U.S. Strategic Command

U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) is the Unified Combatant Command responsible for strategic nuclear, space, cyber, and intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance planning and missions. STRATCOM was established in 1992 by order of President George H. W. Bush and is commanded by General Robert Kehler from its headquarters near Omaha, Nebraska.

STRATCOM traces its origins to the Second World War and the U.S. Army Air Forces. As effective strategic bombardment platforms emerged during the war, the long-range, large-scale attack of enemies by air became a possibility. Fleets of strategic bombers could deliver large amounts of conventional weapons, inflicting severe damage, as seen in the 1945 American firebombing campaign of Japan’s urban centers. During the same period, the development of atomic weapons resulted in greater implications for the use ...