U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) is the Army's largest major command. Headquartered at Fort McPherson, GA, FORSCOM consists of more than 760,000 Active Army, U.S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard soldiers. FORSCOM trains, mobilizes, deploys and sustains combat ready forces capable of responding rapidly to crises world-wide. FORSCOM develops and cares for people, optimizes available resources, develops quality installations and establishes major facilities to project power globally.
FORSCOM is the Army component of JFCOM. JFCOM mission is to provide U.S. military forces where needed throughout the world and to ensure they are integrated and trained as unified forces ready for any assigned task. The FORSCOM commander functions as commander of the Army forces of this unified command and plans for and, on order, provides military support to civil authorities, including response to natural disasters and civil emergencies.
FORSCOM has 11 major installations, including the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, CA, and the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, LA, and 11 sub-installations.
The Active Component of FORSCOM has nearly 200,000 soldiers. Third U.S. Army, also located at Fort McPherson, is the Army component of U.S. Central Command, the Joint command responsible for Southwest Asia and the Horn of Africa. FORSCOM also commands two Army corps: I Corps at Fort Lewis, WA; III Corps at Fort Hood, TX; and XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, NC. Together they include six divisions, two armored cavalry regiments, five separate brigades and a range of other corps combat, combat support and combat service support units.
Two Continental U.S. Armies, First U.S. Army at Fort Gillem, GA and Fifth U.S. Army at Fort Sam Houston, TX, are responsible for training, mobilization and deployment support to Reserve Component units in FORSCOM. They also execute FORSCOM missions within their geographic areas of responsibility.
U.S. Army Signal Command, located at Fort Huachuca, AZ, provides all echelon above corps tactical, power projection, and strategic signal support to warfighting unified commanders, as well as Army component commanders, in both war and peace.
A major subordinate command of Forces Command, the U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC), headquartered in Atlanta, GA, commands all U.S. Army Reserve units in the continental United States, except those assigned to Special Operations Command. FORSCOM's Army Reserve strength stands at about 196,000 soldiers.
USARC units are part of the Federal force and make their primary contribution to FORSCOM combat power in combat support and combat service support specialties, such as medical, civil affairs, transportation, maintenance and supply. Many USARC units are designated to deploy early for contingency operations worldwide.
The Army National Guard provides FORSCOM a balanced force of eight National Guard combat divisions, 15 enhanced separate brigades, and extensive combat support and combat service support units.
The current FORSCOM Army National Guard strength is approximately 367,000 soldiers. Mobilizing the Army National Guard into active federal service would bring the total strength of FORSCOM to nearly two-thirds of the Army's combat ground forces.
FORSCOM is the heart of America's Power Projection Army -- trained and ready for victory whenever and wherever the nation calls, today and tomorrow.
As of October, 2004
