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83-673: The United States Indo-Pacific Command ( USINDOPACOM ) is the unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific region . It is the oldest and largest of the unified combatant commands. Its commander , the senior U.S. military officer in the Pacific, is responsible for more than 375,000 service members as well as an area that encompasses more than 100 million square miles (260,000,000 km), or roughly 52 percent of

166-530: A United States Space Command (USSPACECOM). A previous unified combatant command for unified space operations was decommissioned in 2002. The new USSPACECOM will include "(1) all the general responsibilities of a Unified Combatant Command; (2) the space-related responsibilities previously assigned to the Commander, United States Strategic Command ; and (3) the responsibilities of Joint Force Provider and Joint Force Trainer for Space Operations Forces". USSPACECOM

249-595: A 0.1 mile overspill from their target area, require that devices be able to cache previous alerts for at least 24 hours, and that providers must support a 360-character maximum length and Spanish-language messages by May 2019. The House of Representatives passed the READI Act in November 2020 which amends the Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act to additionally require mandatory distribution of alerts issued by

332-576: A cell tower instead of individual recipients. The government issues three types of alerts through this system: When the alert is received, a sound is played even if the ringer is off. On nearly all devices, the Emergency Alert System radio/TV attention signal sounds in a predetermined pattern. The system is a collaborative effort among FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T),

415-609: A considerable or catastrophic damage threat. It was noted that the NWS over-alerts FFWs over WEA, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has noted a large number of public complaints about overnight WEAs for FFWs with perceived little impact. As of August 2, 2021, NWS has added Severe Thunderstorm Warnings labeled with a “destructive” damage threat, for wind gusts over 80 mph and hail over baseball (2.75") size. The Snow Squall Warning

498-642: A distinct unified command until it was disestablished by another Unified Command Plan on 1 July 1975. An amendment to this plan on 1 May 1976 adjusted PACOM's boundaries yet again. The amendment gave CINCPAC responsibility for the entire Indian Ocean to the east coast of Africa, including the Gulfs of Aden and Oman and all of the Indian Ocean Islands excepting the Malagasy Republic . This decision expanded PACOM's AOR across more than 50% of

581-514: A fully unified commander under the broader title of Commander in Chief, Atlantic (CINCLANT). The Army and Air Force objected, and CINCLANTFLT was activated as a unified command on 1 November 1947. A few days later, the CNO renewed his suggestion for the establishment of a unified Atlantic Command. This time his colleagues withdrew their objections, and on 1 December 1947, the U.S. Atlantic Command (LANTCOM)

664-427: A geographical basis (known as an " area of responsibility ", AOR) or on a functional basis, e.g., special operations , force projection , transport , and cybersecurity . Currently, seven combatant commands are designated as geographical, and four are designated as functional. Unified combatant commands are "joint" commands and have specific badges denoting their affiliation. The Unified Command Plan (UCP) establishes

747-605: A memorandum declaring that the title "Commander in Chief" should only refer to the President of the United States. Effective that date, all combatant commanders deleted "in Chief" from their titles. USCINCPAC was redesignated Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (CDRUSPACOM). In a move to streamline command and control of forces in Alaska and integrate forces in defense of North America, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel approved

830-562: A rant, this is from me, still one of the leading cybersecurity experts. Wake up people! On the day of the test, John McAfee (then running for the 2020 United States presidential election ) made a false statement that the Presidential alert involved the E911 system , alleged phones to have a "E911 chip" capable of giving the government access to the phone's location and microphone. The Electronic Frontier Foundation reported that there

913-405: A software upgrade; while others may need to be replaced entirely. CMAS messages, although displayed similarly to SMS text messages, are always free and are routed through a separate service which will give them priority over voice and regular text messages in congested areas. Devices may offer the capability to disable most CMAS messages, but end-users must not be able to disable alerts issued by

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996-711: A specific type of nontransferable operational command authority over assigned forces, regardless of branch of service. The chain of command for operational purposes (per the Goldwater–Nichols Act ) goes from the president of the United States through the secretary of defense to the combatant commanders. The Department of Defense defines at least four types of command authority: Geographic combatant commands Functional combatant commands Currently, four geographic combatant commands have their headquarters located outside their geographic area of responsibility. The current system of unified commands in

1079-577: Is "no such thing as an E911 chip". Fact-checking website Snopes stated that "WEA messages are not [related] to E911 functions". Another National Periodic Test of the Emergency Alert System took place on August 11, 2021, at 2:20 PM EDT, which also included a test message for Wireless Emergency Alerts. Unlike the first NPT for WEA that took place in 2018, the WEA portion of the test was only administered for phones that were opted in to receive

1162-413: Is a warning that began operation out of seven NWS offices beginning mid-January 2018. Unlike Blizzard and Ice Storm Warnings which are issued well in advance, Snow Squall Warnings are issued when life-threatening snow squalls that will produce strong winds and poor visibilities are occurring. These are issued as Storm-Based Warning Polygons, like Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Warnings. This is in effect for

1245-441: Is the only state in the United States with a pre-programmed Wireless Emergency Alert that can be sent quickly to wireless devices if a ballistic missile is heading toward Hawaii. If the missile is fired from North Korea, the missile would take approximately 20 minutes to reach Hawaii. The United States Indo-Pacific Command would take less than 5 minutes to make a determination that the missile could impact Hawaii and would then notify

1328-727: The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). Within ten months of FEMA making the government's design specifications for this secure interface for message transfer available, wireless service providers choosing to participate in CMAS must begin development and testing of systems which will allow them to receive alerts from alert originators and distribute them to their customers. Systems were required to be fully deployed within 28 months of

1411-680: The Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance ), and two standing joint task forces ( Joint Interagency Task Force West ) and Joint Task Force Red Hill. The INDOPACOM headquarters is the Nimitz-MacArthur Pacific Command Center, located on Camp H. M. Smith in Hawaii. United States Indo-Pacific Command protects and defends, in concert with other U.S. Government agencies,

1494-552: The Far East Command (FECOM) , Pacific Command (PACOM), and Alaskan Command (ALCOM) effective 1 January 1947. The commands, their areas of responsibility, and their missions were as follows: General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was appointed CINCFE; Army Major General Howard A. Craig was assigned as CINCAL. U.S. Navy Admiral John Henry Towers was designated CINCPAC. At the time of appointment, he

1577-674: The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) . HI-EMA would issue the Civil Defense Warning (CDW) that an inbound missile could impact Hawaii and that people should Shelter-in-Place : Get Inside, Stay Inside, and Stay Tuned . People in Hawaii would have 12 to 15 minutes before impact. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is not required to be notified for approval to cancel an alert. Signal carriers allow people to block alerts from state and law enforcement agencies, but not those issued by

1660-598: The Indian and Pacific oceans. The Indo-Pacific Command consists of a headquarters organization, five subordinate service component commands ( U.S. Army Pacific , U.S. Marine Forces Pacific , U.S. Pacific Fleet , U.S. Pacific Air Forces , and U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific ), three subordinate unified commands ( U.S. Forces Japan , U.S. Forces Korea —which includes Special Operations Command Korea —and Special Operations Command Pacific ), two direct reporting units (U.S. Pacific Command Joint Intelligence Operations Center and

1743-545: The Joint Chiefs of Staff also created specified commands that had broad and continuing missions but were composed of forces from only one service. Examples include the U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean and the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command. Like the unified commands, the specified commands reported directly to the JCS instead of their respective service chiefs. These commands have not existed since

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1826-652: The Joint Forces Command in the 1990s after the Soviet threat to the North Atlantic had disappeared and the need rose for an integrating and experimentation command for forces in the continental United States. Joint Forces Command was disbanded on 3 August 2011 and its components placed under the Joint Staff and other combatant commands. In January 2002, for the first time the entire surface of

1909-715: The Pacific Ocean from Antarctica at 92°W, north to 8°N, west to 112°W, northwest to 50°N/142°W, west to 170°E, north to 53°N, northeast to 62°30'N/175°W, north to 64°45'N/175°W, south along the Russian territorial waters to the People's Republic of China , Mongolia , the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , the Republic of Korea , and Japan ; the countries of Southeast Asia and the southern Asian landmass to

1992-555: The Pacific Ocean Areas (POA) under Navy Admiral Chester W. Nimitz . Each had command of all U.S. military forces assigned to his area. The authority of the POA Commander-in-Chief (CINCPOA) was technically separate from that of the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC), but Admiral Nimitz was assigned to both positions and bore the title CINCPAC/CINCPOA. Efforts to establish a unified command for

2075-551: The Pacific War proved more difficult to organize, as neither General of the Army Douglas MacArthur nor Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz was willing to be subordinate to the other, for reasons of interservice rivalry . The Joint Chiefs of Staff continued to advocate in favor of establishing permanent unified commands, and President Harry S. Truman approved the first plan on 14 December 1946. Known as

2158-769: The Strategic Air Command . A new Unified Command Plan was approved in 1971. Effective 1 January 1972, the Pacific Command assumed responsibility for the Indian Ocean and the countries of southern Asia extending westward to the eastern border of Iran (which then fell under EUCOM 's responsibility). The Alaskan Command transferred responsibility for the Aleutian Islands and parts of the Arctic Ocean to PACOM, as well. ALCOM would remain

2241-563: The Unified Command Plan of 1956–1957. A 1958 "reorganization in National Command Authority relations with the joint commands" with a "direct channel" to unified commands such as Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) was effected after President Dwight Eisenhower expressed concern about nuclear command and control. CONAD itself was disestablished in 1975. Although not part of the original plan,

2324-536: The United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) would be elevated to the status of a unified combatant command from a sub-unified command. It was also announced that the separation of the command from the NSA would be considered. USCYBERCOM was elevated on 4 May 2018. Vice President Mike Pence announced on 18 December 2018 that President Donald Trump had issued a memorandum ordering the stand-up of

2407-582: The United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces , and conducts broad and continuing missions. There are currently 11 unified combatant commands, and each is established as the highest echelon of military commands, in order to provide effective command and control of all U.S. military forces, regardless of branch of service, during peace or during war time. Unified combatant commands are organized either on

2490-626: The United States Forces Korea (USFK) and United States Forces Japan (USFJ) under USINDOPACOM , and United States Forces—Afghanistan (USFA) under USCENTCOM . Wireless Emergency Alerts The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed and adopted the network structure, operational procedures and technical requirements in 2007 and 2008 in response to the Warning, Alert, and Response Network (WARN) Act passed by Congress in 2006, which allocated $ 106 million to fund

2573-789: The Vietnam War was designated by CINCPAC to three subordinate commands. U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (USMACV) , activated 8 February 1962 to direct U.S. support to South Vietnam 's military forces, largely controlled all U.S. forces and operations within South Vietnam. Naval gunfire support and air strikes on targets in Vietnam, however, were delegated to PACFLT and the U.S. 7th Fleet. PACAF and PACFLT were responsible for conducting air and naval operations against North Vietnam and Laos. Control of B-52s employed to conduct airstrikes against targets in South Vietnam remained under

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2656-562: The "Outline Command Plan"   – in a sense, the first Unified Command Plan (UCP)   – approved by President Harry S. Truman on 14 December 1946 and authorized by the National Security Act of 1947. The plan called for the establishment of seven unified combatant commands as "an interim measure for the immediate postwar period." The first three unified commands were established in the Pacific. The Joint Chiefs of Staff implementing directive of 16 December 1946 established

2739-409: The "Outline Command Plan", it would become the first in a series of Unified Command Plans. The original "Outline Command Plan" of 1946 established seven unified commands: Far East Command , Pacific Command , Alaskan Command , Northeast Command , the U.S. Atlantic Fleet , Caribbean Command, and European Command. However, on 5 August 1947, the CNO recommended instead that CINCLANTFLT be established as

2822-989: The Administrator of FEMA. The Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS), interface to the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) service, went live in April 2012. The NWS began delivering its Wireless Emergency Alerts on June 28, 2012. Warning types sent via CMAS include tornado , flash flood , dust storm , hurricane , typhoon , extreme wind , tsunami warnings, "destructive" severe thunderstorm warnings , and sometimes snow squall warnings . Also, until November 2013, blizzard and ice storm warnings were also included in CMAS; they were discontinued based on customer feedback due to such warnings typically issued well in advance of approaching winter storms, thus not representing an immediate hazard. While blizzard and ice storm warnings are no longer sent to phones by

2905-545: The Armed Forces and the Joint Chiefs of Staff" (informally known as the " Key West Agreement "). The responsibilities of the unified commands were further expanded on 7 September 1948 when the commanders' authority was extended to include the coordination of the administrative and logistical functions in addition to their combat responsibilities. Far East Command and U.S. Northeast Command were disestablished under

2988-911: The Army , Secretary of the Navy , and the Secretary of the Air Force ) are legally responsible to "organize, train and equip" combatant forces and, as directed by the Secretary of Defense, assign their forces for use by the combatant commands. The Secretaries of the Military Departments thus exercise administrative control (ADCON) rather than operational control (OPCON—the prerogative of the combatant commander) over their forces. A sub-unified command, or, subordinate unified command, may be established by combatant commanders when authorized to do so by

3071-549: The Chairman does not exercise military command over any combatant forces. Under Goldwater–Nichols, the service chiefs (also four stars in rank) are charged with the responsibility of the strategic direction; unified operation of combatant commands; and the integration of all land, naval, and air forces in an efficient "unified combatant command" force. Furthermore, the Secretaries of the Military Departments (i.e., Secretary of

3154-476: The December 2009 adoption of such standards and were expected to be delivering alert messages to the public by 2012. Although not mandatory, several wireless providers, including T-Mobile , AT&T , Sprint , and Verizon have announced their willingness to participate in the system. Providers who do not wish to participate must notify their customers. Some phones which are not CMAS-capable may require only

3237-467: The Earth's surface   an area of over 100 million square miles. U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) was disestablished 31 December 1974 as part of a bid by the Army to reduce its headquarters. The much smaller U.S. Army CINCPAC Support Group (CSG) took over USARPAC's duty to assist and coordinate with CINCPAC Headquarters and PACOM service components on Army matters. In 1979, U.S. Army Western Command (WESTCOM)

3320-574: The Earth's surface, stretching from the waters of the West Coast of the United States to the east coast maritime borderline waters of India at the meridian 66° longitude east of Greenwich and from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Formerly known as United States Pacific Command (USPACOM), in 2018 the command was renamed to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in recognition of the increasing connectivity between

3403-727: The Federal Government, as opposed to individual states. USINDOPACOM has evolved through the gradual consolidation of various commands in the Pacific and Far East. Its origins can be traced to the command structure established early in World War II to wage the war in the Pacific. In April 1942, U.S. military forces in the Pacific Theatre were divided into two commands: the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) under Army General Douglas MacArthur ; and

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3486-555: The Indo-Asia-Pacific region and understand that challenges are best met together. Consequently, we will remain an engaged and trusted partner committed to preserving the security, stability, and freedom upon which enduring prosperity in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region depends. We will collaborate with the Services and other Combatant Commands to defend America's interests. USINDOPACOM's Area of Responsibility (AOR) encompasses

3569-620: The National Weather Service, some local authorities continue to send winter weather related alerts at their discretion; for example in New York City during the January 2015 North American blizzard , alerts were sent to people's cell phones to warn users of a travel ban on New York City streets. Beginning Fall 2019, NWS significantly reduced the amount of Flash Flood Warnings that are issued over WEA to only those with

3652-544: The Pacific Fleet, delegating the responsibility of CINCPACFLT to his Deputy, Admiral Maurice E. Curts . CINCPAC's staff was thereafter separated from CINCPACFLT's staff and moved from Pearl Harbor to a new headquarters building (the former Aiea Naval Hospital ) at Camp H.M. Smith. Service components for the Army and Air Force   – U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) and U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF)   – were also assigned to PACOM. Command over U.S. forces engaged in

3735-544: The President or Administrator of FEMA ("National Alert"), as prohibited by the Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act. Public television stations are also required by the FCC to act as a distribution system for CMAS alerts. Within 18 months of receiving funding from the Department of Commerce , all public television stations must be able to receive CMAS alerts from FEMA and transmit them to participating wireless service providers. In January 2018, FCC chairman Ajit Pai said

3818-476: The President. FEMA can send alerts to targeted audiences but has not implemented this as of January 2018. Other states can take as long as 30 minutes to create, enter and distribute a missile alert. The Wireless Emergency Alert system was tested nationally for the first time in October 2018. And as part of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, the role of issuing warnings of a missile threat would lie with

3901-493: The Secretary of Defense or the president. They are created to conduct a portion of the mission or tasking of their parent geographic or functional command. Sub-unified commands may be either functional or geographic, and the commanders of sub-unified commands exercise authority similar to that of combatant commanders. Examples of former and present sub-unified commands are the Alaskan Command (ALCOM) under USNORTHCOM ,

3984-504: The Strategic Air Command was disestablished in 1992. The relevant section of federal law, however, remains unchanged, and the President retains the power to establish a new specified command. The Goldwater–Nichols Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 clarified and codified responsibilities that commanders-in-chief (CINCs) undertook, and which were first given legal status in 1947. After that act, CINCs reported directly to

4067-755: The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff . In the European Theater , Allied military forces fell under the command of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). After SHAEF was dissolved at the end of the war, the American forces were unified under a single command, the US Forces, European Theater (USFET), commanded by General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower . A truly unified command for

4150-431: The U.S. military emerged during World War II with the establishment of geographic theaters of operation composed of forces from multiple service branches that reported to a single commander who was supported by a joint staff. A unified command structure also existed to coordinate British and U.S. military forces operating under the Combined Chiefs of Staff , which was composed of the British Chiefs of Staff Committee and

4233-502: The United States Secretary of Defense , and through him to the President of the United States. Then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney announced in 1993 that the strategic command system should continue to evolve toward a joint global structure. The 1997 UCP assigned the former Soviet European republics and the whole of Russia to EUCOM which thus stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The former Soviet Central Asian republics were assigned to CENTCOM. The U.S. Atlantic Command became

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4316-414: The Western approaches to the Canal would be reassigned to CINCPAC. The outbreak of the Korean War and subsequent developments in the Far East tested the U.S. unified command structure in the Pacific. Although General MacArthur, as CINCFE, had been relieved of responsibility for South Korea, early U.S. reaction to North Korea 's invasion of the South on 25 June 1950 came through his command. On 10 July, at

4399-463: The air defense of Alaska and the Northeast. UCP 1956 also disestablished FECOM as a separate unified command. U.S. military deployments to Japan and Korea were decreasing after the end of Japanese reconstruction and the Korean War. The JCS, therefore, believed that the divided command structure in the Pacific should be abolished and FECOM's responsibility reassigned to PACOM. A subsequent outline plan to disestablish FECOM and transfer its responsibilities

4482-409: The assignment of responsibility for Russia to EUCOM with USPACOM in a supporting role for the Siberia and Russian Far East. Later reassignments under the 2004 and 2006 plans placed the entire Seychelles Archipelago in the USCENTCOM's AOR and extended U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM)'s boundary westward to encompass all of the Aleutian Islands, respectively. On 24 October 2002, the Secretary issued

4565-418: The case of senior admirals nominated for these positions. The operational chain of command runs from the President to the Secretary of Defense to the combatant commanders of the combatant commands. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff may transmit communications to the Commanders of the combatant commands from the President and Secretary of Defense and advises both on potential courses of action, but

4648-429: The command structure in the Pacific. ALCOM would remain as a unified command because of its strategic location, retaining its mission for the ground defense of the Alaskan region. Its other responsibilities, however, were reduced: the duty for the protection of sea communications in Alaskan waters was assumed by PACOM. The responsibilities of the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) would be likewise expanded to include

4731-416: The command's areas of responsibility, which includes 36 nations as well as both the Pacific and Indian Oceans." While any qualified officer in the U.S. Armed Forces can be appointed as commander of INDOPACOM, only a Navy officer has ever held this office. Unified combatant command A unified combatant command , also referred to as a combatant command ( CCMD ), is a joint military command of

4814-436: The commission planned to vote on overhauling wireless alerts, with a goal to make their targeting more granular and specific, citing issues with uses of wider alerts during Hurricane Harvey , and perceptions by users that they are receiving too many alerts that do not necessarily apply to them. The FCC voted in favor of these new rules on January 30, 2018; by November 30, 2019, participating providers must deliver alerts with only

4897-432: The decades following enactment of Goldwater–Nichols, these JPME requirements have yet to come to overall fruition. This is particularly true in the case of senior naval officers, where sea duty / shore duty rotations and the culture of the naval service has often discounted PME and JPME as a measure of professional development for success. Although slowly changing, the JPME requirement still continues to be frequently waived in

4980-425: The earth was divided among the US geographic commands. Rumsfeld assigned the last unassigned region— Antarctica —to PACOM, which stretched from Pole to Pole and covered half of the globe. On 24 October 2002, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld announced that in accordance with Title 10 of the US Code (USC), the title of " Commander-in-Chief " would thereafter be reserved for the President, consistent with

5063-479: The eastern Indian Ocean to the west coast of the Americas. Following a 1949 review of missions and deployments of U.S. forces, the Joint Chiefs of Staff revised the Unified Command Plan on 16 February 1950. The Volcano Islands were transferred to FECOM's AOR; likewise, responsibility for South Korea was transferred from FECOM to PACOM. The duty of protecting the Panama Canal remained assigned to Commander in Chief, Atlantic Command (CINCLANT); one year later, however,

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5146-479: The entire Pacific AOR proved impossible during the war. The divergent interests of the Army and the Navy precluded the subordination of either of the two principal commanders in the Pacific Theatre. When the war ended in September 1945, the command arrangement carried forward with Fleet Admiral Nimitz as CINCPAC/CINCPOA and General of the Army MacArthur as Commander in Chief, U.S. Army Forces Pacific (CINCAFPAC). Command arrangements after World War II were defined by

5229-454: The missions, command responsibilities, and geographic areas of responsibility of the combatant commands. Each time the Unified Command Plan is updated, the organization of the combatant commands is reviewed for military efficiency and efficacy, as well as alignment with national policy. Each unified combatant command is led by a combatant commander (CCDR), who is a four-star general or admiral . The combatant commanders are entrusted with

5312-428: The nationwide WEA Program as this event requires immediate action unlike Blizzard or Ice Storm Warnings. In addition to the change, the Dust Storm Warning is now polygon based, and will activate WEA. The zone-based Dust Storm Warning issued in advance was replaced by the new Blowing Dust Warning, which does not activate WEA. Nationwide Implementation of these new events occurred in late 2018. Although national tests of

5395-399: The new boundary between the commands would no longer cut through the Strait of Hormuz . On 1 October 1989, the defense of Alaska and all units stationed there passed to USPACOM, which subsequently raised Alaskan Command (ALCOM) as a subordinate command. Under UCP 2002, effective 21 January, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld assigned Antarctica to USPACOM. Secretary Rumsfeld also approved

5478-448: The program. CMAS will allow federal agencies to accept and aggregate alerts from the President of the United States , the National Weather Service (NWS) and emergency operations centers , and send the alerts to participating wireless providers who will distribute the alerts to their customers with compatible devices via Cell Broadcast , a technology similar to SMS text messages that simultaneously delivers messages to all phones using

5561-506: The public disabled the alerts due to the alerts overriding silent settings on their phone and being of limited relevance to them. At the 2019 MobiSys conference in South Korea, researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder demonstrated that it was possible to easily spoof wireless emergency alerts within a confined area, using open source software and commercially available software-defined radios . They recommended that steps be taken to ensure that alerts can be verified as coming from

5644-400: The related Emergency Alert System have been conducted nearly annually since 2011, the first national test that concurrently included WEA was held on October 3, 2018, at 2:18 PM EDT . The message was expected to reach an estimated 75 percent of cell phones. The lead-up to the test attracted controversy, due to the false assumption that then-president Donald Trump was personally executing

5727-404: The request of the United Nations , President Truman directed General MacArthur to establish the United Nations Command (UNC) for the purpose of directing operations against North Korean forces. U.S. forces assigned to FECOM were assigned to UNC with General MacArthur designated Commander-in-Chief, UNC (CINCUNC). The primary responsibility of CINCFE, however, remained the defense of Japan. During

5810-694: The terms of Article II of the United States Constitution . Thereafter, the military CINCs would be known as "combatant commanders", as heads of the unified combatant commands. A sixth geographical unified command, United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM), was approved and established in 2007 for Africa. It operated under U.S. European Command as a sub-unified command during its first year, and transitioned to independent Unified Command Status in October 2008. In 2009, it focused on synchronizing hundreds of activities inherited from three regional commands that previously coordinated U.S. military relations in Africa. President Donald Trump announced on 18 August 2017 that

5893-421: The territory of the United States, its people, and its interests. With allies and partners, we will enhance stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression, and, when necessary, fighting to win. This approach is based on partnership, presence, and military readiness. We recognize the global significance of

5976-518: The test message. However, it also sent the messages in both English and Spanish, depending on the language the phone was set to. It is unknown which language the message was sent for phones not set in English nor Spanish. A National Periodic Test of the Emergency Alert System took place on October 4, 2023, at 2:20 PM EDT. It was issued by mobile phone (Wireless Emergency Alert), radio, satellite radio, television, and cable television. Many members of

6059-507: The test, and reports suggesting that he could abuse the system to send personal messages similar to those he issued via social media . A lawsuit was filed requesting a temporary restraining order blocking the test, claiming that it violated users' First Amendment rights to be free from " government-compelled listening ", the system could allow the dissemination of "arbitrary, biased, irrational and/or content-based messages to hundreds of millions of people", and could frighten children. The suit

6142-478: The transfer of ALCOM to USNORTHCOM on 1 October 2014. On 30 May 2018, at the change-of-command ceremony between Admirals Harry B. Harris Jr. and Philip S. Davidson , Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced that Pacific Command has been renamed Indo-Pacific Command "in recognition of the increasing connectivity of the Indian and Pacific Oceans." U.S. officials stated that the change was instituted to "better reflect

6225-399: The unified command level. At the request of then-CINCPAC Admiral William Crowe, his title and that of his command were changed to USCINCPAC and USPACOM, respectively. On 26 June 1989, Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney endorsed the recommendation from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to reassign the Gulfs of Aden and Oman from USPACOM to USCENTCOM's AOR. Though a modest shift, the change meant that

6308-720: The war, CINCPAC was ordered to support CINCUNC/CINCFE. With CINCFE focused on combat operations during the Korean War, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, over strong objection from FECOM, transferred the Mariana, Bonin and Volcano Islands to PACOM. In late 1951, PACOM was also assigned responsibility for the Philippines, the Pescadores , and Formosa (Taiwan) . The new Unified Command Plan approved by Secretary of Defense Charles Wilson on 21 June 1956 produced significant changes to

6391-685: The western border of India ; the Indian Ocean east and south of the line from the India coastal border west to 68°E, south along 68°E to Antarctica; Australia ; New Zealand ; Antarctica , and Hawaii . In all, it encompasses: In the Pacific Region, instead of NORAD , the United States Indo-Pacific Command must make the decision that an incoming ballistic missile is a threat to the United States. Hawaii

6474-573: Was activated as the new Army component for PACOM. WESTCOM was redesignated USARPAC effective 30 August 1990. UCP 1983 dramatically increased the size of PACOM's AOR. While the establishment of U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) for the Middle East on 1 January 1983 meant PACOM delegated responsibility for Afghanistan and Pakistan to the new command, it took on responsibility for China, North Korea and Madagascar as military officials reasoned that issues arising from those countries could be best handled at

6557-469: Was approved by SECDEF and the JCS effective 1 July 1957. Under the plan, two subordinate unified commands under CINCPAC were established: Commander, U.S. Forces Japan (COMUSJAPAN) and Commander, U.S. Forces Korea (COMUSKOREA). The latter was dual-hatted as CINCUNC. The UCP further specified that no unified commander would exercise direct command of any of its Service components or subordinate commands. As such, Admiral Felix Stump gave up direct command of

6640-466: Was created under the Commander in Chief, Atlantic (CINCLANT). Under the original plan, each of the unified commands operated with one of the service chiefs (the Chief of Staff of the Army or Air Force , or the Chief of Naval Operations ) serving as an executive agent representing the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This arrangement was formalized on 21 April 1948 as part of a policy paper titled the "Function of

6723-890: Was re-established on 29 August 2019. Each combatant command (CCMD) is headed by a four-star general or admiral (the CCDR) recommended by the Secretary of Defense, nominated for appointment by the President of the United States, confirmed by the Senate and commissioned, at the President's order, by the Secretary of Defense. The Goldwater–Nichols Act and its subsequent implementation legislation also resulted in specific Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) requirements for officers before they could attain flag or general officer rank thereby preparing them for duty in Joint assignments such as UCC staff or Joint Chiefs of Staff assignments, which are strictly controlled tour length rotations of duty. However, in

6806-476: Was serving as Admiral Nimitz's direct successor as CINCPAC/CINCPOA. Admiral Towers retained his position as Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet ; his title was abbreviated CINCPACFLT to avoid confusion with the newly established Pacific Command. Headquarters for both CINCPAC and CINCPACFLT were located at Makalapa, Pearl Harbor , in the Territory of Hawaiʻi . Then-PACOM's original AOR ranged from Burma and

6889-504: Was thrown out, citing that a Presidential alert can only be used to disseminate legitimate emergency messages. The judge also clarified that the test itself would be conducted and executed by FEMA employees, with no personal involvement from the President. The "Presidential alerts": they are capable of accessing the E911 chip in your phones – giving them full access to your location, microphone, camera and every function of your phone. This not

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