{
  "id": "RL30245",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL30245",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 105416,
      "date": "1999-06-21",
      "retrieved": "2016-05-24T20:44:11.427941",
      "title": "Military Changes to the Unified Command Plan: Background and Issues for Congress",
      "summary": "The Unified Command Plan (UCP) establishes the basic organization of the U.S. armed forces. \nThe\npurpose of the unified command plan is to provide effective control of U.S. forces in peace and war. \nThe UCP defines the command structure from the National Command Authorities (the President and\nthe Secretary of Defense) to the combatant commands. The plan establishes unified and specified\ncommands, assigns missions and functions to those commands, provides for assignment of forces,\ndefines geographic areas of responsibility (AORs), and depicts command arrangements.\n Congress has a continuing interest in Department of Defense (DOD) efforts and progress in\ncoordinating the joint operations of the four individual armed services. One means available to DOD\nto enhance joint military capabilities is the Unified Command Plan (UCP). The UCP is an Executive\ndocument signed by the President. Most changes to the UCP are recommended by the Chairman of\nthe Joint Chiefs of Staff and reviewed by the Secretary of Defense. The changes usually address\ninternal military concerns about changing environments, threats, force structure, or organization. \nThe UCP serves as an important tool to command and control U.S. forces. The plan may also serve\nas a measure or barometer of the services' commitment to interservice operations and coordination. \n Many congressional joint concerns are addressed by and incorporated in military changes to the\nUCP. However, not all congressional concerns with joint operations have been addressed by\nchanges the military has instituted. Occasionally, Congress has taken legislative action that has\ndirectly resulted in modifications to the UCP to accommodate certain interests and concerns. Several\ncurrent issues have prompted DOD to make UCP changes to accommodate congressional concerns.\n Recent press articles describe threats and pressures that may ultimately force the military to\nchange its organization. Currently, the U.S. military is engaged in a precedent-setting number of\noperations and deployments. There is congressional interest in possible additional roles for the\nmilitary. New issues and concerns are emerging. Several issues, such as information warfare,\nweapons of mass destruction (WMD), terrorism, space, and national missile defense (NMD) may\naffect joint military capabilities. An important part of accommodating public and congressional\nconcerns to the changing demands on the Department of Defense is an altered Unified Command\nPlan. Some members of Congress remain concerned the military is not accommodating and\nincorporating changes that reflect new security arrangements, requirements, and realities. Congress\ncan be expected to monitor developments to make sure all of its concerns are addressed.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL30245",
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      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Foreign Affairs",
    "National Defense"
  ]
}