The mine force plays a very important role within the Department of the Navy (DON). This section describes some of the major components of this department and shows how the mine force fits within this organization.

U.S. NAVY ORGANIZATION

The following paragraphs discuss the three major organizational components of the U.S. Navy that relate to the mine force: (1) the Navy Department, (2) the naval shore establishment, and (3) the naval operating forces.

Navy Department

The Navy Department refers to the central executive offices of the Department of the Navy located at the seat of the government. It is organizationally comprised of the Office of the Secretary of the Navy and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. The DON is separately organized under the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV). It operates under the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF).

Naval Shore Establishment

The naval shore establishment is comprised of shore activities. These activities have defined missions approved for establishment by the SECNAV. Naval Operating Forces

The naval operating forces comprise the several fleets and seagoing forces. In addition, the President or the SECNAV may assign other forces and activities to the naval operating forces.

MINE FORCE ORGANIZATION

The mine force organization has both administrative and operational chains of command. This section discusses those chains and describes the two major mine force commands.

Mine Force Chains of Command

The chain of command is the succession of the commanding officer or the officer in charge, from a

Table 1-1.-Designations and Locations of MOMAG Activities

superior to a subordinate, through which command is exercised. There are two coexisting chains of command: (1) administrative, and (2) operational.

Before 1975, mine shops around the world were divisions of various naval magazines or ordnance facilities. This arrangement frequently put the magazine's priorities above those of the mine shop's, resulting in Minemen often being assigned to divisions outside their rating. On 1 July 1975, the reorganization of the mine force resulted in the establishment of both the Commander, Mine Warfare Command (COMINEWARCOM) and the Commander, Mobile Mine Assembly Group (COMOMAG). This reorganization established MOMAG detachments and units located around the world.

ADMINISTRATIVE CHAIN OF COMMAND.- The mine force's administrative chain of command, as with all of the Department of the Navy, begins with the President. Then it flows to the SECDEF; the SECNAV; the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO); the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANTFLT); the COMINEWARCOM; and ends with the commanding officers or officers-in-charge of individual mobile mine assembly units or detachments.

Figure 1-4.-Mine force administrative chain of command.

OPERATIONAL CHAIN OF COMMAND.The operational chain of command, or task structure, comprises forces from one or more warfare types, which are organized to accomplish an assigned task or function of an operational nature. The operational chain of command for the mine force begins with the President and the SECDEF, as the National Command Authority (NCA), and continues through the CNO, the fleet commanders-in-chief (FLTCINCs), and ends with the commanding officers or officers-in-charge of the individual mobile mine assembly group units or detachments.

Commander, Mine Warfare Command

The Commander, Mine Warfare Command (COMINEWARCOM), under the direction of the CINCLANTFLT, acts in all matters that affect mine warfare readiness, training, tactics, and doctrine for active naval forces and corresponding Naval Reserve programs. The COMINEWARCOM is the technical advisor for mine warfare to the CINCLANTFLT, the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific (CINCPACFLT); and the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe (CINCUSNAVEUR).

Commander, Mobile Mine Assembly Group

The Commander, Mobile Mine Assembly Group (COMOMAG) is under the administrative and operational control of the COMINEWARCOM. MOMAG units and detachments are under the administrative control of the COMOMAG and are under the operational control of the CINCPACFLT, the CINCLANTFLT, or the CINCUSNAVEUR, as appropriate. The MOMAG mission is to maintain the material readiness of CINCPACFLT, CINCLANTFLT, and CINCUSNAVEUR pre-positioned war reserve material stock (PWRMS) service mines. In performance of this mission, the COMOMAG is required to provide a reservoir of trained personnel, organized in mobile units and capable of rapid deployment for final mine preparation, surface launch, and setting changes of pre-positioned mine stocks to support mining operations.

Figure 1-5.-Mine force operational chain of command.