U.S. Strategic Command Conducts Exercise Global Lightning

U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) commenced Global Lightning 2019 today, an annual command and control and battle staff exercise designed to train Department of Defense forces and assess joint operational readiness across all of USSTRATCOM’s mission areas.

The exercise focuses on supporting a Geographic Combatant Command, in this case, U.S. European Command (USEUCOM). The exercise provides training opportunities for USSTRATCOM headquarters staff, components, units, and command posts participating in this exercise to integrate and synchronize efforts with USEUCOM and other participating commands.

Global Lightning 19 is part of a Globally-Integrated Exercise, linked to USEUCOM’s Exercise Austere Challenge 2019, U.S. Cyber Command’s Exercise Cyber Lightning 2019, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command’s Exercise Vigilant Shield 2019, U.S. Transportation Command’s Exercise Turbo Challenge, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Exercise Positive Response 2019, and the U.K.’s Exercise Joint Venture 2019.

Global Lightning also involves allied personnel from a variety of nations, including permanently assigned foreign liaison officers to USSTRATCOM from Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Allied personnel integrate into senior leadership teams and work across a broad spectrum of areas, offering legal, public affairs and policy support; as well as, targeting and information operations insight.

USSTRATCOM has global responsibilities assigned through the Unified Command Plan that include strategic deterrence, nuclear operations, space operations, joint electromagnetic spectrum operations, global strike, missile defense, and analysis and targeting.

For more information, contact the USSTRATCOM Public Affairs Office at 402-294-4130 or USSTRATCOMPA@mail.mil or visit www.stratcom.mil.