Unified Combatant Command

Operational forces of the United States military operate under Unified Combatant Commands (UCCs), organized either on geographic (e.g., Pacific, Central) or functional (e.g., Special Operations, Strategic) lines. The line of command of the UCC goes from its four-star commander to the National Command Authority.

While the United States has long had regional and functional commands, the structure was formalized by the Goldwater-Nichols Act.