Newsday (New York) March 25, 2003
The Chain of Command (stand alone chart)
Though President Bush relies on a closegroup of advisers,the final decision to attack lies with himalone. Here is how the order is carried to the battlefield.
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The military's highest ranking officers, the Joint Chiefs advise the National Security Council on strategy, passing on concerns or requests from the ranks. Proposals go through non-military advisers to ensure civilian control of the armed forces.
National Security Council
Advisers from military and civilian sectors then brief the president.
1. Commander in Chief
Armed with the information, the president makes the cutive decision
2. Secretary Of Defense
Informed of the decision, the defense secretary instructs Central Command.
3 U.S. Central Command
The head of Central Command, which covers all U.S. forces in the region, refines the war strategy with commanders from four branches of service.
4 In the Field
Further down the chain, combat decisions are left to the commanders of various troop and armor units. A look at the Army structure:
(All numbers are approximate.)
Numbered Army (i.e., 3rd U.S. Army)
COMMANDER
General (Gen.)
SIZE
70,000 soldiers.
Army combines 2 or more corps.
UNIT
Corps
COMMANDER
Lieutenant General (Lt. Gen.)
SIZE
20,000-45,000 soldiers. Corps has 2-5 divisions.
UNIT
Division
COMMANDER
Major General (Maj. Gen.)
SIZE
10,000-15,000 soldiers.
Division has about 3 brigades.
UNIT
Brigade
COMMANDER
Brigadier General (Brig. Gen.)
SIZE
3,000-5,000 soldiers.
Brigade has 2-4 regiments.
UNIT
Regiment
COMMANDER
Colonel (Col.)
SIZE
600-4,000 soldiers.
Regiment has 2-4 battalions.
UNIT
Battalion
COMMANDER
Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Col.)
SIZE
300-1,000 soldiers.
Battalion has 4-5 companies.
UNIT
Company
COMMANDER
Captain (Capt.)
SIZE
62-190 soldiers.
Company has 3-5 platoons.
UNIT
Platoon
COMMANDER
Lieutenant (Lt.)
SIZE
16-44 soldiers.
Platoon has 2-4 squads.
UNIT
Squad
COMMADER
Sergeant (Sgt.)
SIZE
9-10 soldiers. Squad has 3 teams
UNIT
Team
COMMANDER
Corporal (Cpl.)
SIZE
3 soldiers
Command structure
The U.S. military is divided into nine Unified Combatant Commands. Four are devoted to operational management and five assume responsibility for specific areas of the globe. The Middle East and the Horn of Africa, including Iraq, are covered under the U.S. Central Command which would harmonize forces in the region for a strike.
SOURCES: Joint Chiefs of Staff; National Security Council; Jane's; GlobalSecurity.org
GRAPHIC: Photos - 1) Condoleezza Rice, head of National Security Council 2) Bush meets with the National Security Council 3) Gen. Tommy Franks, Commander of U.S. Central Command 4) George W. Bush Commander in Chief 5) Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense AP /NEWSDAY CHART - The Chain of Command (see text).
Copyright © 2003, Newsday, Inc.
