U.S. Northern Command: Mission, Structure, and Homeland Security

Introduction to NORTHCOM

The United States Northern Command, or NORTHCOM, was created to enhance homeland security. It is part of the U.S. military and is considered a Unified Combatant Command, which falls under the Department of Defense (Bolkcom, 2005; Cronen, 2009). The task of NORTHCOM is to provide support for civil authorities through the use of the military. This is done throughout the United States, but also in other countries where the U.S. has a national interest. These countries include Mexico and Canada. The air, sea, and land approaches to these countries, as well as the air, sea, and land approaches to the lower 48 states and other U.S. territories such as Alaska, also fall under the protection of NORTHCOM (Cecchine, 2004; Wormuth & Witkowsky, 2008).

The creation of NORTHCOM officially came about in late April of 2002. President George W. Bush created it as part of a Unified Command Plan that was designed and put in place in light of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 (Bolkcom, 2005). The official beginning of operations for NORTHCOM was October 1, 2002 (Bolkcom, 2005; Cecchine, 2004). At that point, the organization began its official mission and started working toward fulfilling all that it was designed to do. Some of the work that NORTHCOM has done over the years has changed as it has grown and learned as an organization, making it stronger and better suited to protect the country and its residents.

Because of the Posse Comitatus Act, there is a limit to the powers that NORTHCOM holds (Cutler, 2011; Miller, 2008). There are legal limitations on what the military can do to support civilian law enforcement, though there are a few exceptions to these rules. National emergencies — whether man-made or natural — are among those exceptions, as is the threat of nuclear warfare by another country or by a person or group within the United States. In such circumstances, the Air Force's Northern National Security Emergency Preparedness Directorate comes into play, and all other regulations must take a back seat while the emergency is addressed accordingly (United, 2007; U.S., 2009; Whitley, 2009; Wormuth & Witkowsky, 2008).

The Creation of NORTHCOM

The tragic events of September 11, 2001 polarized the entire country and united the American people, even if briefly, against terrorism. It was clear that something had to be done to enable a greater military response after a terrorism event, because help and support would be needed on a scale the country had not previously experienced. The United States was unprepared for the devastation that took place — not because there were no people available to help the injured and secure the area, but because being able to deploy the military to restore order and support local law enforcement would have been a significantly better option. After considerable deliberation, NORTHCOM was created by President Bush to ensure that people injured and displaced in the aftermath of future man-made and natural disasters would have more assistance in the form of the military.

NORTHCOM was not the only option considered, but it was the one that made the most logical sense. The President's power to use the military in this way is still very carefully controlled, as there is no need to grant the President unchecked authority over the military or any other domestic institution (Whitley, 2009; Wormuth & Witkowsky, 2008). It is nonetheless very important to have the military available when serious and unexpected events occur. These kinds of events include terrorist activity like the September 11 attacks, but also natural disasters such as the levee breaches that flooded New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The creation of NORTHCOM was therefore important to the American people, so that they could have additional protection when things went wrong and they needed the government and law enforcement to help them and their communities.

NORTHCOM's Mission

Like any department created by the government, NORTHCOM has a defined mission. Based on the Unified Command Plan that was used to create it, the mission of NORTHCOM is to provide military assistance to civil authorities and law enforcement, including operations undertaken for the management of consequences of a natural or man-made disaster (National, 2004; Wormuth & Witkowsky, 2008). In order to fulfill this mission, NORTHCOM must be directed by either the Secretary of Defense or the President (Bolkcom, 2005). Additionally, the mission of NORTHCOM includes conducting operations to prevent, deter, and defeat threats brought against the United States. If there is aggression aimed at the U.S., its interests, or its territories, NORTHCOM has the authority to intervene and defuse the situation (Bolkcom, 2005).

Most people who are aware of NORTHCOM think of it only as a defense operation that comes into play after a disaster has already occurred. However, one important function that NORTHCOM performs — and that often goes unnoticed — is providing safety and security through the deterrence and neutralization of threats. Some of the incidents reported in the news involving major terrorist threats that were averted are related to the work of NORTHCOM. Its mission is not complicated, but it must be taken very seriously, because it constitutes a large part of how the country is protected. Without proper protection, the country remains vulnerable to attacks like those of September 11, 2001. The existence of NORTHCOM does not guarantee that there will never be another terrorist event in the United States, but it does go a long way toward protecting the American people from harm.

Strategy and Planning

There was much strategy and planning that went into establishing NORTHCOM, and the organization continues to plan and strategize in order to remain ahead of those who would threaten the country. There are times when it is impossible to avoid a threat — such as one that is natural and not man-made. In those cases, individuals who are in harm's way will need as much protection as possible, and once the threat has passed, those individuals will also need shelter, food, and basic necessities. They may need medical treatment, and it will be important to help them reach out to loved ones who may be worried about them. All of these post-event needs must be part of the strategy and planning of NORTHCOM. There are currently 15 National Planning Scenarios (Cutler, 2011), and NORTHCOM must be ready and able to respond to each one appropriately, whenever and wherever they occur — a requirement that demands extensive planning and training.

Concept plans designed for defense support of civil authorities have been created by NORTHCOM (Cutler, 2011). These plans are classified, because making them widely known would make them too easy to thwart or derail. The plans must remain out of the hands of terrorists, and even well-meaning civilians could pose a problem by attempting to help in ways that interfere with operations. By keeping NORTHCOM's plans carefully protected and by practicing and training frequently, the government and law enforcement are better positioned to work together to protect U.S. citizens. This applies both to broad plans that affect the entire United States and to smaller, more concentrated plans focused on specific regions or cities.

Conclusion

Even though NORTHCOM has only been in existence since 2002, it has already done a great deal to protect the country. People do not hear about that work often, however, because publicizing every thwarted terror attempt or averted man-made disaster would only cause paranoia among the American people and give future terrorists ideas about how to circumvent NORTHCOM and other security organizations. With that in mind, NORTHCOM operates largely behind the scenes, with the exception of other organizations that work with it and are affiliated with it. There are Americans who have never heard of NORTHCOM and give it no thought at all, but those in the military or in law enforcement positions are likely quite familiar with it. Those who have lost loved ones to natural and man-made disasters may also be familiar with the organization, its value to society, and what it offers to the citizens of the United States.

Overall, NORTHCOM is one of the governmental organizations always working diligently to provide safety and security for U.S. citizens and for anyone currently on U.S. soil. It monitors suspicious activity and potential terrorism, but it also tracks weather, seismic activity, and other conditions that could produce a natural disaster. It is not possible to predict or train for every eventuality, but with the classified plans that NORTHCOM has developed, there are 15 specific scenarios for which it is highly trained. Those scenarios also allow for adaptability, so that anything similar to what has been trained for would also be something for which NORTHCOM would be ready. The American public may not always be one hundred percent protected, but avoiding every possible threat is simply not feasible. The more agencies that are actively watching over the public, however, the better positioned everyone will be when and if something does go wrong or when attacks on the country are attempted.