Transformation of U.S. Southern Command To An Interagency-Oriented Organization
U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) is reorganizing to become a more interagency-oriented organization. The Secretary of Defense authorized this reorganization in September 2007, and USSOUTHCOM’s efforts are also highlighted as one of the Top 25 Department of Defense Transformation Priorities. Based upon this guidance from the Secretary of Defense and authority provided in Title 10, U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Section 164, the Combatant Commander is modifying the organization of the Command to better execute its mission.
A principal driver for the reorganization was the Commander’s assessment of the regional security environment, based upon the underlying conditions that foster the security challenges of the USSOUTHCOM area of focus, such as narco-trafficking and other illicit-trafficking activities, and organized crime and gangs. Exacerbated by conditions of poverty, income inequality, and social exclusion, these security challenges are transnational in terms of impact and manifestation, and cross roles and mission lines of U.S. Government departments and agencies.
The new USSOUTHCOM organizational structure (provisionally adopted in May 2008, and fully implemented 1 October 2008) is designed to allow the Command to collaborate proactively with the U.S. Government interagency community and with partner nations in the region—ultimately improving collective responses to regional and transnational security challenges.
Through expanded interagency participation, USSOUTHCOM also intends to improve the regional understanding and situational awareness of Command leadership and staff in order to execute the Command’s mission more effectively. This cooperative participation will build on a strong track record of proven interagency partnerships already in place at the Command – much of which stems from decades of combined work on counternarcotics issues.
Although the reorganization will seek to better support the synchronization of the soft power elements of national security, USSOUTHCOM will remain a DoD geographic combatant command, with the vast majority of personnel and funding sourced by DoD. The fundamental mission remains unchanged – even with an increased focus on interagency approaches. USSOUTHCOM will continue to conduct military operations and security operations with an unbroken and capable military chain of command and authority.
The new organization has several components. Two deputies to the commander, one military and one civilian, will provide broad, senior-level management expertise in order to synchronize USSOUTHCOM activities with Chief of Mission implementation of U.S. foreign policy and ongoing whole-of-government approaches in the region. USSOUTHCOM now has six main directorates—three mission directorates (Security and Intelligence, Stability, and Partnering) and three enabling or functional directorates (Policy and Strategy, Resources and Assessments, and Enterprise Support). Interagency representatives from over 17 U.S. Government departments and agencies are integrated throughout the new structure according to the function of the directorate, with many in key senior leadership roles. For example, the Partnering Directorate benefits from the integration of two senior interagency representatives – a State Department Senior Foreign Service Officer as the deputy, and a senior GS-15 representative from the U.S. Agency for International Development as a division chief.
In concert with the USSOUTHCOM reorganization, the Combatant Commander established a new strategic planning process that ensures unity of effort as we work to achieve the goals and objectives contained within the interagency informed Command Strategy 2018. This strategic planning process helps to focus and align all command activities and capabilities, prioritize critical resource requirements, and measure progress toward achieving the USSOUTHCOM mission.
With an emphasis on interagency support and developed with interagency involvement, the Command Strategy 2018 also helps enable a broader and critical cultural change in the Command which will result in an improved ability to work more efficiently with interagency partners.
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