SOUTHCOM: Structure and Forces

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) divides the globe into six joint geographic combatant commands. Among these, SOUTHCOM is the smallest, in terms of manpower and force structure. Kelly took command of SOUTHCOM in 2012. His deputy commander is Navy Vice Adm. Joseph D. Kernan. SOUTHCOM’s Chief of Staff is Air Force Maj. Gen. Mark “Chris” Nowland, and the command sergeant major is William B. Zaiser. James D. Nealon serves as the civilian deputy to the commander and foreign policy adviser.

SOUTHCOM has five major components from which it can draw forces as required.

SOUTHCOM has five major components from which it can draw forces as required, as well as three task forces and a direct reporting unit:

• U.S. Army South (ARSOUTH – Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas) – As the U.S. Army component of SOUTHCOM, ARSOUTH conducts and supports multinational operations and security cooperation in the U.S. Southern Command AOR in order to counter transnational threats and strengthen regional security in defense of the homeland. In 2012, ARSOUTH conducted 31 security cooperation events – engagement and partner-nation capability building with other militaries – in 13 countries in the SOUTHCOM AOR. ARSOUTH comprises 10 units, located in Arizona, Louisiana, Texas, Cuba, and Honduras, and is led by Maj. Gen. Joseph P. DiSalvo, who took command in 2013. Brig. Gen. Orlando Salinas is deputy commanding general, with Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis C. Zavodsky as senior enlisted adviser.

• 12th Air Force, U.S. Air Forces Southern (AFSOUTH – Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, near Tucson, Ariz.) – AFSOUTH is responsible for the combat readiness of 10 active-duty wings and one direct reporting unit. These units operate more than 520 aircraft, with more than 42,000 airmen. The command is also responsible for the operational readiness of 13 wings and other units of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard, with more than 220 aircraft and 18,900 airmen. In 2012, AFSOUTH conducted 21 security cooperation events in 13 countries in the SOUTHCOM AOR, as well as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; airlift; and training missions. Lt. Gen. Tod Wolters leads 12th Air Force as its commander, Col. Bruce Smith serves as AFSOUTH vice commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Calvin D. Williams is the command chief master sergeant.

• U.S. Naval Forces, Southern Command; 4th Fleet (COMUSNAVSO/COMFOURTHFLT – Mayport Naval Base, Fla.) – COMUSNAVSO/COMFOURTHFLT employs maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations in order to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships that foster regional security in the SOUTHCOM AOR. Operation Martillo, Southern Partnership Station 2012, UNITAS 2012 (both Pacific and Atlantic), and PANAMAX 2012 were key activities in 2012. Rear Adm. Sinclair M. Harris, USN, a surface warfare officer, took command of COMUSNAVSO/COMFOURTHFLT in June 2012. Deputy commander since September 2012 is Rear Adm. Jon G. Matheson, a naval aviator. Capt. Randall Lovell is chief of staff, Capt. John C. Nygaard is director of the Maritime Operations Center, and Master Chief David Tellez serves as command master chief.

• U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South (MARFORSOUTH – Miami, Fla.) – MARFORSOUTH is the Marine Corps Service Component Command for SOUTHCOM. MARFORSOUTH commands all Marine forces assigned to SOUTHCOM and advises the commander of SOUTHCOM on the proper employment and support of those forces. MARFORSOUTH conducted 67 security cooperation events in 27 countries in SOUTHCOM’s AOR and took part in training exercises and counter-drug operations in 2012. Brig. Gen. David Coffman took command of MARFORSOUTH in June 2013. Col. Michael T. Cuccio is chief of staff, and enlisted leadership is provided by Sgt. Maj. James N. Calbough.

• Special Operations Command-South (SOCSOUTH – Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla.) – SOCSOUTH provides SOUTHCOM with its primary theater contingency response force, along with planning and conducting special operations forces (SOF) missions. SOCSOUTH also controls all SOF units in the region and establishes Joint Special Operations Task Forces when required. 2012 efforts concentrated on building partner-nation capacity – especially intelligence collection and analysis as well as logistics capabilities – and countering transnational organized crime. Brig. Gen. Sean P. Mulholland, USA, assumed command of SOCSOUTH in October 2012. The deputy commander is Col. John E. Poast III, USAF, and senior enlisted adviser is Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas E. Wall.

• Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-South – Key West, Fla.) – JIATF-South is an interagency task force that serves as the catalyst for integrated and synchronized interagency counter-drug operations and is responsible for the detection and monitoring of suspect air and maritime drug activity in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern Pacific. JIATF-South also collects, processes, and disseminates counter-drug information for interagency operations. The majority of the task force’s 2012 success in its counter-drug mission was due to JIATF-South leadership and coordination of Operation Martillo, which resulted in the seizure of 152 metric tons of cocaine, $7.2 million in cash, and 101 vessels and eight aircraft. An increase in partner-nation support by nearly two-thirds from 2011 to 2012 contributed to these achievements. Rear Adm. Stephen E. Mehling, USCG, is director of JIATF-South.

• Joint Task Force-Bravo (JTF-Bravo – Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras) – JTF-Bravo operates a forward, all-weather, day/night C-5-capable air base, organizes multilateral exercises, and supports, in cooperation with partner nations, humanitarian and civic assistance, counter-drug, contingency, and disaster relief operations in Central America. 228 air movements were conducted in 2012 in support of counter transnational organized crime operations, medical readiness training exercises, medical evacuations, and official visitor movements in Central America. JTF-Bravo is commanded by Col. Thomas D. “Tommy” Boccardi.
  

• Joint Task Force-Guantanamo (JTF-Guantanamo – U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba) – JTF-Guantanamo conducts detention and interrogation operations in support of the war on terrorism, coordinates and implements detainee screening operations, and supports law enforcement and war crimes investigations as well as military commissions for detained enemy combatants (eight such hearings were held in 2012). The International Committee of the Red Cross conducts assessments six times a year to verify Guantanamo’s compliance with international standards of custody. JTF-Guantanamo is also prepared to support mass migration operations at Naval Station Guantanamo. JTF-Guantanamo is commanded by Rear Adm. Richard W. Butler, USN.

• Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies (PCHS – Washington, D.C.) – The PCHS provides education and conducts outreach, research, and knowledge-sharing activities on defense and international security policy-making with military and civilian leaders of the Western Hemisphere.

 

Focus: SOUTHCOM Roles and Missions

For every element of the U.S. military, the primary objective remains the same: to defend the United States and its interests. Military thought emphasizes the importance of “forward defense” to neutralize or intercept threats before they reach the borders of the homeland. For SOUTHCOM, facing no immediate military threats, that primary mission of defending the southern approaches into the United States is accompanied by a number of secondary objectives, which might be considered “soft power,” to foster regional security and to be an enduring partner. These missions include:

• Countering Transnational Organized Crime (CTOC) – International criminal cartels engaged in narcotics, human smuggling, arms trafficking, and many other illegal activities have garnered so much wealth and power across the region that they represent a threat to the social and political stability of nations – notably those of Central America – but many others as well. Because the problem is international in scope, countering it demands a high degree of cooperation and mutual trust among military, intelligence, law enforcement, diplomatic, fiscal, and other agencies of governments. Developing that kind of trust and cooperation takes patience and determined effort over decades.

• Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HA/DR) – Natural disasters can easily overwhelm the resources of an affected area, nation, or region. To save lives, there is often a narrow window of time; assistance that takes more than 48 hours to arrive may be too late to help. In responding to natural disasters, military forces have unique capabilities: prepackaged field hospitals, helicopters that can deliver people and supplies when airfields and ports are destroyed, and heavy engineering equipment that can clear rubble to rescue survivors. Above all, military forces bring trained and disciplined people who are ready to deploy on short notice.

• Peace Support Operations (PSO) – The SOUTHCOM region has been relatively free of international conflict and civil war in recent years. Countries in the SOUTHCOM region are contributing more than 8,000 troops and police to U.N. peacekeeping operations in places like Haiti, Lebanon, and Sudan. This valuable experience builds the professionalism of participating forces, but it requires careful training. SOUTHCOM executes the U.S. Department of State’s Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) to build the peacekeeping capacity of 11 partner nations.