JP 1, Doctrine for the Armed Forces of the United States - Defense ...

Chapter V
c. TACON does not provide the authority to give or change the function of the
subordinate commander.
d. TACON provides sufficient authority for controlling and directing the application of
force or tactical use of combat support assets within the assigned mission or task. TACON
does not provide organizational authority or authoritative direction for administrative
and logistic support.
e. Functional component commanders typically exercise TACON over military
capability or forces made available for tasking.
5. Support
Support is a command authority. A support relationship is established by a common
superior commander between subordinate commanders when one organization should aid,
protect, complement, or sustain another force. The support command relationship is used by
SecDef to establish and prioritize support between and among CCDRs, and it is used by
JFCs to establish support relationships between and among subordinate commanders.
a. Basic Authority. Support may be exercised by commanders at any echelon at or
below the CCMD level. The designation of supporting relationships is important as it
conveys priorities to commanders and staffs that are planning or executing joint operations.
The support command relationship is, by design, a somewhat vague but very flexible
arrangement. The establishing authority (the common JFC) is responsible for ensuring that
both the supported commander and supporting commanders understand the degree of
authority that the supported commander is granted.
b. The supported commander should ensure that the supporting commanders understand
the assistance required. The supporting commanders will then provide the assistance needed,
subject to a supporting commander’s existing capabilities and other assigned tasks. When a
supporting commander cannot fulfill the needs of the supported commander, the establishing
authority will be notified by either the supported commander or a supporting commander.
The establishing authority is responsible for determining a solution.
c. An establishing directive normally is issued to specify the purpose of the support
relationship, the effect desired, and the scope of the action to be taken. It also should
include:
(1) The forces and resources allocated to the supporting effort;
(2) The time, place, level, and duration of the supporting effort;
(3) The relative priority of the supporting effort;
(4) The authority, if any, of the supporting commander to modify the supporting
effort in the event of exceptional opportunity or an emergency; and
V-8 JP 1