Commander of United States Strategic Command?

Question

Hi Yahoo,

Just a quick question, does the Commander of the United States Strategic Command have to be of United States Air Force Officer origins or is the position open to the other branches? Same thing with North American Aerospace Defense Command. ( That one seems a bit obvious, hence the title).

Answer 1

Strategic Air Command is a component command of the U.S. Air Force, like Air Combat Command. So, it is commanded by an Air Force general grade officer. NORAD is a command involving two countries (Canada and the U.S.) Any general grade or flag grade officer can command.

Answer 2

STRATCOM is a unified command, located at Offutt AFB in Nebraska, is the only unified command having a unique combatant command authority. It has sole authority over nuclear forces: missiles and submarines,bombers, tankers, and airborne command posts.

Up until 91 or so, SAC was under the command of the Air Force, the change to USSTRATCOM was necessitated by the changing world situation after the fall of the USSR. STRATCOM does have a CINC however, and a former submariner tookover from Air Force Gen. Eugene E. Habiger.

The new CINC is Adm. Richard W. Mies, former commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and commander, Submarine Allied Command, Atlantic (at least since 1998).