text: Appendix B
  Command and Support Relationships
  Nothing is more important in war than unity in command.
  Napoleon Bonaparte
  This appendix describes command and support relationships for joint, Army, and
  multinational forces.
  COMMAND
  B-1. Command is central to all military action, and unity of command is central to unity of effort. Inherent
  in command is the authority that a military commander lawfully exercises over subordinates, including the
  authority to assign missions and accountability for their successful completion. Command is exercised in
  both the administrative and operational branches of the chain of command, although the specific authorities
  differ. Although commanders may delegate authority to accomplish missions, they may not absolve
  themselves of the responsibility for the accomplishment of these missions. Authority is never absolute; the
  extent of authority is specified by the establishing authority, directives, and law. (See JP 1, Volume 2 for
  more information on command.)
  SUPPORT RELATIONSHIPS
  B-2. A support relationship is established by a common superior commander between subordinate
  commanders when one organization should aid, protect, complement, or sustain another force. The support
  relationship is used by the Secretary of Defense to establish and prioritize support between and among
  combatant commanders (CCDRs), and it is used by joint force commanders (JFCs) to establish support
  relationships between and among subordinate commanders. (See JP 1, Volume 2 for more information on
  support.)
  CHAIN OF COMMAND
  B-3. The President and Secretary of Defense exercise authority and control of the armed forces through two
  distinct branches of the chain of command, as described in JP 1, Volume 2: the operational and administrative
  branches. The operational branch runs from the President, through the Secretary of Defense, to the CCDRs
  for missions and forces assigned to combatant commands. The administrative branch runs from the President
  through the Secretary of Defense to the secretaries of the military departments.
  B-4. The typical operational chain of command extends from the CCDR to a joint task force (JTF)
  commander, then to a functional component or Service component commander. JTFs comprise forces from
  more than one Service placed under the operational control (OPCON) of the JTF. Within their commands,
  CCDRs and JTF commanders establish joint command relationships among forces as described in paragraphs
  B-7 through B-12.
  B-5. Under joint doctrine, each Unified Command includes a Service component command that provides
  administrative control (ADCON) for Service forces assigned to that Unified Command. A Service component
  command consists of the Service Component headquarters and all Service Forces assigned to the Unified
  Commander. Army doctrine distinguishes between the Army component of a combatant command and Army
  components of other joint forces. Under Army doctrine, Army Service component command (ASCC) refers
  to the Army component assigned to a combatant command. There is only one ASCC within a combatant
  command’s area of responsibility. The Army components of all other joint forces are called ARFORs. An
  ARFOR is the Army component and senior Army headquarters of all Army forces assigned or attached to a
  combatant command, subordinate joint force command, joint functional command, or multinational