United States. Army Forces Command

U.S. Army Forces command (FORSCOM) was activated on July 1, 1973, pursuant to Department of the Army General Order 16 of May 18, 1973, as part of Operation Steadfast, a reorganization of the Army''s major commands. FORSCOM, along with the U.S. Army Training and Doctine Command (TRADOC) replaced the U.S. Continental Army Command (CONARC). FORSCOM headquarters moved to Fort McPherson, Georgia, where it displaced Third U.S. Army, which was inactivated on October 1, 1973.

The U.S. Army Forces Command was responsible for the training and combat readiness for all active Army and Army Reserve units in the continental United States, including Alaska, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. FORSCOM also advised and oversaw the training of Army National Guard units but had direct control of these units only when they were called to active duty. On July 1, 1987, as the result of the Department of Defense reorganization directed by the Goldwater-Nichols Act, FORSCOM became a specified command. Among the new missions imposed were the planning and conduct of joint exercises, providing a general reserve of deployable Army forces to reinforce other commands as directed, and conduct joint training and excercises as appropriate. The Command was also responsible for the defense of the Continental United States (CONUS) and planning common defense with Canada.

On October 1, 1993, FORSCOM ceased being a specified command and reverted to major command status simultaneously becoming the Army component of the U.S. Atlantic Command. FORSCOM became responsible for all U.S. involvement in United Nations peacekeeping operations, responding to natural disasters within CONUS, planning for the land defense of CONUS, and working to improve joint tactics, techniques, and procedures. After October 19999 FORSCOM was the Army component of U.S. Joint Forces Command. JFCOM mission was to provide U.S. military forces where needed throughout the world and to ensure they are integrated and trained as unified forces ready for any assigned task. The FORSCOM commander functioned as commander of the Army forces of this unified command and plans for and, on order, provides military support to civil authorities, including response to natural disasters and civil emergencies. On October 1, 2002, FORSCOM became the Army Service Component Command to the U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM). NORTHCOM''s mission was to deter, prevent, and defeat threats and aggression aimed at the U.S., its territories, and interests and provides military assistance to civil authorities including consequence management operations. The FORSCOM commander was the Joint Force Land Component Commander under U.S. Northern Command.

The FORSCOM commander reported to the Army Chief of Staff for specific Army responsibilities such as directives, authorities, policies, planning, and programming guidance. He was responsible to the Secretary of the Army for the execution of assigned responsibilities contained in 10 USC 3013 (b). He reported to the commander of the U.S. Joint Forces Command for operational and joint training matters and other matters for which FFCOM was responsible.

In the spring of 1975 FORSCOM was involved in the support of the Vietnames refugees, Operation New Life in Guam and Task Force New Arrivals in CONUS. When a severe earthquake hit Guatemala in February 1976, FORSCOM coordinated the deployment of 24 units to include a field hospital and engineers assets to help the country recover. During the winter of 1977, one of the worst in U.S., history, FORSCOM units provided support to a number of snowed-in communities to include a Task Force dubbed Snow Go from the 82nd Airborne Division to dig out Buffalo, New York. When Mount St. Helens erupted in May 1980, FORSCOM''s 9th Infantry Division was involved in the rescue and clean up operations.

FORSOM participated in a number of military operations. In October 1983, FORSCOM units participated in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada. From December 20, 1989 to January 31, 1990, FORSCOM provided some 11,420 perssonel in support of Operation Just Cause in Panama. Then on August 7, 1990, in response to Iraq''s invasion of Kuwait, FORSCOM became involved in the largest mobilization anbd deployment of troops since World War II to support military operations in Saudi Arabia, Operation Desert Shield. FORSCOM''s Battle Staff began a 24-hour operation on August 6, 1990 in anticipation of the effort, and FORSCOM began orchestrating a massive movement of troops in support of Desert Shield. After Operation Desert Storm FORSCOM had the task of bringing U.S. ground forces back to CONUS.

After these operations FORSCOM continued to undertake disaster relief operations and support national policy in peacekeeping operations. In August 1992, FORSCOM deployed troops and supplies in support of relief operations in the wake of the devastation left by Hurricane Andrew. Shortly thereafter, in December 1992, the U.S. Central Command began humanitarian operations, Restore Hope, in Somalia under UN authority. FORSCOM deployed troops and supplies in support of this effort. This operation and its follow-on, Conti nue Hope, continued to 1993 and some 10,000 FORSCOM troops took part. While this effort was winding down, FORSCOM provided troops and supplies to Haiti, again under UN auspices, to alleviate the politico-economic collapse of that country. These efforts became Operations Maintain Democracy and Uphold Democracy.

FORSCOM has supported to the war on drugs since the command was activated. Up to 1989 this support was provided on request from other Federal agencies and usually took the form of aircraft and communications assets. On Feb. 3, 1989, the JCS directed the CINCFOR to be a supporting CINC in the DOD role in the National Anti-Drug Surveillance Operation. On Sept. 3, 1989, the FORSCOM J3 established a Counternarcotics Operations Division to handle the command''s increased role in the war on drugs. The FORSCOM Commander employed forces and conducted operations, in accordance with the law, to support law enforcement agencies and cooperating foreign governments to stop the flow of drugs across US borders.

Successive commanding generals were: General Walter T. Kirwin, Jr., 1973-74; General Bernard W. Roger, 1974-76; General Frederick J. Kroesen, Jr., 1976-78; General Robert M. Shoemaker, 1978-82; General Richard E. Cavazos, 1982-84; General Robert W. Sennewald, 1984-86; General Joseph T. Palastra, Jr., 1987-89; General Colin L. Powell, 1989; General Edwin H. Burba, Jr., 1989-93; General Dennis J. Reimer, 1993-95; General John H. Tilelli, Jr., 1995-96; General David A. Bramlett, 1996-98; General Thomas A. Schwartz, 1998-99; General John W. Henrix, 1999-2001; General Larry R. Ellis, 2001-04; General Dan K. McNeill, 2004-07; and General Charles C. Campbell, 2007 - .