Operations, Plans, Logistics and Engineering Directorate (J3/4)

The director for operations, plans, logistics and engineering (J3/4) serves as principal advisor to the commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) on all operational matters that affect USJFCOM, including command and control of assigned U.S. military forces worldwide. He and his staff direct, plan, coordinate, schedule, and control the joint operations and inter-theater deployments of all USJFCOM forces.

USJFCOM provides trained and capable forces to our senior commanders in the field.

This requires a considerable degree of coordination to build joint forces that ensure elements of our Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps can fight together as specialized, task-organized teams to meet the operational requirements of supported commanders in the field.

These teams can include the use of U.S. Coast Guard and Reserve forces, or allied forces from other nations. For example, an Air Force general could command and coordinate the activities of a force consisting of Army airborne and special operations troops, a Marine expeditionary unit, an Air Force squadron, and a Navy aircraft carrier. That joint force commander would subsequently report to a senior commander responsible for U.S. military activities in that part of the globe. Often called a "theater of operations", these areas of responsibility (AOR) each have a senior officer who ensures activities are coordinated as part of a unified national effort.

Upon the receipt of a mission, our commanders rely upon USJFCOM to pull these forces together from the global pool of conventional forces and coordinate their transfer to that senior commander for duty. USJFCOM provided the majority of conventional forces transferred to the U.S. Central Command combatant commander for his use in Southwest Asia during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. In fact, USJFCOM has control of over 80 percent of all continental U.S.-based combat ready conventional forces.

Being a joint force provider is important to transformation because every day, our service components and subordinate activities provide forces in support of our combatant commanders. When asked, USJFCOM also provides assistance to domestic civil authorities. Operations Noble Eagle and Hurricane Katrina Relief are examples where USJFCOM provided forces to support the defense of our country against terrorism and in response to natural disaster.

USJFCOM also leads many efforts to ensure our senior commanders have tools that consistently perform well.

Initiatives such as upgrades and consolidation of various global force management/joint force provision tools to enhance force providing will improve USJFCOM's ability to provide better analysis, feedback, policy recommendations, enhancements recommendations, and development input for all U.S. military forces.

Additionally, the J3/4 oversees the command's efforts as it helps in the larger Department of Defense-wide mission of combating weapons of mass destruction as well as deterring terrorism and protecting key pieces of the infrastructure which may become terrorism targets.

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