Everything about Us Atlantic Fleet totally explained
The
United States Fleet Forces Command (USFLTFORCOM) of the
United States Navy is the part of the Navy responsible for operations in and around the
Atlantic Ocean. Originally formed as
United States Atlantic Fleet (USLANTFLT) in
1906, it has been an integral part of the defense of the United States of America for most of the 20th Century. In
2002, the Fleet comprised over 118,000 sailors and Marines serving in 186 ships and 1,300 aircraft, with an area of responsibility ranging over the Atlantic Ocean from the
North Pole to the
South Pole, the
Caribbean Sea,
Gulf of Mexico, and the waters of the
Pacific Ocean along the coasts of
Central and
South America (as far west as the
Galapagos Islands). Its operational fleet (for example the collection of fighting ships) is the
2nd Fleet.
Roosevelt Administration and the Spanish-American War
The Atlantic Fleet was established by President
Theodore Roosevelt in
1906, along with the
Pacific Fleet, as protection for new bases in the
Caribbean acquired as a result of the
Spanish-American War. The Fleet was a combination of the
North Atlantic Fleet and the
South Atlantic Squadron.
The first commander of the fleet was
Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans, who hoisted his flag in the
battleship Maine (BB-10) on
1 January 1906. The following year, he took his 16 battleships, now dubbed the
Great White Fleet, on a round-the-world cruise that lasted until
1909, a goodwill tour that also served the purpose of advertising the United States' naval strength and reach to all other nations of the globe.
The
Cruiser and Transport Force served in Atlantic waters during World War I moving the
American Expeditionary Force to Europe.
The Atlantic Fleet was reorganized into the
Scouting Force in
1923, which was under the
United States Fleet along with the Pacific Fleet.
World War II
In
1 February 1941, the Atlantic Fleet was resurrected and organized from the
Patrol Force. Along with the Pacific Fleet and
Asiatic Fleet, the fleet was to be under the command of a full Admiral, which jumped the fleet's commander
Ernest J. King from a two-star to a four-star. King's
flagship was the
Texas (BB-35).
Subsequently, the headquarters was in a rather odd assortment of ships; the
Augusta (CA-31), then the old wooden ship
Constellation,
Vixen (PG-53), and then
Pocono (AGC-16). In
1948, the HQ moved into the former naval hospital at
Norfolk, Virginia, and has remained there ever since.
Cold War
Between
1947 and
1985, the fleet command was a concurrent appointment with the
United States Atlantic Command. The
Commander-in-Chief Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANTFLT) was traditionally a Navy four-star admiral who also then held the positions of Commander-in-Chief
United States Atlantic Command (CINCLANT) and
NATO's
Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT). But after a major reorganization of the U.S. armed forces structure following the
Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1985, CINCLANFLT was separated from the two other billets. The admiral commanding the Atlantic Fleet for a time being was designated as the Deputy Commander in Chief of the Atlantic Command until 1986.
Present
On
October 1,
2001, the
Chief of Naval Operations designated Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANTFLT) as concurrent Commander,
Fleet Forces Command (COMFLTFORCOM or CFFC for short).
On
October 24,
2002,
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld directed that the title of "Commander in Chief" be reserved solely for the
President of the United States. In a message to Naval Commanders in Chief, the Chief of Naval Operations directed a change of title to that of "Commander." Accordingly, the title of Commander in Chief was discontinued and the title of Commander, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (COMLANTFLT) was established. The title of Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet was therefore in continuous use from February 1941 through October 2002.
On
May 23,
2006, the Chief of Naval Operations renamed COMLANTFLT to Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (COMUSFLTFORCOM), ordered to carry out the missions currently performed by COMFLTFORCOM and serve as primary advocate for fleet personnel, training, requirements, maintenance, and operational issues, reporting administratively directly to the CNO as an Echelon 2 command. The previous title CFFC was disestablished at the same time. CUSFFC also serves as the Naval component of
US Joint Forces Command (
USJFCOM). CFFC is also assigned as the supporting service component commander to CDR US Northern Command as well as to CDR US Strategic Command.
The unit's command mission is to organize, man, train, and equip Naval Forces for assignment to
Unified Combatant Commanders (
CCDR); Deter, detect, and defend against homeland maritime threats; Articulate Fleet warfighting and readiness requirements to the
Chief of Naval Operations.
Composition
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