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The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFFC) is a service component command of the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
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 The United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is one of eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense. The command is tasked with providing military support for Civil authority, non-military authorities in t ...
(USNORTHCOM) under the authority of the Secretary of Defense. 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 or Terrestrial South Pole, is the point in the Southern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True South Pole to distinguish ...
, the
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...
,
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
, and the waters of the Pacific Ocean along the coasts of Central 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 in
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...
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 highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an Admiral (United States), admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the United States Secretary ...
.


History


Expansion and contraction

The Atlantic Fleet was established by President
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
in 1906, at the same time as the Pacific Fleet, as protection for new bases in the
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
acquired as a result of the
Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
. The Fleet was a combination of the
North Atlantic Fleet The North Atlantic Squadron was a section of the United States Navy operating in the North Atlantic. It was renamed as the North Atlantic Fleet in 1902. In 1905 the European Squadron, European and South Atlantic Squadron, South Atlantic squadr ...
and the
South Atlantic Squadron The Brazil Squadron, the Brazil Station, or the South Atlantic Squadron was an overseas military station established by the United States in 1826 to protect American commerce in the South Atlantic during a war between Brazil and Argentina. When t ...
. The first commander of the fleet was
Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
Robley D. Evans, who hoisted his flag in the
battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...
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 that completed a journey around the globe from 16 December 1907, to 22 February 1909, by order of President Foreign policy of the Theodore Roosevelt ...
, 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 Battle of Veracruz was a military conflict between the United States and Mexico that took place in the Mexican port city of Veracruz between April 21 to November 23, 1914. The incident occurred in the midst of poor diplomatic relations be ...
). * Fifth and Sixth Divisions were made up of protected cruisers, , , , and , , , and . The Cruiser and Transport Force, under Rear Admiral Albert Gleaves served in Atlantic waters during World War I moving the
American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) was a formation of the United States Armed Forces on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during World War I, composed mostly of units from the United States Army, U.S. Army. The AEF was establis ...
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 commanded. The aircraft carrier was transferred to the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
, to join three
battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...
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 Februar ...
, 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 navy, 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 ...
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 (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...
, 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 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 many 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. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
Ernest J. King (Flagship: ) **Battleships, Atlantic Fleet (made up of three Battleship Divisions) - Commander:
Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
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) ** ** ** § *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 Jonas Howard Ingram (October 15, 1887 – 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 Medal of Hon ...
) ** ** ** ** § *Cruiser Division 7 (Rear Admiral Robert C. Giffen) ** ** ** ** § *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-31, Patrol Squadron 31 was a maritime patrol squadron of the United States Navy.This article is about the 1960s-90s training squadron, not the 1940s VPB-31 anti-submarine patrol squadron which operated from Key West. It was established on 30 ...
** VP-32 *Patrol Wing Five ** VP-51 ** VP-52 *Patrol Wing Seven ** VP-71 ** VP-72 ** VP-73 ** VP-74 *Patrol Wing Eight ** VP-81 ** VP-82


=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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
"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. The detachment was responsible for the study and development of antisubmarine gear during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. 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 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,
1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine (military), Marine Division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine E ...
(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 mine warfare 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 United States Atlantic Command (acronym from 1947-1993 USLANTCOM, after 1993 USACOM) was a Unified Combatant Command of the United States Department of Defense. In 1999, U.S. Atlantic Command was renamed and given a new mission as United ...
. 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 The United States Atlantic Command (acronym from 1947-1993 USLANTCOM, after 1993 USACOM) was a Unified Combatant Command of the United States Department of Defense. In 1999, U.S. Atlantic Command was renamed and given a new mission as United ...
(CINCLANT) and
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
'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 ...
(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 () in Cuba, or the Caribbean Crisis (), was a 13-day confrontation between the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union, when American deployments of Nuclear weapons d ...
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 List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...
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 force, rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is r ...
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 highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an Admiral (United States), admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the United States Secretary ...
as their representative for the quarantine. Major elements of the
Strategic Army Corps The Strategic Army Corps (STRAC) was a command of the United States Army, with a mission of high readiness, active in the 1960s. In 1961 it was merged into the United States Strike Command (STRICOM). The word "STRAC" was also used to describe a w ...
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) is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States Army. It is simultaneously part of two differen ...
and Army Reserve units.
Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Lang ...
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 In U.S. armed forces parlance, an area of operations (AO) is an operational area defined by the force commander for land, air, and naval forces' conduct of combat and non-combat activities. Areas of operations do not typically encompass the entire ...
was made by . In 1972, Commander, Anti-Submarine Warfare Force, Atlantic Fleet (Task Force 81) was headquartered at Quonset Point Naval Air Station. 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. The Commander, Naval Surface Force 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 and Naval Station Mayport): , , (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 ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, and the Western Hemisphere Group became Naval Surface Group 2. After the
September 11 terrorist attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, the Atlantic Fleet sent aircraft carriers and cruisers towards New York, on the fleet commander's own initiative. On 1 October 2001, the
Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an Admiral (United States), admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the United States Secretary ...
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 and Amphibious Readiness Group would be replaced by
Carrier Strike Group A carrier strike group (CSG) is a type of carrier battle group of the United States Navy. It is an operational formation composed of roughly 7,500 personnel, usually an aircraft carrier, at least one cruiser, a destroyer Squadron (naval), squad ...
s (CSG) and Expeditionary Strike Groups (ESGs), respectively, by March 2003. Cruiser-Destroyer and Carrier Groups (CARGRU) were also redesignated, as Carrier Strike Groups (CSG), and aligned directly under the numbered fleet commanders. The two sets of staffs were formerly under the administrative authority of their respective air and surface U.S. Navy type commands. 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 the US Joint Forces Command ( USJFCOM) until the disestablishment of USJFCOM in August 2011. CFFC is also assigned as the supporting service component commander to Commander,
United States Northern Command The United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is one of eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense. The command is tasked with providing military support for Civil authority, non-military authorities in t ...
(USNORTHCOM) as well as to Commander,
United States Strategic Command The 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_weap ...
(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'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 as Commander.


2010s

News reports in July 2011 said that in connection with the disestablishment of the
United States Second Fleet The United States Second Fleet is a numbered fleet in the United States Navy responsible for operations in the East Coast and North Atlantic Ocean. Established after World War II, Second Fleet was deactivated in 2011, when the United States gov ...
, 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. The
Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center The Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) is an echelon IV component of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC), which provides worldwide meteorological and oceanographic data and analysis for the United State ...
(FNMOC),
United States Naval Observatory The 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 ...
(USNO),
Naval Oceanographic Office The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO), located at John C. Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi, is an echelon IV component of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC) and comprises approximately 1,000 civilian, military a ...
(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. On 2 December 2020, Secretary Kenneth Braithwaite 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 highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an Admiral (United States), admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the United States Secretary ...
, 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 c ...
. Under this reorganization, the
Commander, Navy Installations Command The 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, ...
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, Kentucky, North Carol ...
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 flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
in the U.S. Navy while the Deputy Director of Maritime Operations is a one-star
rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
from the
United States Naval Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2004, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called reservists, are categorized as being in either the S ...
. 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 flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
in the U.S. Navy while the Deputy Director of Maritime Headquarters is a one-star
rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
from the
United States Naval Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2004, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called reservists, are categorized as being in either the S ...
. 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 The 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 U ...
(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 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 coalition ac ...
(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 Force 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 The Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) is an echelon III command of the United States Navy, which serves as the single functional command to centrally manage current and future readiness, resources, manning, training and equipping of the U ...
(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 (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, originally known as the Naval Ammunition Depot 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 ...


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, originally known as the Naval Ammunition Depot 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 ...
* 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 The Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) is an echelon III command of the United States Navy, which serves as the single functional command to centrally manage current and future readiness, resources, manning, training and equipping of the U ...
(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 *
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 Marine Corps Forces Command The Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command (COMMARFORCOM), headquartered at the Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads in Norfolk, Virginia, commands service retained-operating forces; executes force sourcing and synchronization to affect for ...
*
Air Combat Command The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...
*
Air Force Global Strike Command The Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready fo ...
* 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 United States Strategic Command