Alternate Joint Operations Center

Alternate Joint Operations Center
Name	Alternate Joint Operations Center
Type	Alternate command post
Location	undisclosed
Builder	United States Department of Defense
Used	Cold War–present
Condition	Operational

Alternate Joint Operations Center

The Alternate Joint Operations Center is a contingency command post facility maintained by the United States Department of Defense and associated with United States Strategic Command, United States Northern Command, United States Central Command, United States European Command, and allied partners. It provides resilient continuity of operations capability for senior leaders from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and combatant commands during crises, supporting coordination across NORAD, NATO, United Nations, and interagency partners such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Overview

The facility functions as a hardened, survivable command node similar in purpose to the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, the National Military Command Center, the Raven Rock Mountain Complex, and the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. It is designed to integrate communications from the Defense Information Systems Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Agency, and to provide operational continuity alongside facilities like Camp David, Offutt Air Force Base, and Fort Meade.

History and Development

Origins trace to lessons from the Cuban Missile Crisis, the September 11 attacks, and the Y2K preparations that prompted the Department of Defense to expand alternate command capabilities. Development involved contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon Technologies, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics, and coordination with agencies including the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security. The program matured during reforms after the Goldwater–Nichols Act and through initiatives like the Transformational Diplomacy and the Quadrennial Defense Review.

Mission and Roles

Primary missions mirror those of strategic command nodes supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Inherent Resolve, and multinational operations under Operation Unified Protector. Roles include continuity for National Command Authority directives, crisis coordination with Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, support for Coalition Provisional Authority-style interagency planning, and sustainment of secure lines for communication with platforms such as E-4B Nightwatch, Airborne Warning and Control System, Global Hawk, and Trident deterrent forces.

Structure and Organization

Organizationally, the center interfaces with the Joint Staff, combatant commands including USINDOPACOM, USEUCOM, USCENTCOM, USAFRICOM, and component commands like U.S. Army Forces Command, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, and Air Combat Command. Staff composition draws officers from the Army Staff, the Navy Staff, the Air Staff, the Marine Corps Staff, and the Coast Guard. Logistics and sustainment coordination may involve Defense Logistics Agency, U.S. Transportation Command, and civilian contractors from firms like KBR and Serco.

Locations and Facilities

While locations are often classified, comparable facilities include Site R, The Greenbrier, and Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center. Infrastructure typically comprises hardened operations rooms, redundant power from Fort Detrick-style substations, secure data centers linked to Defense Enterprise-wide networks, and protected access routes similar to those at Andrews Air Force Base and Quantico. Liaison elements may co-locate with embassies under the Chief of Mission authority in Global Response scenarios.

Command and Control Systems

C2 systems integrate protocols from Joint Publication 3-0 (JP 3-0), secure messaging via Defense Switched Network, and intelligence feeds from Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System, Distributed Common Ground System, and Intelligence Community reachback. Cybersecurity and resilience measures involve coordination with U.S. Cyber Command, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and private cyber firms, and leverage platforms compatible with Joint All-Domain Command and Control concepts and secure satellite relays like Wideband Global SATCOM.

Training, Exercises, and Readiness

Exercises and validation events include participation in RIMPAC, Red Flag, Vigilant Shield, Global Lightning, and simulation-driven tests using models from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Interagency drills involve FEMA-led continuity exercises, tabletop scenarios with the National Security Council, and combined training with NATO Allied Command Operations and partner nations such as United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Japan.

Incidents and Notable Operations

Notable activations have supported responses to crises including the 9/11 attacks aftermath, Hurricane Katrina relief coordination, operations supporting the Global War on Terrorism, and contingency posture changes during tensions with Russian Federation and People's Republic of China. The center’s role has been highlighted in analyses by commentators at RAND Corporation, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Brookings Institution, and histories referencing continuity planning after the October 2001 anthrax attacks and the 2003 Northeast blackout.

Category:United States military installations