The Charter of Strategic Advisory Group
U.S. Strategic Command

The Strategic Advisory Group's (SAG) responsibilities are spelled out in a Charter which is normally updated every two years to reflect new tasking and changes in STRATCOM's mission. As a result, the charter has changed considerably over the years. In 1996, for example, the charter (download copy from right-hand bar) included the following areas of responsibility:

• * The impact of policy changes on the ability of the Nation's strategic warplans to satisfy national security objectives.

• * The impact of arms control positions on the ability of the U.S. strategic force structure and modernization program to support the strategic warplans.

• * The use of new procedures and techniques to reduce the vulnerability of U.S. nuclear systems.

• * The exploitation of nuclear weapon effects to optimize the employment of U.S. offensive systems.

• * The use of new procedures and techniques to improve penetration of enemy defenses.

• * The development of new tools to facilitate adaptive planning in response to force structure, threat, or guidance changes.

The 1998 charter did not change that list but the charter from February 2000 (download copy from right-hand bar) added three new areas and consolidated two others into one:

• * The impact of policy changes on the ability of the Nation's strategic war plans to satisfy national security objectives.

• * The impact of arms control positions on the ability of the U.S. strategic force structure and modernization program to support the strategic war plans.

• * The safety and reliability of the Nation's nuclear stockpile. (new)

• * The use of new procedures and techniques to reduce the vulnerability of U.S. weapon systems and improve penetration of enemy defenses. (consolidated)

• * The exploitation of nuclear weapon effects to optimize the employment of U.S. offensive weapons.

• * The incorporation and application of new systems or capabilities in the strategic war plans to enhance the attainment of national security objectives. (new)

• * The development of new tools to facilitate deliberate and adaptive planning in response to force structure, threat, or guidance changes.

• * The employment of intelligence capabilities, activities and functions to satisfy strategic war plan requirements. (new)

The absorption of Space Command (SPACECOM) into STRATCOM with the new Command Plan in 2002 and the assignment of missile defense and information operations to STRATCOM resulted in an expansion of SAG's responsibilities in the new charter from February 2004 (download copy from right-hand bar). Moreover, with the Bush administration's abolition of START II and adoption of the simplistic Strategic Offensive Reduction Treaty (Moscow Treaty), the terminology "arms control" was removed from the charter and replaced with "strategic nuclear reductions:"

• * The impact of policy changes on the ability of the Command's plans to satisfy national security objectives.

• * The impact of strategic nuclear reductions on the ability of the U.S. strategic force structure and modernization program to support the strategic war plans. (modified)

• * The Nation's nuclear stockpile to include a report on safety, security, and reliability.

• * The use of new procedures and techniques to reduce the vulnerability of U.S. weapon systems and improve penetration of enemy defenses.

• * The exploitation of nuclear weapon effects to optimize the employment of U.S. offensive weapons.

• * The incorporation and application of new systems or capabilities to enhance the attainment of national security objectives.

• * The development of new tools to facilitate deliberate and adaptive planning in response to force structure, threat, or guidance changes.

• * The employment of space operations. (new)

• * The integration of missile defense. (new)

• Information operations. (new)

• * The employment of intelligence capabilities, activities and functions.

The next charter is scheduled for February 2006.