United States Fleet Forces Command
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The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFF) is a service component command of the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
that provides naval forces to a wide variety of U.S. forces. The naval resources may be allocated to Combatant Commanders such as United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) under the authority of the
Secretary of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in so ...
. Originally formed as United States Atlantic Fleet (USLANTFLT) in 1906, it has been an integral part of the defense of the United States of America since the early 20th century. In 2002, the Fleet comprised over 118,000 Navy and Marine Corps personnel serving on 186 ships and in 1,300 aircraft, with an area of responsibility ranging over most of the Atlantic Ocean from the
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to the
South Pole The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole, Terrestrial South Pole or 90th Parallel South, is one of the two points where Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on Earth and lies antipod ...
, the
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexic ...
,
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...
, and the waters of the Pacific Ocean along the coasts of
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...
and South America (as far west as the Galapagos Islands). In 2006 the U.S. Atlantic Fleet was renamed United States Fleet Forces Command. The command is based at
Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads (NSA HR) is a United States Navy Echelon 4 regional support commander that is responsible to Navy Region Mid-Atlantic for the operation and maintenance of the installation of the same name that it is headquarte ...
in
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia B ...
and is the Navy's service component to U.S. Northern Command and is the Joint Functional Maritime Component Command under the U.S. Strategic Command. The command's mission is to organize, man, train, and equip naval forces for assignment to Unified Command Combatant commanders; to deter, detect, and defend against homeland maritime threats; and to articulate Fleet warfighting and readiness requirements to the
Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a memb ...
.


History


Expansion and contraction

The Atlantic Fleet was established by President
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
in 1906, at the same time as the Pacific Fleet, as protection for new bases in the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...
acquired as a result of the
Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...
. The Fleet was a combination of the North Atlantic Fleet and the South Atlantic Squadron. The first commander of the fleet was
Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...
Robley D. Evans, who hoisted his flag in the
battleship A battleship is a large armour, armored warship with a main artillery battery, battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1 ...
on 1 January 1906. The following year, he took his 16 battleships, now dubbed the
Great White Fleet The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the group of United States Navy battleships which completed a journey around the globe from December 16, 1907 to February 22, 1909 by order of President Theodore Roosevelt. Its mission was ...
, on a round-the-world cruise that lasted until 1909, a goodwill tour that also served the purpose of advertising the United States' naval strength and reach to all other nations of the globe. In January 1913 the fleet consisted of six first-line divisions, a torpedo flotilla, submarines, and fleet auxiliaries. The fleet was under the command of Rear Admiral Hugo Osterhaus. * The First Division, under Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske, consisted of (flag), , and . * The Second Division, under Rear Admiral Nathaniel R. Usher with his flag aboard the , consisted of , , , and . * The Third Division, under Rear Admiral Cameron McR. Winslow, comprised (flag), , , , and . * The Fourth Division, under Rear Admiral Frank F. Fletcher, consisted of the , , , , and . (See
United States occupation of Veracruz The United States occupation of Veracruz (April 21 to November 23, 1914) began with the Battle of Veracruz and lasted for seven months. The incident came in the midst of poor diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States, and was r ...
). * Fifth and Sixth Divisions were made up of protected cruisers, , , , and , , , and . The
Cruiser and Transport Force The Cruiser and Transport Service was a unit of the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet during World War I that was responsible for transporting American men and materiel to France. Composition On 1 July 1918, the Cruiser and Transport Force wa ...
, under Rear Admiral
Albert Gleaves Albert Gleaves (January 1, 1858 – January 6, 1937) was a decorated admiral in the United States Navy, also notable as a naval historian. Biography Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Gleaves graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1877. ...
served in Atlantic waters during World War I moving the
American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought along ...
to Europe. United States Battleship Division Nine joined the Grand Fleet in the UK. The Atlantic Fleet was reorganized into the Scouting Force in 1923, which was under the United States Fleet along with the Pacific Fleet. In January 1939 the Atlantic Squadron, United States Fleet, was formed, with Vice Admiral
Alfred Wilkinson Johnson Alfred Wilkinson Johnson (November 18, 1876 – December 5, 1963) was a career officer of the United States Navy who served in the Spanish–American War and World War I, commanded several ships, and served as Director of Naval Intelligence, reac ...
commanded. The aircraft carrier was transferred to the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
, to join three
battleship A battleship is a large armour, armored warship with a main artillery battery, battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1 ...
s. On 1 November 1940 the Atlantic Squadron was renamed the Patrol Force. The Patrol Force was organized into type commands: Battleships, Patrol Force; Cruisers, Patrol Force; Destroyers, Patrol Force; and, Train, Patrol Force (the logistics arms).


World War II

On 1 February 1941, the Atlantic Fleet was resurrected and organized from the Patrol Force. Along with the Pacific Fleet and
Asiatic Fleet The United States Asiatic Fleet was a fleet of the United States Navy during much of the first half of the 20th century. Before World War II, the fleet patrolled the Philippine Islands. Much of the fleet was destroyed by the Japanese by Februa ...
, the fleet was to be under the command of a full admiral, which jumped the fleet's commander Ernest J. King from a two-star to a four-star. King's
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the ...
was . Subsequently, the headquarters was in a rather odd assortment of ships; the , then the old wooden ship , , and then . In 1948, the HQ moved into the former naval hospital at
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia B ...
, and has remained there ever since. In July 1942, eight months after the United States entered the war, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy's
America and West Indies Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956. The North American Station was separate from the Jamaica Station until 1830 when the ...
based at Admiralty House, Bermuda had his title changed to ''Senior British Naval Officer, Western Atlantic.'' visited Bermuda in September, 1941.


Composition of the Atlantic Fleet in December 1941

On 7 December 1941 the Fleet comprised a number of separate components: *United States Atlantic Fleet - Commander:
Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet ...
Ernest J. King (Flagship: ) **Battleships, Atlantic Fleet (made up of three Battleship Divisions) - Commander:
Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...
David M. LeBreton (Flagship: USS ''New York'') **Aircraft, Atlantic Fleet (made up of one Carrier Division) - Commander: Rear Admiral Arthur B. Cook (Flagship: USS ''Yorktown'') **Cruisers, Atlantic Fleet (made up of four Cruiser Divisions) - Commander: Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt (Flagship: USS ''Philadelphia'') **Destroyers, Atlantic Fleet (made up of three Destroyer Flotillas) - Commander: Rear Admiral Ferdinand L. Reichmuth (Flagship: ) **Patrol Wings, Atlantic Fleet (made up of five Patrol Wings) - Commander: Rear Admiral Ernest McWhorter (Flagship: ) **Submarines, Atlantic Fleet (made up of four Submarine Squadrons) - Commander: Rear Admiral Richard S. Edwards (Flagship: ) § = Divisional flagship


=Battleships, Atlantic Fleet

= Battleships, Atlantic Fleet was made up of three Battleship Divisions *Battleship Division 3 (Rear Admiral
William R. Munroe William Robert Munroe (April 8, 1886 – March 1, 1966) was a decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of Vice Admiral. He trained as submarine commander and at the beginning of World War II, he served as Commander, Battleship ...
) ** ** ** § *Battleship Division 5 (Rear Admiral David M. LeBreton) ** § ** ** *Battleship Division 6 (Rear Admiral John W. Wilcox Jr.) ** ** § Of these, Battleship Division 5 was a training unit consisting of the oldest remaining battleships in service, while Division 6 was responsible for working up the two most recently commissioned battleships, ''North Carolina'' and ''Washington''.


=Aircraft, Atlantic Fleet

= * *Carrier Division 3 (Rear Admiral Arthur B. Cook) ** ** * * The aircraft carriers ''Yorktown'' and ''Long Island'' were directly attached to Aircraft, Atlantic Fleet, as was the newly commissioned ''Hornet'', which was in the process of working up.


=Cruisers, Atlantic Fleet

= *Cruiser Division 2 (Rear Admiral
Jonas H. Ingram Admiral Jonas Howard Ingram (October 15, 1886 – September 9, 1952) was an officer in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II. He commanded the United States Atlantic Fleet during World War II and was a recipient of the Med ...
) ** ** ** ** § *Cruiser Division 7 (Rear Admiral
Robert C. Giffen Robert Carlisle Giffen (1886 – 1962) was an admiral in the United States Navy. Birth to the beginning of World War I Robert Carlisle Giffen was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, on 29 June 1886. He attended the University of Notre Dam ...
) ** ** ** ** § *Cruiser Division 8 (Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt) ** ** § ** **


=Destroyers, Atlantic Fleet

= *Destroyer Flotilla Three **Destroyer Squadron 7 **Destroyer Squadron 9 **Destroyer Squadron 11 *Destroyer Flotilla Four **Destroyer Squadron 2 **Destroyer Squadron 8 *Destroyer Flotilla Eight **Destroyer Squadron 27 **Destroyer Squadron 30 **Destroyer Squadron 31


=Patrol Wings, Atlantic Fleet

= *Patrol Wing Three ** VP-31 **
VP-32 VP-32 was a Patrol Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Patrol Squadron 62 (VP-62) on 6 September 1943, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 62 (VPB-62) on 1 October 1944, redesignated Patrol Squadron 62 (VP-62) on 15 May 19 ...
*Patrol Wing Five **
VP-51 VP-51 was a Patrol Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Air Early Warning Squadron 1 (VPW-1) on 1 April 1948, redesignated Patrol Squadron 51 (VP-51) on 1 September 1948 and disestablished on 1 February 1950. It was the thir ...
**
VP-52 VPB-52 was a Patrol Bombing Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Torpedo Squadron 3D15 (VT-3D15) on 12 July 1928, redesignated Patrol Squadron 3-S (VP-3S) on 21 January 1931, redesignated Patrol Squadron 3 Base Force (VP-3F) ...
*Patrol Wing Seven ** VP-71 ** VP-72 ** VP-73 ** VP-74 *Patrol Wing Eight ** VP-81 **
VP-82 Patrol Squadron Eight (VP-8) is a U.S. Navy land-based patrol squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida (USA). VP-8 is tasked to undertake maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and intelligence, surveillance and recon ...


=Submarines, Atlantic Fleet

= *Submarine Squadron One **Submarine Division 11 **Submarine Division 12 **Experimental Division 1 *Submarine Squadron Three **Submarine Division 72 *Submarine Squadron Five **Submarine Division 51 **Submarine Division 52 **Submarine Division 53 *Submarine Squadron Seven **Submarine Division 31 **Submarine Division 4 **Submarine Division 71


=Other elements of the Atlantic Fleet

= During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
"Transports, Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet" was part of this command (ComTransPhibLant). Smaller units included the Antisubmarine Development Detachment, Atlantic Fleet (ASDEVLANT) located at
Quonset Point, Rhode Island Quonset Point (), also known simply as Quonset, is a small peninsula in Narragansett Bay in the town of North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Its name is widely known from the Quonset hut, which was first manufactured there. ''Quonset'' is an Algonqu ...
. The detachment was responsible for the study and development of
antisubmarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...
gear during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. The Commander of the detachment was known as COMASDEVLANT. Admiral King was appointed Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet, on 20 December 1941. Rear Admiral
Royal E. Ingersoll Royal Eason Ingersoll (20 June 1883 – 20 May 1976) was a United States Navy four-star admiral who served as Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANT) from January 1, 1942 to late 1944; Commander, Western Sea Frontier from late 1944 to 1 ...
was designated, with the rank of vice admiral, to relieve him as Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet. He took command on 1 January 1942, and was advanced to the rank of admiral on 1 July 1942. To carry out this mission and other tasks CinCLant had in the meantime been reorganized, as of 1 March 1941, into ten task forces (commanded by flag officers) numbered from one to ten and named according to their intended employment. Task Force One was the Ocean Escort Force, TF2—Striking Force, TF3—Scouting Force, TF4—Support Force, TF5—Submarine Force, TF6—Naval Coastal Frontier Forces, TF7—Bermuda Force, TF8—Patrol Wings, TF9—Service Force, and
Task Force 10 Task may refer to: * Task (computing), in computing, a program execution context * Task (language instruction) refers to a certain type of activity used in language instruction * Task (project management), an activity that needs to be accomplished ...
, 1st Marine Division (commanded by a Brigadier General). Of many significant engagements, Captain Daniel Gallery's capture of the German submarine U-505 stands out. The capture was so top secret (because of the enigma code books captured) that the ship's flag was kept by the Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet, and not handed over to Navy authorities until after the war.


Cold War

On 1 January 1946, Commander Minesweeping Forces, Atlantic Fleet (ComMinLant) was activated to command minesweepers assigned to the Atlantic Fleet. The Commander, Mine Forces, Atlantic was responsible for all Fleet minecraft operations. Units under his command were divided into Minesweeping Squadrons (MineRon)s. Between 1947 and 1985, the fleet command was a concurrent appointment with the United States Atlantic Command. The Commander-in-Chief Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANTFLT) was traditionally a navy four-star admiral who also then held the positions of Commander-in-Chief United States Atlantic Command (CINCLANT) and
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...
's
Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the other being the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). The SACLANT led Allied Command Atlantic was based at ...
(SACLANT). But after a major reorganization of the U.S. armed forces structure following the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986, CINCLANFLT was separated from the two other billets. The admiral commanding the Atlantic Fleet was designated as the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Atlantic Command until 1986. Major crises the Atlantic Fleet was involved in during the Cold War included the 1962
Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...
and the 1965 United States occupation of the Dominican Republic. The general purpose forces of the Army, Navy, and Air Force began to be reorganized in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis on 16 October 1962. The command organization, as finally developed, called for the Commander in Chief, Atlantic (CINCLANT), Admiral Robert Dennison, to provide the unified command. He also retained control of all naval components involved in tactical operations, as the Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet. The responsibility for Army and Air Force components was assigned to the Continental Army Command (CONARC) and the
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 Ju ...
under the designation of Army Forces, Atlantic (ARLANT), and Air Forces, Atlantic (AFLANT). The commander of the Army
XVIII Airborne Corps The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America ...
was designated Joint Task Force Commander to plan for any joint operations that might become necessary. Over-all direction was exercised by the President and the Secretary of Defense through the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who named the
Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a memb ...
as their representative for the quarantine. Major elements of the Strategic Army Corps were designated for use by ARLANT and placed in advanced alert status. Logistic support for the more than 100,000 men involved was directed by a newly established Peninsula Base Command. Preparatory steps were taken to make possible the immediate callup of high priority
Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized militia force and a federal military reserve force of the United States Army. They are simultaneously part of two different organizations: the Army N ...
and Army Reserve units.
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 Ju ...
moved hundreds of tactical fighter, reconnaissance, and troop carrier aircraft to the southeast. To make room for all these units, the bombers, tankers, and other aircraft not required for the current operations were ordered to other bases in the United States. From the late 1960s, nuclear ballistic missile submarines of the fleet began to make thousands of deterrent patrols. The first patrol in the Atlantic Fleet area of operations was made by . In 1972, Commander, Anti-Submarine Warfare Force, Atlantic Fleet (Task Force 81) was headquartered at
Quonset Point Naval Air Station Quonset Point Air National Guard Station is the home base of the Rhode Island Air National Guard 143d Airlift Wing. Naval Air Station (NAS) Quonset Point was a United States Navy, United States Naval Base in Quonset Point, Rhode Island that was de ...
. Under ASWFORLANTFLT was Hunter-Killer Force, Atlantic Fleet (Task Force 83), with Carrier Divisions 14 and 16 (Wasp and Intrepid, respectively), as well as the Quonset ASW Group (TG 81.2) with Fleet Air Wing 3 and surface units. More information on Anti-Submarine Warfare Force, Atlantic Fleet's, activities during the Cuban crisis can be found at the National Security Archive's document collections. Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic was formed on 1 July 1975, incorporating a number of previously separate smaller commands – mine warfare vessels/units, service vessels, and frigates, destroyers and cruisers, along with associated destroyer squadrons and cruiser/destroyer groups. As part of a reorganization announced in July 1995 of the Atlantic Fleet's surface combatant ships into six core battle groups, nine destroyer squadrons, and a new Western Hemisphere Group, was reassigned to Destroyer Squadron 24. The re-organization was to be phased in over the summer and take effect 31 August 1995, with homeport shifts occurring through 1998. In September 1995 the following ship assignments were intended to apply at the end of the transitional period: * Western Hemisphere Group (to be homeported at
Naval Station Pascagoula Naval Station Pascagoula (NAVSTA Pascagoula) was a base of the United States Navy, in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The base officially closed 15 November 2006. The base's property, on Singing River Island in the Mississippi Sound at the mouth of the ...
and
Naval Station Mayport Naval Station Mayport is a major United States Navy base in Jacksonville, Florida. It contains a protected harbor that can accommodate aircraft carrier-size vessels, ship's intermediate maintenance activity (SIMA) and a military airfield (Admi ...
): , , (to move to Pascagoula in FY 98), , ''Conolly'', ''Scott,'' DDG-993, ''Moosebrugger'', ''Dewert'', ''McInerney'', ''Boone'', ''Doyle'', ''Aubrey Fitch'' and ''Stark.'' *Cruiser-Destroyer Group 2/Washington Battle Group: CGN-37, CG-60 * Carrier Group 2/Stennis Joint Task Group: , * Carrier Group 6/Kennedy/America Joint Task Group: , , and until ''Gates'' was transferred to the Western Hemisphere Group * Cruiser-Destroyer Group 8/Eisenhower Joint Task Group: , * Cruiser-Destroyer Group 12/Enterprise Joint Task Group: ,


2000s

In February 2000, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command was established in
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
, and the Western Hemisphere Group became Naval Surface Group 2. On 1 October 2001, the
Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a memb ...
designated Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANTFLT) as concurrent Commander, Fleet Forces Command (CFFC). In October–November 2002, the title of Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet was amended to Commander, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (COMLANTFLT). In the CNO Guidance for 2003, Admiral Vernon Clark stipulated that the terms
Carrier Battle Group A carrier battle group (CVBG) is a naval fleet consisting of an aircraft carrier capital ship and its large number of escorts, together defining the group. The ''CV'' in ''CVBG'' is the United States Navy hull classification code for an ai ...
and
Amphibious Readiness Group An amphibious ready group (ARG) of the United States Navy consists of a naval element—a group of warships known as an Amphibious Task Force (ATF)—and a landing force (LF) of U.S. Marines (and occasionally U.S. Army soldiers), in total ab ...
would be replaced by Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and
Expeditionary Strike Group In the United States Navy, the expeditionary strike group (ESG) is a coordinated group of surface ships, aircraft, submarines, and other naval assets. In contrast to carrier strike groups (CSGs), which emphasize air power and are led by a super ...
s (ESGs), respectively, by March 2003. Cruiser-Destroyer (CRUDESGRU) and Carrier Groups (CARGRU) were also redesignated, as Carrier Strike Groups (CSG), and aligned directly under the numbered fleet commanders. CARGRU and CRUDESGRU staffs were formerly under the administrative authority of their respective air and surface
U.S. Navy type commands U.S. Navy type commands perform administrative, personnel, and operational training functions in the United States Navy for a "type" of weapon system (e.g., naval aviation, submarine warfare, surface warships) within a fleet organization. Aircraft ...
. This realignment allowed key operational leaders authority and direct access to the personnel required to more effectively accomplish the navy's mission. The numbered fleet commanders are now responsible for the training and certification of the entire Strike Group. The organizational structure to support the carrier strike groups focuses more on placing Strike Group commanders under the authority of the certifying officer, or the numbered fleet commander. Under this new division of responsibility, the air-side type commander gains authority over the air wing, and the surface-side type commander gains authority over the carrier itself and the rest of the ships of the battle group. On 23 May 2006, the Chief of Naval Operations renamed COMLANTFLT to Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (COMUSFLTFORCOM or CUSFFC), ordered to carry out the missions currently performed by COMFLTFORCOM (CFFC) and serve as primary advocate for fleet personnel, training, requirements, maintenance, and operational issues, reporting administratively directly to the CNO as an Echelon 2 command. The previous title CFFC was disestablished at the same time. CUSFFC previously served as the Naval component of US Joint Forces Command (
USJFCOM United States Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) was a Unified Combatant Command of the United States Department of Defense. USJFCOM was a functional command that provided specific services to the military. The last commander was Army Gen. Ray Odie ...
) until the disestablishment of USJFCOM in August 2011. CFFC is also assigned as the supporting service component commander to Commander, United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) as well as to Commander,
United States Strategic Command United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. Headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, USSTRATCOM is responsible for strategic nuclear deter ...
(USSTRATCOM). ''Enterprise'' entered an ESRA in 2008, but the refit took longer than expected. Thus on 11 September 2009, it was announced that the carrier strike group deployment schedule would be changed to accommodate the delay in the return of the ''Enterprise'' from its current overhaul. This resulted in extending both Carrier Strike Group Eleven's 2009–2010 deployment and
Carrier Strike Group Ten Carrier Strike Group 10, abbreviated as CSG-10 or CARSTRKGRU 10, is a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. Carrier strike groups gain and maintain sea control as well as project naval airpower ashore. , CSG-10 consist of , the strike group's current ...
's 2010 deployment to eight months. ''Enterprise'' returned to Naval Station Norfolk on 19 April 2010 after completing its post-overhaul sea trials, signifying the beginning of its pre-deployment training cycle. On 24 July 2009, Admiral John C. Harvey, Jr. relieved Admiral
Jonathan W. Greenert Jonathan William Greenert (born May 15, 1953) is a former United States Navy admiral who served as the 30th Chief of Naval Operations from September 23, 2011, to September 18, 2015. He previously served as the 36th Vice Chief of Naval Operations ...
as Commander.


2010s

News reports in July 2011 said that in connection with the disestablishment of the United States Second Fleet, Fleet Forces Command would take over Second Fleet's duties on 30 September 2011. Effectively this meant Task Force 20 (TF 20), under a deputy commander of the fleet, took over that mission. Task Force 20 was succeeded by Task Force 80 effective 1 October 2012, with TF-80 being under the command of the director of the Maritime Headquarters, Fleet Forces Command. Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC),
United States Naval Observatory United States Naval Observatory (USNO) is a scientific and military facility that produces geopositioning, navigation and timekeeping data for the United States Navy and the United States Department of Defense. Established in 1830 as the Depo ...
(USNO), Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO), Naval Oceanography Operations Command, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Professional Development Center, were all realigned under U.S. Navy Information Dominance Forces on 1 October 2014. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2015, the Optimized Fleet Response Plan will align carrier strike groups to a 36-month training and deployment cycle. All required maintenance, training, evaluations, plus a single eight-month overseas deployment, are scheduled throughout this 36-month cycle in order to reduce costs while increasing overall fleet readiness. This new plan streamlined the inspection and evaluation process while maintaining a surge capacity for emergency deployments. The ultimate objective is to reduce time at sea while increasing in-port time from 49% to 68%. While initially to be used by U.S. Navy carrier strike groups, the Optimized Fleet Response Plan will be adopted for all fleet operations. Accordingly, the carrier will be the first carrier to deploy under this new O-FRP cycle, replacing the previously-scheduled ''Eisenhower'' in the deployment lineup. Additionally, the Carrier Strike Group Eight command staff will deploy with the ''Truman'' while the ''Eisenhower'' will serve as the new flagship for
Carrier Strike Group Ten Carrier Strike Group 10, abbreviated as CSG-10 or CARSTRKGRU 10, is a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. Carrier strike groups gain and maintain sea control as well as project naval airpower ashore. , CSG-10 consist of , the strike group's current ...
. On 2 December 2020, Secretary
Kenneth Braithwaite Kenneth John Braithwaite II (born 1960) is an American politician, diplomat, businessman and naval officer who served as the 77th secretary of the Navy from May 29, 2020, to January 20, 2021 in the Donald Trump administration. Prior to that, he s ...
announced that U.S. Fleet Forces Command will be renamed back to United States Atlantic Fleet to focus more on the growing maritime threats coming from the Atlantic. The renaming of the command has been placed on hold, pending further review of the U.S. military footprint, resources, strategy and missions, from the global force posture review.


Structure 2013

In accordance with the ''Navigation Plan 2013–2017'' guidance from the
Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a memb ...
, U.S. Fleet Forces Command was to be based upon the three tenets of war-fighting, forward operations, and readiness. To achieve these objectives, Fleet Forces Command was realigned to a Maritime Operations Center (MOC) and Maritime Headquarters (MHQ) command structure. Additionally, the Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (COMUSFLTFORCOM) is designated as the Joint Forces Maritime Component Commander North (JFMCC-N) to the U.S. Northern Command. Joint Forces Maritime Component Commander North consists of two Maritime Command Elements (MCE), with Maritime Command Element-East (MCE-E) being Task Force 180 and Maritime Command Element-West (MCE-W) provided from units assigned to the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Effective 17 May 2013, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command was officially designated as the naval component commander for the U.S. Northern Command. In this new capacity, the Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command is to contribute to the defense of North America through the coordination, collaboration, and communication with allied, coalition, and joint forces within the U.S. Northern Command's
area of responsibility Area of responsibility (AOR) is a pre-defined geographic region assigned to Combatant commanders of the Unified Command Plan (UCP), that are used to define an area with specific geographic boundaries where they have the authority to plan and co ...
. Under this reorganization, the
Commander, Navy Installations Command Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) is an Echelon II shore command responsible for all shore installations under the control of the United States Navy. As an Echelon II command, it reports directly to the Chief of Naval Operations. It i ...
is responsible for area coordination for U.S. Naval Forces Northern Command. Additionally, Commander,
Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Navy Region Mid-Atlantic is one of eleven current naval regions responsible to Commander, Navy Installations Command for the operation and management of Naval shore installations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, K ...
is responsible for regional coordination for U.S. Naval Forces Northern Command.


Maritime Operations

The Maritime Operations directorate leads all phases of the pre-deployment fleet response training plan (FRTP) cycle involving those naval units assigned to the Fleet Forces Command. The directorate transitions all naval units from their operational phase to their tactical phase prior to their overseas deployment. The Director of Maritime Operations (DMO) is an active-duty two-star
rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...
in the U.S. Navy while the Deputy Director of Maritime Operations is a one-star
rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...
from the
United States Naval Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2005, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are categorized as being in either the Sel ...
. As of 2013, the DMO was Rear Admiral Dan Cloyd. Maritime Operations is organized into the following directorates: * N2/39 – Intelligence and Information Warfare * N3/N5 – Joint / Fleet Operations ** N31 – Maritime Operations Center (MOC) * N041 – Global Force Management * N042 – Force Protection * N7 – Joint / Fleet Training


Maritime Headquarters

The Maritime Headquarters (MHQ) leads all phases prior to the pre-deployment training cycle, including resourcing, policy development, assessment, procurement, and pre-introduction of naval units assigned to the Fleet Forces Command. The MHQ transitions all naval units from their strategical phase to their operational phase prior to their pre-deployment training cycle, and in the capacity, it supports the Maritime Operations Center. The Director of Maritime Headquarters (DMHQ) is an active-duty two-star
rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...
in the U.S. Navy while the Deputy Director of Maritime Headquarters is a one-star
rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...
from the
United States Naval Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2005, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are categorized as being in either the Sel ...
. As of July 2013, the DMHQ was Rear Admiral Bradley R. Gehrke. The Maritime Headquarters is organized into the following directorates: * N1 – Fleet Personnel Development and Allocation (including information architecture management and Navy Security Forces) * N41 – Fleet Ordnance and Supply * N43 – Fleet Maintenance * N45/46 – Fleet Installations and Environment * N6 – Fleet Communications and Information Systems * N8/N9 – Fleet Capabilities, Requirements, Concepts, and Experimentation (including missile defense) * N03FS – Fleet Safety and Occupational Health * N03G – Fleet Religious Ministries * N03H – Fleet Surgeon and Health Services * N03M – Fleet Marine


Subordinate commands

U.S. Fleet Forces Subordinate Commands include the following:
, U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Accessed 26 September 2012.
*U.S. Naval Forces Northern Command ** Combined Joint Operations from the Sea Center of Excellence (CJOS COE) **President, Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) **
Military Sealift Command Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an organization that controls the replenishment and military transport ships of the United States Navy. Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all US ...
(MSC) ** Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC) (COMNAVMETOCCOM)
, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. Accessed 26 September 2012.
**Navy Munitions Command (NMC) **
Navy Warfare Development Command The Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC) is a command of the United States Navy for the generation and development of innovations in concepts and doctrine for enhanced operational level maritime capability and integration in joint and coalitio ...
(NWDC)


Type commands

All ships are organized into categories by type. Aircraft carriers, aircraft squadrons, and air stations are under the administrative control of the appropriate Commander Naval Air Force. Submarines come under the Commander Submarine Force. All other ships fall under Commander Naval Surface Force. Type commands for Fleet Forces Command include: * Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet (AIRLANT) * Submarine Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet (SUBLANT) * Naval Surface Forces Atlantic (NAVSURFLANT) * Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) * Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR)


Task forces

Functional mission task forces execute force-wide Fleet logistic functions as well as providing capabilities for Joint contingency operations. These functional mission task forces include: * Task Force 80 – Maritime Headquarters – Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (MHQ – COMUSFF) * Task Force 83 – Logistics – Military Sealift Command Atlantic (LOG – MSCLANT) * Task Force 84 – Theater Antisubmarine Warfare Commander – Commander Submarine Force (TASC – CSL) * Task Force 85 – Mine Warfare – Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center – MIW Division (MIW – SMWDC MIW) * Task Force 86 – Defense Support of Civil Authorities –
Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) serves as the single functional command to centrally manage current and future readiness, resources, manning, training and equipping of the United States Navy's 21,000 expeditionary warfare, expeditionary ...
(DSCA – COMNECC) * Task Force 87 – Reconnaissance – Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Group (RECON – CPRG) * Task Force 89 – Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief – Expeditionary Strike Group Two (HADR – ESG 2) * Task Force 883 – Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command ** Task Group 883.1 – Hampton Roads ** Task Group 883.2 – United States Fourth Fleet ** Task Group 883.5 – Military Sealift Command Atlantic (MSCLANT) ** Task Group 883.6 – Submarine Group 10 (SUBGRU 10) ** Task Group 883.7 –
Submarine Group 2 Submarine Group 2 (also known as SUBGRU 2) is a seagoing group of the United States Navy based at Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads, Norfolk, Virginia. History Between 1965 and 2014, Submarine Group 2 was responsible for the administrative ...
(SUBGRU 2) ** Task Group 883.8 – Naval aircraft – Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet ** Task Group 883.9 –
Naval Weapons Station Earle Naval Weapons Station Earle is a United States Navy base in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. Its distinguishing feature is a pier in Sandy Hook Bay where ammunition can be loaded and unloaded from warships at a safe distance from heavi ...


Joint operations task forces

When constituted as a joint-service task force for Joint warfare operations, functional mission task forces for the U.S. Fleet Forces Command are given a 18X designation as shown below. * Task Force 180 – Maritime Headquarters – Joint Forces Maritime Component Commander North (MHQ – COMUSFF) * Task Force 183 – Logistics – Military Sealift Command Atlantic (LOG – MSCLANT) ** Task Group 183.1 – Hampton Roads ** Task Group 183.2 – United States Fourth Fleet ** Task Group 183.5 – Military Sealift Command Atlantic (MSCLANT) ** Task Group 183.6 – Submarine Group Ten (SUBGRU 10) ** Task Group 183.7 – Submarine Group Two (SUBGRU 2) ** Task Group 183.8 – Naval aircraft – Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet ** Task Group 183.9 –
Naval Weapons Station Earle Naval Weapons Station Earle is a United States Navy base in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. Its distinguishing feature is a pier in Sandy Hook Bay where ammunition can be loaded and unloaded from warships at a safe distance from heavi ...
* Task Force 184 – Theater Antisubmarine Warfare Commander – Commander Submarine Force (TASC – COMNAVSUBFOR) * Task Force 185 – Mine Warfare – Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center – MIW Division (MIW – SMWDC MIW) * Task Force 186 – Defense Support of Civil Authorities –
Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) serves as the single functional command to centrally manage current and future readiness, resources, manning, training and equipping of the United States Navy's 21,000 expeditionary warfare, expeditionary ...
(DSCA – COMNECC) * Task Force 187 – Reconnaissance – Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Group (RECON – CPRG) * Task Force 189 – Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief – Expeditionary Strike Group Two (HADR – ESG 2)


List of commanders


See also

*
List of units of the United States Navy This article is a list of commands of the United States Navy. The list is organized along administrative chains of command (CoC), and does not include the CNO's office or shore establishments. Deployable/operational U.S. Navy units typically ...
*
United States Pacific Fleet The United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT) is a theater-level component command of the United States Navy, located in the Pacific Ocean. It provides naval forces to the Indo-Pacific Command. Fleet headquarters is at Joint Base Pearl Harborâ ...
U.S. Armed Forces operations commands *
United States Army Forces Command United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) is the largest United States Army command. It provides expeditionary, regionally engaged, campaign-capable land forces to combatant commanders. Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, FORSCOM con ...
* United States Marine Corps Forces Command *
Air Combat Command Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...
*
Air Force Global Strike Command Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready forces to conduct strategic nuclear deterrence and global stri ...
* Space Operations Command


Notes


References


Further reading

* * * *


External links


U.S. Fleet Forces Command
official website
U.S. Fleet Forces Command website

Former commanders of U.S. Fleet Forces Command



History
(U.S. Fleet Forces Command website) {{US Navy navbox Commands of the United States Navy Organizations based in Norfolk, Virginia Military in Norfolk, Virginia Military units and formations established in 1906 1906 establishments in the United States