Citation[]
Department of Defense, Unified Command Plan (Dec. 17, 2008) (not available online).
Overview[]
This Plan gave specific responsibilities for synchronizing planning for cyberspace operations to U.S. Strategic Command, including directing global information grid operations and defense, planning against designated cyberspace threats, coordinating with other combatant commands and U.S. government agencies, and executing cyberspace operations.
The Plan also states that, unless otherwise directed, combatant commanders will exercise command authority over all commands and forces assigned to them, in accordance with section 164 of title 10 of the U.S. Code. However, while individual service networks may reside within the area of responsibility of a particular geographic combatant command, that geographic commander does not possess the authority to direct the network operations of his component organizations, because those component networks are owned and directed by their respective service organizations through their role as Computer Network Defense Service Providers. This establishes a conflicting situation that affects the geographic combatant commanders’ visibility over networks in their areas of responsibility.