., USN 27 May 2015 Incumbent

Humanitarian missions

In Asia, one of the most effective and impressive ad hoc multilateral efforts took place in the wake of the horrific December 2004 earthquake and tsunami that left some three hundred thousand people dead or missing, with upwards of a million more displaced in eleven South Asian and Southeast Asian nations. As devastating as the damage was, it could have been much worse if it had not been for the rapid response by the international community. At the height of the relief effort, some sixteen thousand U.S. military personnel were deployed throughout the areas most affected by tragedy; more than two dozen U.S. ships (including the aircraft Carrier Strike Group Nine, a Marine amphibious group, and a hospital ship) and more than one hundred aircraft were dedicated to the disaster-relief effort, along with forces from Australia, Canada, Japan, India, and the affected countries.[2]

US Air Force personnel deliver relief supplies to Burma

In May 2008, Commander, Marine Corps Forces Pacific was designated as Commander, Joint Task Force Caring Response, a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief effort for Burma, devastated by Cyclone Nargis. During a delivery by the 36th Airlift Squadron on 19 May 2008 to Yangon International Airport in Burma approximately 15,000 pounds (6.8 t) of water, water containers, rations, and mosquito netting were unloaded from the a C-130 Hercules aircraft.[3] Expeditionary Strike Group 7/TF 76/31st Marine Expeditionary Unit also stood by off the Myanmar coast for some time. However it was not allowed to deliver further aid.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to United States Indo-Pacific Command.
  1. ^ United States Pacific Command (USPACOM), PACOM Supporting Japan in Time of Crisis
  2. ^ Michael J. Green and Bates Gill, Editors (2009), Asia's New Multilateralism, Columbia University Press
  3. ^ JTF Caring Response News Story

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