What military commands are directly involved in the defense of the homeland?
Four military commands – U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM), and U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) – are directly involved in the defense of the homeland. Additionally, the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) was designated by the Secretary of Defense in 2005 to be the lead combatant commander for integrating and synchronizing military efforts to combat weapons of mass destruction, including ensuring the force structure and necessary resources are in place to help all combatant commands defeat weapons of mass destruction.
