USSOCOM Fact Book - United States Special Operations Command

Established in 1980, the JointSpecial Operations Command is a subunifiedcommand of USSOCOM. JSOCprovides a joint headquarters to studySpecial Operations requirements, ensuresinteroperability and equipmentstandardization, develops joint Special Operations plansand tactics, and conducts joint Special Operationsexercises and training.The Joint Special OperationsUniversity resides at MacDill Air ForceBase, Fla. JSOU’s mission is to educateSpecial Operations Forces executive,senior and intermediate leaders andselected other national and internationalsecurity decision-makers, both military and civilian,through teaching, research and outreach in thescience and art of Joint SpecialOperations.As a Joint Subordinate Commandwithin USSOCOM, the Joint MilitaryInformation Support Command servesas a key contributor in the Department ofDefense’s ongoing efforts to erode adversary power, willand influence. JMISC is responsible to plan, coordinate,integrate, and when directed, execute trans-regionalinfluence over relevant populations in support ofCombatant Commands, the Secretary of Defense andselect government agencies to achieve operational,strategic and national goals and objectives. The seniorlevelmilitary and DOD civilians who compose theorganization include: military information supportoperations specialists, strategic and regional intelligenceanalysts, behavioral scientists, cultural advisors, mediaexperts and multi-media product developers. The JMISCprovides the DOD with a dynamic, responsive andsophisticated influence capability that plans, coordinatesand manages the execution of trans-regional informationprograms in support of the DOD and regional securityobjectives.Theater Special Operations CommandsJoint Forces Command and each geographiccombatant command have a Special Operationscomponent commander just like it has a ground, air andnaval component commander. The commander of theTheater Special Operations Command is responsible forcommanding all SOF in the theater to which the TSOC isassigned. The TSOC is a sub-unified command of thegeographic combatant command and the source ofexpertise in all areas of Special Operations. The TSOCprovides the geographic combatant commanders with aseparate element to plan and control joint SOF in theirtheaters.SOCCENTSpecial Operations Command Central, headquarteredat MacDill Air Force Base, is a subordinate unifiedcommand of U.S. Central Command. It is responsible forplanning Special Operations throughout theUSCENTCOM area of responsibility, planning andconducting peacetime joint/combined Special Operationstraining exercises and orchestrating command andcontrol of peacetime and wartime Special Operations asdirected. SOCCENT exercises operational control ofassigned and attached SOF that deploy for the executionof training and for operational missions in theUSCENTCOM AOR as directed by the USCENTCOMcommander. When directed by the USCENTCOMcommander, SOCCENT forms a JSOTF.SOCEURSpecial Operations Command Europe headquarters islocated at Patch Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. SOCEURis a subordinate unified command of U.S. EuropeanCommand exercising operational control of theaterArmy, Navy and Air Force Special Operations Forces.SOCEUR is responsible to the commander ofUSEUCOM and the Supreme Allied Commander Europefor SOF readiness, targeting, exercises, plans, joint andcombined training, NATO/partnership activities andexecution of counterterrorism, peacetime andcontingency operations.SOCPACSpecial Operations Command Pacific, located atCamp H. M. Smith, Oahu, Hawaii, is a sub-unifiedcommand and serves as the SOF component commandfor the U.S. Pacific Command. The AOR of thecommander in chief, USPACOM, represents the largestgeographic area of the unified commands. It covers morethan half of the Earth’s surface with approximately 105USSOCOM Fact Book42