Unified combatant command for North America

Chapter 6 of title 10, United States Code, as amended by section 913, is further amended by adding at the end the following new section: 168c. Unified combatant command for North America (a) Establishment (1) With the advice and assistance of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the President, through the Secretary of Defense, shall establish under section 161 of this title a unified combatant command for activities of the Department of Defense in North America (in this section referred to as the United States Northern Command). (2) The principal missions of the United States Northern Command are— (A) to direct, synchronize, and coordinate military planning, operations, and security cooperation to defend and advance national interests of the United States with respect to North America in collaboration with international partners; and (B) to plan, organize, and execute missions relating to homeland defense and defense support for civil authorities. (3) The area of responsibility of the United States Northern Command includes Canada, the United States, Mexico, Greenland, the United States Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos Islands. (b) Assignment of forces Active and reserve forces of the armed forces shall be assigned to the United States Northern Command through the Global Force Management Process, as approved by the Secretary of Defense. (c) Grade of commander The Commander of the United States Northern Command shall hold the grade of general or, in the case of an officer of the Navy, admiral while serving in that position, without vacating that officer’s permanent grade. The Commander of such Command shall be appointed to that grade by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for service in that position. (d) Authority of combatant commander In addition to the authority prescribed in section 164(c) of this title, the Commander of the United States Northern Command shall be responsible for, and shall have the authority to conduct, all affairs of such Command relating to planning, operations, and security cooperation activities of the Department of Defense in North America..