United States Army North

United States Army North. It is the Army Service Component Command of United States Northern Command, responsible for homeland defense and coordinating defense support to civil authorities. Headquartered at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, its area of responsibility includes the continental United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and the surrounding maritime approaches. The command serves as the primary land force partner for Department of Homeland Security agencies, including FEMA and the Coast Guard.

History

The command's lineage traces to the activation of the Fifth United States Army in January 1944 at Oujda, French Morocco, under the command of Mark W. Clark. This formation played a pivotal role in the Italian Campaign, including the bloody Battle of Monte Cassino and the subsequent Operation Diadem that led to the capture of Rome. Following World War II, Fifth Army returned to the United States, headquartered at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, with a focus on training and reserve component affairs. It was redesignated as United States Army North in 2004, aligning under the newly established United States Northern Command in the wake of the September 11 attacks to consolidate homeland defense missions. This reorganization was part of a broader shift within the Department of Defense following the publication of the 2002 Unified Command Plan.

Mission

The dual mission of United States Army North encompasses homeland defense and Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA). For homeland defense, it plans and executes land operations to deter, prevent, and defeat threats and aggression directed at the United States, working in concert with NORAD and other combatant commands. Its DSCA mission involves providing federal military support, when authorized by the President or Secretary of Defense, to lead federal agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency during domestic disasters or emergencies, such as hurricanes, wildfires, or pandemics, under authorities like the Stafford Act.

Organization

The command is organized with a headquarters staff at Fort Sam Houston and includes several specialized subordinate commands. Key elements include the Joint Task Force-Civil Support, permanently based at Fort Eustis, Virginia, which plans for and responds to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents. The Joint Task Force-North, also at Fort Sam Houston, provides support to law enforcement agencies like the Customs and Border Protection for counter-drug and border security missions. The command also exercises training and readiness oversight of assigned Army National Guard and Army Reserve forces, and maintains a close partnership with Canadian Army and Mexican Army elements through bilateral planning groups.

Operations and exercises

United States Army North has been extensively involved in real-world domestic response operations, most notably during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, where it deployed thousands of soldiers in support of FEMA. It also led the Department of Defense pandemic response for the COVID-19 pandemic, establishing Urban Augmentation Medical Task Forces and supporting civilian hospitals. Major recurring exercises include Arctic Edge, which tests operations in extreme cold-weather environments in Alaska, and Vigilant Shield, a NORAD-USNORTHCOM exercise focused on homeland defense and civil support scenarios. The command also participates in the biannual Joint Interagency Training Center exercises with partners like the FBI and Department of Homeland Security.

Commanders

Commanders have included notable senior officers from both the Army and Marine Corps. Early commanders of its predecessor, Fifth United States Army, included generals Mark W. Clark and John R. Deane Jr.. After its redesignation, the first commander was Lieutenant General Thomas R. Turner II. Subsequent commanders have been drawn from across the services due to the joint nature of the command, including General Thomas D. Waldhauser of the Marine Corps and General Glen D. VanHerck of the Air Force. The first female commander was General Laura J. Richardson, who later assumed command of United States Southern Command.

Category:Army Service Component Commands of the United States Army Category:United States Northern Command Category:Military units and formations established in 1944 Category:Fort Sam Houston