Joint Task Force for Elimination

A Joint Task Force for Elimination (JTF-E) headquarters was a concept for a military task force headquarters staffed by joint personnel for the purpose of conducting WMD Elimination operations through command and control of joint elimination enablers such as nuclear disablement teams, CBRN Response Teams, radiation assessment teams, and medical laboratories.

A JTF-E headquarters may be formed per Joint Publication 3-40 (JP 3-40) one of two ways: 1) An existing headquarters designated by a Combatant Commander with Joint Elimination Coordination Element (JECE) augmentation and 2) Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) establishing a JTF-E by utilizing the JECE and another existing headquarters.

The objective of WMD elimination operations is to prevent the looting or capture of WMD and related materials; render harmless or destroy weapons, materials, agents, and delivery systems that pose an immediate or direct threat to the Armed Forces of the United States and civilian population; and exploit, for intelligence purposes, program experts, documents, and other media, as well as previously secured weapons and material to combat further WMD proliferation and prevent regeneration of a WMD capacity.

[2] That role was eliminated in 2018 when USSTRATCOM gave up its lead DoD responsibility to plan for and advocate counter-WMD issues to USSOCOM.

This article incorporates public domain material from Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction (PDF).