Faced with the need to establish unified command of U.S. military forces in peacetime, the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1946 created an organization directive, the "Outline Command Plan," which was the first in a series of documents known as the Unified Command Plans. This document covers the formulation of the plan, modifications and periodic revisions. A compilation of three separate histories which were originally classified. Extensive references. Appendices: membership of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, glossary of abbreviations, and world map.

Covers the formulation, modifications, and periodic revisions of the Unified Command Plan. Includes three separate histories that were originally classified, as well as an update covering the period from 1994 to 1999.