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.