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United States Southern Command
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<p>The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), located in <a href="/facts/Doral%2c_Florida/jUMSECya">Doral</a> in <a href="/facts/Greater_Miami/9FfBJdrn">Greater Miami, Florida</a>, is one of the eleven <a href="/facts/Unified_combatant_command/GhMUXheg">unified combatant commands</a> in the <a href="/facts/United_States_Department_of_Defense/dWAvf7e3">United States Department of Defense</a>. It is responsible for providing contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation for <a href="/facts/Central_America/CXKgTuxC">Central</a> and <a href="/facts/South_America/PhrFEMk7">South America</a>, the <a href="/facts/Caribbean/zRI9aMCh">Caribbean</a> (except U.S. commonwealths, territories, and possessions), their territorial waters, and for the force protection of U.S. military resources at these locations. USSOUTHCOM is also responsible for ensuring the defense of the <a href="/facts/Panama_Canal/Tau1ccDe">Panama Canal</a> and the canal area. </p><p>Under the leadership of a four-star Commander, USSOUTHCOM is organized into a headquarters with six main directorates, component commands and military groups that represent SOUTHCOM in the region. USSOUTHCOM is a <a href="/facts/Joint_warfare/jJgXKfMr">joint command</a> of more than 1,201 military and civilian personnel representing the <a href="/facts/United_States_Army/WACWBEK9">United States Army</a>, <a href="/facts/United_States_Navy/xYK0fUou">Navy</a>, <a href="/facts/United_States_Air_Force/7MxWBYlc">Air Force</a>, <a href="/facts/United_States_Space_Force/bWlsxC5D">Space Force</a>, <a href="/facts/United_States_Marine_Corps/J8JDlJG2">Marine Corps</a>, <a href="/facts/United_States_Coast_Guard/6d7SWTP9">Coast Guard</a>, and several other federal agencies. Civilians working at USSOUTHCOM are, for the most part, civilian employees of the Army, as the Army is USSOUTHCOM's Combatant Command Support Agent. The Services provide USSOUTHCOM with component commands which, along with their Joint <a href="/facts/Special_Operations/Sayr6y81">Special Operations</a> component, two Joint Task Forces, one Joint Interagency Task Force, and Security Cooperation Offices, perform USSOUTHCOM missions and security cooperation activities. USSOUTHCOM exercises its authority through the commanders of its components, Joint Task Forces/Joint Interagency Task Force, and Security Cooperation Organizations. </p>