§ 161. Combatant commands: establishment

• (a) With the advice and assistance of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the President, through the Secretary of Defense, shall—
  • (1) establish unified combatant commands and specified combatant commands to perform military missions; and
  • (2) prescribe the force structure of those commands.
• (b)
  • (1) The Chairman periodically (and not less often than every two years) shall—
    • (A) review the missions, responsibilities (including geographic boundaries), and force structure of each combatant command; and
    • (B) recommend to the President, through the Secretary of Defense, any changes to such missions, responsibilities, and force structures as may be necessary.
  • (2) Except during time of hostilities or imminent threat of hostilities, the President shall notify Congress not more than 60 days after—
    • (A) establishing a new combatant command; or
    • (B) significantly revising the missions, responsibilities, or force structure of an existing combatant command.
• (c) In this chapter:
  • (1) The term “unified combatant command” means a military command which has broad, continuing missions and which is composed of forces from two or more military departments.
  • (2) The term “specified combatant command” means a military command which has broad, continuing missions and which is normally composed of forces from a single military department.
  • (3) The term “combatant command” means a unified combatant command or a specified combatant command.