United States Naval Forces Southern Command

United States Naval Forces Southern Command
United States Naval Forces Southern Command
	United States Naval Forces Southern Command Emblem
Active	1963 - 1975; 1985 - 1991; 2000 - present
Country	United States
Branch	US Navy
Type	Theater Command
Part of	United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM)
Garrison/HQ	Naval Station Mayport, Florida
Commanders
Current; commander	Rear Admiral James A. Aiken

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (also known as USNAVSO) is the naval element of United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). Its areas of operation include South America, Central America, the Caribbean and surrounding waters. Its headquarters are located at Naval Station Mayport, Florida. USNAVSO is currently under the command of General Laura J. Richardson.

Mission

USNAVSO and U.S. Fourth Fleet supports USSOUTHCOM joint and combined full spectrum military operations by providing principally sea-based, forward presence to ensure freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain, to foster and sustain cooperative relationships with international partners and to fully exploit the sea as maneuver space in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.

History

From 1941 to 1945, the South Atlantic Forces of the United States Atlantic Fleet operated under four different designations -- Task Force 3, Task Force 23 (15 September 1942, titled South Atlantic Force), United States Fourth Fleet, and finally Task Force 27.^{[citation needed]} In September 1942, the Commander Task Force 23 was further designated Commander South Atlantic Force, a title which he retained while becoming Commander Fourth Fleet and CTF 27. The extensive operations built up in Brazil were run down swiftly after the end of the war.

In June 1958 Commander, South Atlantic Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (COMSOLANT) was established in headquarters at Naval Base Trinidad,^[1] and was moved to Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico in 1973. COMSOLANT participated in annual "UNITAS" deployments around South America since 1960, and routinely deployed to Africa for the West African Training Cruise since 1980.

Naval Forces Southern Command was established in February 2000, with headquarters at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico which in early 2004 relocated to Naval Station Mayport, Florida.^[2] COMUSNAVSO was built around the core of COMSOLANT. COMUSNAVSO serves as a main link between the U.S. Navy and the navies of South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, and is at the forefront of U.S. engagement in the Western Hemisphere. The command consolidates functions previously conducted by the Commander, Western Hemisphere Group, formerly in Mayport, Florida and COMSOLANT, formerly located at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico.

In addition to UNITAS, COMUSNAVSO, participates in navy-to-navy exercises, counter-drug operations, port visits, humanitarian missions, disaster relief, and protocol events. COMUSNAVSO exercises military command and control of all assigned ships and unit, and represents the U.S. Southern Command with respect to naval matters in the region.^[3]