On The Edge

U.S. Joint Forces Command is one step closer to being disbanded.

Army Gen. Raymond Odierno, the head of JFCOM, announced today that Defense Secretary Robert Gates had signed a memo "providing guidance and direction to execute the disestablishment of" JFCOM. In a statement, Odierno further says:

I will oversee the implementation and transition of the disestablishment. It's my intent to conduct the orderly disestablishment of JFCOM while continuing to provide support to the combatant commanders and services during the transition. USJFCOM will be disestablished as a four-star combatant command by the end of August 2011 and all personnel moves will be completed by March 2012.

We will transfer streamlined, relevant joint functions to appropriate Department of Defense (DOD) entities and we will ensure we sustain the momentum and gains in jointness while maintaining critical interaction with NATO and other multi-national partners. We are making a major departure from past organizational design, procedure, and mindset to more effectively execute core functions and sustain the jointness we worked so hard to achieve in the past.

When the transition is complete, roughly 50 percent of JFCOM personnel and budget will remain along with core missions, such as joint training, joint force provider, joint concept and doctrine development and joint integration. These functions will be aligned under the Joint Staff for leadership and direction.

The centerpiece of the transition is a reorganization centered on our core Unified Command Plan missions, such as joint training, joint integration, and joint concept development. This reorganization will allow us to better interact with and synchronize adaptive joint training, doctrine and concept development supported by modeling, simulation and experimentation.

Throughout the planning effort we worked closely with the Pentagon, the Virginia delegation and the governor's office. I appreciated the input and involvement of the Virginia delegation and the governor's office.

The work force of U.S. Joint Forces Command has persevered with the utmost professionalism and dedication during these times of uncertainty. As we go forward, we will continue to support the joint warfighter and also leverage all available resources to assist the work force.