United States Northern Command

This article is about a Unified Combatant Command of the U.S. Armed Forces. For the Chinese tower manufacturing and wireless broadband company, see Northcom Group.

United States Northern Command
Founded1 October 2002
(22 years, 1 month ago)[1]
Country United States
TypeUnified combatant command
RoleGeographic combatant command
Part ofUnited States Department of Defense
HeadquartersPeterson Space Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
Motto(s)"We have the watch"[2]
Decorations
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Websitewww.northcom.mil
Commanders
CommanderGeneral Gregory M. Guillot, USAF[3]
Deputy CommanderLieutenant General Thomas Carden Jr., USA[4]
Senior Enlisted LeaderCMSgt John G. Storms, USAF[5]
Insignia
NATO Map Symbol[6][7]
United States
Armed Forces
Executive departments
Staff
Military departments
Military services
Command structure
Unified combatant commands
Combat support agencies
Combat Response Agencies
NORTHCOM Area of Responsibility (in blue)

The United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM)[8] is one of eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense. The command is tasked with providing military support for non-military authorities in the U.S., and protecting the territory and national interests of the United States within the continental United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, The Bahamas, and the air, land and sea approaches to these areas. It is the U.S. military command which, if applicable, would be the primary defender against an invasion of the U.S.

USNORTHCOM was created on 25 April 2002 when President George W. Bush approved a new Unified Command Plan, following the September 11 attacks. USNORTHCOM went operational on 1 October 2002.

  1. ^ "NORTHCOM History" (PDF). NORTHCOM. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 March 2022.
  2. ^ "USNORTHCOM Vision". Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  3. ^ "Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command". U.S. Northern Command. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Lieutenant General Thomas Carden, USA". U.S. Northern Command. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Command Senior Enlisted Leader, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command". U.S. Northern Command. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  6. ^ FM 1-02 Operational Terms and Graphics (PDF). US Army. 21 September 2004. pp. 5–37.
  7. ^ ADP 1-02 Terms and Military Symbols (PDF). US Army. 14 August 2018. pp. 4–8.
  8. ^ Informally known simply as "NORTHCOM" or "Northern Command")