Questions and answers about Joint Forces Command

What is Joint Forces Command?

It's a military command made up of all branches of the services, hence the name "joint." Its headquarters are in Norfolk - and with a major facility in northern Suffolk, it is part think tank and part training center for leaders commanding joint missions. It also assigns nearly 1.2 million troops to commanders around the world as needed.

Who works there?

Of the command's 5,600 employees in Virginia, most are based in Hampton Roads. Roughly 3,200 are defense contractors, about 900 are active-duty service members and about 1,500 are civilian federal employees.

What happens to them?

The Pentagon hasn't said. Analyst Todd Harrison predicted most contracting jobs will be eliminated, but a small number might move to other sites. Civilian federal employees will probably be reassigned or their positions eliminated, unless the Pentagon decides to keep some of the command's local facilities, he said. Military employees will be transferred to other commands.