Interagency in the Combatant Command: A Model for Efficiency Now Without Waiting for Legislation

Abstract : The importance of interagency coordination within the combatant command has increased dramatically since the creation of Joint Interagency Coordination Groups (JIACG) in 2001. These were the first attempts at enhancing interagency coordination inside of a combatant command staff to provide a whole of government approach. Since their inception, however, JIACGs have been organized and utilized in various ways based on the desire of the combatant commander, with differing degrees of success. AFRICOM's designers attempted to break from this uncertainty, in that they included interagency personnel directly into the staff structure and elevated the command's Political Advisor to that of Deputy Commander. This paper will show that combatant command staffs are most efficient when organized in this manner, as opposed to strictly possessing a JIACG for interagency coordination, and recommends combatant commanders adopt this approach without waiting for Congress to legislate such a change.