View source for United States Central Command

{{Short description|Unified combatant command of the U.S. Armed Forces responsible for the Middle East}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = United States Central Command (CENTCOM)
| image = Seal of United States Central Command.svg
| caption = Emblem of the United States Central Command
| start_date = January 1, 1983 <br /> ({{Age in years and months|1983|1|1}} ago)
| dates = 
| country = {{Flag|United States}}
| type = [[Unified combatant command]]
| role = Geographic combatant command
| size = 
| command_structure = [[United States Department of Defense]]
| garrison = [[MacDill Air Force Base]]<br />[[Florida]], U.S.
| garrison_label = Headquarters
| nickname = 
| patron = 
| motto = Persistent Excellence<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.centcom.mil/ABOUT-US/COMMAND-NARRATIVE/|title=COMMAND NARRATIVE|website=Central Command}}</ref>
| colors = 
| colors_label = 
| march = 
| mascot = 
| equipment = 
| equipment_label = 
| battles = [[Gulf War]]<br />[[Iraq War]] (2003-2011)<br />[[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]] <br /> [[Operation Inherent Resolve]]
| anniversaries = 
| decorations = 
| battle_honours = 
| website = {{url|https://www.centcom.mil/|www.centcom.mil}}
<!-- Commanders -->| commander1 = [[Admiral (United States)|Admiral]] [[Charles B. Cooper II]], [[United States Navy|USN]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Commander, Admiral Brad Cooper |url=https://www.centcom.mil/ABOUT-US/LEADERSHIP/Bio-Article-View/Article/4269737/commander-admiral-brad-cooper/ |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=U.S. Central Command}}</ref>
| commander1_label = Commander
| commander2 = [[Major general (United States)|MajGen]] [[Sean M. Salene]], [[United States Marine Corps|USMC]]
| commander2_label = Deputy Commander
| commander3 = [[Master Chief Petty Officer#Fleet and force master chief petty officer|Fleet Master Chief]]  Lateef Compton, [[United States Navy|USN]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.centcom.mil/ABOUT-US/LEADERSHIP/Bio-Article-View/Article/3090145/senior-enlisted-leader-fleet-master-chief-derrick-wally-walters/|title=Senior Enlisted Leader, Fleet Master Chief Derrick "Wally" Walters|access-date=2023-04-30|website=U.S. Central Command}}</ref>
| commander3_label = Senior Enlisted Leader
<!-- Insignia -->| identification_symbol = [[File:Central Command insignia.jpg|100px]]
| identification_symbol_label = [[Shoulder Sleeve Insignia]]
| identification_symbol_2 = [[File:NATO Map Symbol - Unit Size - Region or Front.svg|100px]]<br />[[File:Military Symbol - Friendly Unit (Solid Light 1.5x1 Frame)- AA - Central Command (FM 1-02, 2004 September 21).svg|100px]]
| identification_symbol_2_label = [[NATO Joint Military Symbology|NATO Map Symbol]]<ref>{{cite book |title=FM 1-02 Operational Terms and Graphics |date=21 September 2004 |publisher=US Army |pages=5–37 |url=http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/virtual_disk_library/index.cgi/4882557/FID2884/mcrp/mcrp512a.pdf |ref=Table 5-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=ADP 1-02 Terms and Military Symbols |date=14 August 2018 |publisher=US Army |pages=4–8 |url=https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN20083_ADP%201-02%20C1%20FINAL%20WEB.pdf |ref=Table 4-2}}</ref>
| identification_symbol_3 = [[File:Centcomflag.gif|100px]]
| identification_symbol_3_label = Unit Flag
}}
{{United States Armed Forces sidebar}}

The '''United States Central Command''' ('''USCENTCOM''' or '''CENTCOM''') is one of the eleven [[unified combatant command]]s of the [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Department of Defense]]. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the [[Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force]] (RDJTF).

Its [[area of responsibility]] (AOR) includes the [[Middle East]] (including [[Egypt]] in [[Africa]]), [[Central Asia]] and parts of [[South Asia]]. The command has been the main American presence in many military operations, including the [[Persian Gulf War]]'s Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|war in Afghanistan]], as well as the [[Iraq War]] from 2003 to 2011. {{as of|2015}}, CENTCOM forces were deployed primarily in Afghanistan under the auspices of [[Operation Freedom's Sentinel]], which was itself part of NATO's Resolute Support Mission (from 2015 to 2021), and in Iraq and Syria as part of [[Operation Inherent Resolve]] since 2014 in supporting and advise-and-assist roles.

{{as of|2025|8|8}}, CENTCOM's commander is [[Admiral (United States)|Admiral]] [[Brad Cooper (admiral)|Brad Cooper]], [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Central Command Bids Farewell to Gen. Kurilla, Welcomes New Leadership |url=https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/4270519/us-central-command-bids-farewell-to-gen-kurilla-welcomes-new-leadership/ |date=8 August 2025 |access-date=9 August 2025 |website=[[United States Central Command]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250809162434/https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/4270519/us-central-command-bids-farewell-to-gen-kurilla-welcomes-new-leadership/ |archive-date=9 August 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> Two of the last three [[United States Secretary of Defense|United States secretaries of defense]] – [[Lloyd Austin]] and [[Jim Mattis|James Mattis]], both of whom required congressional waivers to be confirmed – were recent CENTCOM commanders.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-12 |title=Several Senate Armed Services members oppose Austin waiver |url=https://www.rollcall.com/2021/01/12/several-senate-armed-services-members-oppose-austin-waiver/ |access-date=2023-08-13 |website=Roll Call |language=en}}</ref>

Of all seven American regional unified combatant commands, CENTCOM is among four that are headquartered outside their area of operations (the other three being [[United States Africa Command|USAFRICOM]], [[United States Southern Command|USSOUTHCOM]], and [[United States Space Command|USSPACECOM]]). CENTCOM's main headquarters is located at [[MacDill Air Force Base]], in [[Tampa, Florida]]. A forward headquarters was established in 2002 at [[As Sayliyah Army Base|Camp As Sayliyah]] in [[Doha]], Qatar, which in 2009 transitioned to a forward headquarters at [[Al Udeid Air Base]] in [[Qatar]].

In January 2021, [[Israel]] became the 21st country of the CENTCOM AOR, added to another 20 nations including [[Afghanistan]], [[Bahrain]], [[Egypt]], [[Iran]], [[Iraq]], [[Jordan]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Kuwait]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Lebanon]], [[Oman]], [[Pakistan]], Qatar, [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Syria]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Turkmenistan]], the [[United Arab Emirates]], [[Uzbekistan]] and [[Yemen]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=AOR |url=https://www.usarcent.army.mil/About/Area/ |website=USARCENT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.centcom.mil/AREA-OF-RESPONSIBILITY|title=USCENTCOM|accessdate=14 September 2025}}</ref>

==History==

The command was established on 1 January 1983.{{sfn|Cordesman|1998}} As its name implies, CENTCOM covers the "central" area of the globe located between then European and Pacific Commands (PACOM). (Changes since 1983 have seen the creation of Africa Command and change of title for PACOM to Indo-Pacific Command.) When the [[Iran hostage crisis|hostage crisis in Iran]] and the [[Soviet–Afghan War|Soviet invasion of Afghanistan]] underlined the need to strengthen the U.S. presence in the region, President [[Jimmy Carter]] established the [[Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force]] (RDJTF) in March 1980. Steps were taken to transform the RDJTF into a permanent unified command over a two-year period. The first step was to make the RDJTF independent of [[U.S. Readiness Command]], followed by the activation of CENTCOM in January 1983. 

The command was configured to fight both the Soviets if necessary, and assure other U.S. interests in the area. In 1980, [[Saddam Hussein]] of [[Iraq]] invaded Iran, beginning the [[Iran–Iraq War]]. The war risked interruptions to the oil supply route out of the [[Persian Gulf]]/Arabian Gulf through the [[Strait of Hormuz]]. Developments like Iranian mining operations in the Gulf led to CENTCOM's first combat operations. On 17 May 1987, {{USS|Stark}}, conducting operations in the Persian Gulf, [[USS Stark incident|was struck by Exocet missiles fired by an Iraqi aircraft]], resulting in 37 casualties. Soon afterward, as part of what became known as the "[[Iran–Iraq War#Attacks on shipping|Tanker War]]", the [[Federal government of the United States]] reflagged and renamed 11 [[Kuwait]]i oil tankers. In [[Operation Earnest Will]], these tankers were escorted by USCENTCOM's [[Middle East Force]] through the Persian Gulf to Kuwait and back through the [[Strait of Hormuz]].{{sfn|Cordesman|1998}}

By late 1988, the regional strategy still largely focused on the potential threat of a massive [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] invasion of Iran. [[Exercise Internal Look]] has been one of CENTCOM's primary planning events. It had frequently been used to train CENTCOM to be ready to defend the [[Zagros Mountains]] from a Soviet attack and was held annually.<ref name=SchwarzIDTH>{{cite book|author =Norman Schwarzkopf|title=It Doesn't Take a Hero|publisher= Bantam Books paperback edition|year= 1993|isbn=0-553-56338-6|pages=331–2, 335–6}}[[Harold Coyle]]'s novel ''Sword Point'' gives an impression of what such planning envisaged and is by a U.S. Army officer who would have had some idea of the general planning approach.</ref>

In autumn 1989, the main CENTCOM contingency plan, OPLAN 1002-88, assumed a Soviet attack through Iran to the Persian Gulf. The plan called for five-and-two-thirds US divisions to deploy, mostly light and heavy forces at something less than full strength (apportioned to it by the Joint Strategic Capability Plan [JSCAP]). The original plan called for these five-and-two-thirds divisions to march from the Persian Gulf to the [[Zagros Mountains]] and prevent the [[Soviet Ground Forces]] (army) from seizing the [[Oil reserves in Iran|Iranian oil fields]].{{sfn|Swain|1997|page=6}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/AD1145131|title=Defense Technical Information Center|website=apps.dtic.mil|accessdate=3 August 2024}}</ref>

After 1990, General [[Norman Schwarzkopf]] reoriented CENTCOM's planning to fend off a threat from Iraq, and Internal Look moved to a biennial schedule. There was a notable similarity between the 1990 Internal Look exercise scripts and the real-world movement of Iraqi forces which culminated in Iraq's [[invasion of Kuwait]] during the final days of the exercise.<ref name="SchwarzIDTH" /> U.S. President [[George H. W. Bush|George Bush]] responded quickly. A timely deployment of forces and the formation of a coalition deterred Iraq from invading [[Saudi Arabia]], and the command began to focus on the liberation of Kuwait. The buildup of forces continued, reinforced by [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 678]], which called for Iraqi forces to leave Kuwait. On 17 January 1991, U.S. and coalition forces launched [[Gulf War|Operation Desert Storm]] with a massive air interdiction campaign, which prepared the theater for a coalition ground assault. The primary coalition objective, the liberation of Kuwait, was achieved on 27 February, and the next morning a ceasefire was declared, just one hundred hours after the commencement of the ground campaign.

The end of formal hostilities did not bring the end of difficulties with Iraq. [[Operation Provide Comfort]], implemented to provide humanitarian assistance to the Kurds and enforce a [[Iraqi no-fly zones conflict|"no-fly" zone in Iraq]], north of the 36th parallel, began in April 1991. In August 1992, [[Operation Southern Watch]] began in response to Saddam's noncompliance with [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 688]] condemning his brutal repression of Iraqi civilians in southeastern Iraq. Under the command and control of Joint Task Force Southwest Asia, coalition forces in this operation enforced a no-fly zone south of the 32nd parallel. In January 1997, [[Operation Northern Watch]] replaced Provide Comfort, with a focus on enforcing the northern no-fly zone. Throughout the decade, CENTCOM carried out a string of operations{{snd}}[[Operation Vigilant Warrior|Vigilant Warrior]], [[Operation Vigilant Sentinel|Vigilant Sentinel]], [[Operation Desert Strike|Desert Strike]], Desert Thunder (I and II), and [[Operation Desert Fox|Desert Fox]]{{snd}}to try to coerce Saddam into greater compliance with U.S. wishes.

The 1990s also brought significant challenges in [[Somalia]] as well as from the growing threat of regional terrorism. To prevent widespread starvation as the [[Somali Civil War]] continued, CENTCOM began [[Operation Provide Relief]] in 1992 to supply humanitarian assistance to Somalia and northeastern [[Kenya]]. CENTCOM's [[Operation Restore Hope]] supported [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 794]] and a multinational Unified Task Force, which provided security until the U.N. created [[UNOSOM II]] in May 1993. In spite of some UNOSOM II success in the countryside, the situation in [[Mogadishu]] worsened, and the significant casualties of the [[Battle of Mogadishu (1993)|Battle of Mogadishu]] ultimately led President [[Bill Clinton]] to order the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Somalia.

Throughout the 1990s, following the Gulf War, terrorist attacks had a major impact on CENTCOM forces. Faced with attacks such as the [[Khobar Towers bombing|1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers]], which killed 19 American airmen, the command launched Operation Desert Focus, designed to relocate U.S. installations to more defensible locations (such as [[Prince Sultan Air Base]]), reduce the U.S. forward "footprint" by eliminating nonessential billets, and return dependents to the United States. In 1998 terrorists [[1998 United States embassy bombings|attacked the U.S. embassies]] in Kenya and [[Tanzania]], killing 250 persons, including 12 Americans. The October 2000 [[USS Cole bombing|attack on the USS ''Cole'']], resulting in the deaths of 17 U.S. sailors, was linked to [[Osama bin Laden]]'s [[Al Qaida]] organization.

From April to July 1999, CENTCOM conducted Exercise [[Desert Crossing 1999]], centered on the scenario of [[Saddam Hussein]] being ousted as Iraq's dictator. It was held in the offices of [[Booz Allen Hamilton]] in [[McLean, Virginia]].{{sfn|Gordon|Trainor|2012|pages=6-7}} The exercise concluded that unless measures were taken, "fragmentation and chaos" would ensue after Saddam Hussein's overthrow.

The [[September 11 terrorist attacks]] on New York and Washington DC led President [[George W. Bush]] to declare a war against international terrorism. CENTCOM soon launched [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] to expel the Taliban government in Afghanistan, which was harboring Al Qaida terrorists and hosting terrorist training camps.

[[Exercise Internal Look]] has been employed for explicit war planning on at least two occasions: Internal Look '90, which dealt with a threat from Iraq, and Internal Look '03, which was used to plan what became Operation Iraqi Freedom - the 2003 [[United States invasion of Iraq]], which began on 19 March 2003. In the process, the existing operations plan, OPLAN 1003–98, aka 1003V, which had called for 500,000 troops for the invasion and control of Iraq, was radically slimmed down.<ref>Tommy Franks' ''American Soldier''; http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1110-06.htm; http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB207/index.htm; http://www.nybooks.com/articles/19197</ref> 

Following the defeat of both the Taliban regime in Afghanistan (9 November 2001) and Saddam Hussein's government in Iraq (8 April 2003), CENTCOM remained controlling the U.S. forces deployed there. U.S. forces were withdrawn from Iraq in 2010 (but returned years later); and were withdrawn from Afghanistan in 2021.

Beginning in October 2002, CENTCOM conducted operations in the [[Horn of Africa]]. [[Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa]] was established to carry these activities out. These operations involved a series of [[Special Operations Forces]] raids, humanitarian assistance, consequence management, and a variety of civic action programs.

The command has also remained poised to provide disaster relief throughout the region; its most recent significant relief operations have been a response to the October 2005 earthquake in [[Pakistan]], and the large-scale evacuation of American citizens from [[Lebanon]] in 2006.
[[File:YPG and US army Hassaka 1-5-2017.jpg|thumb|U.S. armored vehicle in [[Al-Hasakah]], [[Syria]], May 2017]]

On 1 October 2008, the Department of Defense transferred responsibility for [[Sudan]], [[Eritrea]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Djibouti]], Kenya, and Somalia to the newly established Africa Command. [[Egypt]], home to [[Exercise Bright Star]], the Department of Defense's largest reoccurring military exercise, remained in the CENTCOM [[Area of Responsibility]]. On 15 January 2021, responsibility for [[Israel]] was transferred from Europe Command to CENTCOM.<ref name="ss20200115">{{cite news|last1=Vandiver|first1=John|title=CENTCOM mission expands to include Israel|url=https://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/centcom-mission-expands-to-include-israel-1.658602|access-date=26 January 2021|work=Stars and Stripes|date=15 January 2021}}</ref>

In January 2015, CENTCOM's Twitter feed was reported to have been hacked on 11 January by [[ISIS]] sympathizers.<ref name="reu115">{{cite news|title=U.S. Central Command Twitter feed appears hacked by Islamic State sympathizers|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cybersecurity-centcom-hack-idUSKBN0KL1UZ20150112|access-date=12 January 2015|work=Reuters|date=12 January 2015}}</ref> This situation lasted for less than one hour; no classified information was posted and "none of the information posted came from CENTCOM's server or social media sites";<ref name="abc">{{cite news|author1=CHRIS GOOD, JOSHUA COHAN and LEE FERRAN|title=Home> International 'Cybervandalism': ISIS Supporters Hijack US Military Social Media Accounts|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/us-military-twitter-account-apparently-hijacked-isis-supporters/story?id=28170963|access-date=12 January 2015|work=ABC|publisher=ABC news Internet Venture|date=12 January 2015}}</ref> however, some of the slides came from the federally funded [[Lincoln Laboratory]] at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]].<ref name="reu115" /> In August 2015, [[intelligence analysts]] working for CENTCOM complained to the media, alleging that CENTCOM's senior leadership was altering or distorting intelligence reports on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. In February 2017, the Inspector General of the [[United States Department of Defense]] completed its investigation and cleared the senior leadership of CENTCOM, concluding that "allegations of intelligence being intentionally altered, delayed or suppressed by top CENTCOM officials from mid-2014 to mid-2015 were largely unsubstantiated."<ref name="CNN20170201">{{cite news|last1=Cohen|first1=Zachary|title=Report: Centcom leaders didn't cook ISIS intelligence|url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/01/politics/report-centcom-intelligence/index.html|access-date=10 April 2018|agency=CNN|date=1 February 2017}}</ref>

In January 2018, [[Turkey]] urged the United States to remove its troops from [[Syria]]n city of [[Manbij]], saying that otherwise they might come under attack from Turkish troops; however, former CENTCOM commander [[Joseph Votel]] confirmed an American commitment to keeping troops in Manbij.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/29/politics/general-votel-syria-manbij-commitment-intl/index.html|title=US general: US troops won't withdraw from Syrian city of Manbij|first=Euan |last=McKirdy|work=CNN|date=29 January 2018}}</ref> In 2019, the Iranian government designated Central Command a terrorist organization after the [[First presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]] branded Iran's [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]] with the same label.<ref name=Eqbali>{{cite news|last1=Eqbali|first1=Aresu|last2=Rasmussen|first2=Sune Engel|date=8 April 2019|title=Iran Labels U.S. Central Command a Terrorist Organization|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-labels-u-s-central-command-a-terrorist-organization-11554750204|agency=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=January 7, 2020}}</ref>

==Structure==
CENTCOM's main headquarters is located at [[MacDill Air Force Base]], in [[Tampa, Florida]]. CENTCOM headquarters staff directorates include personnel, intelligence, operations, logistics, plans & policy, information systems, training & exercises, and resources, and other functions. The intelligence section is known as Joint Intelligence Center, Central Command, or JICCENT, which serves as a [[Joint Intelligence Center]] for the co-ordination of [[intelligence (information gathering)|intelligence]]. Under the intelligence directorate, there are several divisions including the [[Afghanistan-Pakistan Center of Excellence]].

===Component Commands===

CENTCOM directs five "service component commands" and one [[Unified Combatant Command#Sub-unified commands|subordinate unified command]]:

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Emblem !! Command !! Acronym !! Commander !! Established !! Headquarters !! Subordinate Commands
|-
| [[File:United_States_Army_Central_CSIB.svg|75px]] ||{{center|[[United States Army Central]]<br /><small>[[Joint Force Land Component Command]]</small><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usarcent.army.mil/About/Units/|title = USARCENT Units}}</ref>}} || USARCENT || [[Lieutenant General (United States)|Lt General]] [[Patrick Frank]] || {{dts|format=dmy|1918}} (as Third United States Army) || [[Shaw Air Force Base]], [[South Carolina]]||
* Task Force Spartan
* Area Support Group - Jordan
* Area Support Group - Kuwait
* 4th Battlefield Coordination Detachment
* [[File:1st_Sustainment_Command_CSIB.svg|30px]] [[1st Theater Sustainment Command]]
* [[File:US_Army_335th_Signal_Command_SSI.png|30px]] [[335th Theater Signal Command (United States)|335th Signal Command]]
|-
| [[File:United_States_Naval_Forces_Central_Command_patch_2014.png|75px]] [[File:United_States_Fifth_Fleet_insignia_2006.png|75px]]|| {{center|[[United States Naval Forces Central Command]] / [[United States Fifth Fleet]]<br /><small>[[Joint Force Maritime Component Command]]</small><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cusnc.navy.mil/|title = U.S. NAVCENT Home Page}}</ref>}} || NAVCENT / FIFTHFLT || [[Vice Admiral (United States)|Vice Admiral]] [[George Wikoff]] || {{dts|format=dmy|1983}} || [[Naval Support Activity Bahrain]], [[Bahrain]] ||
* Task Force 50
* Task Force 51
* Task Force 52
* Task Force 53
* Task Force 54
* Task Force 55
* Task Force 56
* Task Force 57
* Task Force 59
* Task Force Shore Battlespace
* [[Combined Task Force 150]]
* [[Combined Task Force 151]]
* [[Combined Task Force 152]]
* [[File:U.S._Coast_Guard_PATFORSWA_Crest.jpg|30px]] [[Patrol Forces Southwest Asia|USCG Patrol Forces Southwest Asia]]*
<small>*[[USCG]] Command that augments NAVCENT in the CENTCOM AOR</small>
|-
| [[File:Ninth_Air_Force_-_Emblem_(Cold_War).png|75px]] [[File:United_States_Air_Forces_Central_Command_-_Emblem.png|75px]] || {{center|[[Ninth Air Force]] / [[United States Air Forces Central]]<br /><small>[[Joint Force Air Component Command]]</small><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.afcent.af.mil/|title = AFCENT Home Page}}</ref>}} || 9 AF / USAFCENT || Lt General [[Derek France]]|| {{dts|format=dmy|1941|08|21}} || [[Shaw Air Force Base]], [[South Carolina]] || 
* [[File:609th_Air_Operations_Center.png|30px]] [[609th Air Operations Center]]
* [[File:332d_Expeditionary_Operations_Wing_-_Emblem.png|30px]] [[332nd Air Expeditionary Wing]]
* [[File:378th_Air_Expeditionary_Wing_emblem.png|30px]] [[378th Air Expeditionary Wing]]
* [[File:379th_Air_Expeditionary_Wing_-_Emblem.png|30px]] [[379th Air Expeditionary Wing]]
* [[File:380th_Air_Expeditionary_Wing.png|30px]] [[380th Air Expeditionary Wing]]
* [[File:386th_Air_Expeditionary_Wing.png|30px]] [[386th Air Expeditionary Wing]]
* [[File:432d_Wing.png|30px]] [[432nd Air Expeditionary Wing]]*
* [[File:1st Expeditionary Civil Engineer Group Emblem.jpg|30px]] [[1st Expeditionary Civil Engineer Group]]
* [[File:USAFCENT Band Shield.png|30px]] [[United States Air Force Band|USAFCENT Band]]
<small>*Assigned to [[Air Combat Command]] as the 432nd Wing, but acts as 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing when operating in the CENTCOM AOR</small>
|-
| [[File:Insignia United States Marine Corps Forces Central Command.jpg|75px]] || {{center|[[Marine Corps Forces Central Command]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.marcent.marines.mil/|title=Marine Corps Forces Central Command|website=www.marcent.marines.mil}}</ref>}} || MARFORCENT || Maj General [[Christopher McPhillips]] || {{dts|format=dmy|2005}} || [[Macdill Air Force Base]], [[Florida]] ||
* [[5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade]]
|-
| [[File:United_States_Space_Forces_Central_emblem.png|75px]] || {{center|[[United States Space Forces Central]]<br /><small>[[Joint Force Space Component Command]]</small><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.airandspaceforces.com/space-force-components-indopacom-centcom-korea-end-of-2022/|title=Space Force to Establish Components for INDOPACOM, CENTCOM, Korea by End of 2022|first=Greg|last=Hadley|date=2 November 2022}}</ref>}} || USSPACEFORCENT || [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]] [[Christopher Putnam]] || {{dts|format=dmy|2022|12|02}} || [[Macdill Air Force Base]], [[Florida]] || 
|-
|}

===Subordinate unified commands===
{|class="wikitable"
|+
|-
! Emblem !! Command !! Acronym !! Commander !! Established !! Headquarters !! Subordinate Commands
|-
| [[File:Special_Operations_Command_Central_emblem.svg|75px]] || [[Special Operations Command Central]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.centcom.mil/ABOUT-US/COMPONENT-COMMANDS/|title = USCENTCOM > About Us > Component Commands}}</ref> || SOCCENT || [[Major General (United States)|Major General]] [[Jasper Jeffers III]], [[United States Army|USA]] || {{dts|format=dmy|}} || [[Macdill Air Force Base]], [[Florida]]||
|-
|}

[[File:CENTCOM Commander Gen. James Mattis with Ninth Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. David Goldfein.jpg|left|thumb|222x222px|Commander of United States Central Command General [[Jim Mattis|James Mattis]] passes the [[Ninth Air Force|United States Air Forces Central Command or Ninth Air Force]] guidon to then recently appointed Ninth Air Force Commander Lieutenant General [[David L. Goldfein]] at [[Shaw Air Force Base]], [[South Carolina]] on August 3, 2011.]]

Two major subordinate multi-service commands reporting to Central Command were responsible for Afghanistan: [[Combined Joint Task Force 180]] and Combined Forces Command Afghanistan (CFC-A). CFC-A was disestablished in February 2007.<ref>{{cite book |editor-first=Jan |editor-last=Goldman |title=The War on Terror Encyclopedia: From the Rise of Al-Qaeda to 9/11 and Beyond |date=7 October 2014 |pages=100–101 |publisher=Abc-Clio |isbn=9781610695114 |via=[[Google Books]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bjeaBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA100 }}</ref> From that point onward, the [[International Security Assistance Force]] (ISAF) directed most U.S. forces in Afghanistan. A U.S. general ([[Dan K. McNeill]]) assumed command of ISAF that same month.{{sfn|Auerswald|Saideman|2014|pages=96 onwards}}

Temporary task forces include the Central Command Forward{{snd}}Jordan (CF-J), which was announced in April 2013.<ref name="DoD CFJ visit">{{Cite web | last = Parrish | first = Karen | date = 15 August 2013 | title = Dempsey Visits U.S. Troops Serving in Jordan | url = http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=120629 | agency = American Forces Press Service | access-date = 5 June 2015 }}</ref> CF-J's stated purpose was to work with the Jordanian armed forces to improve the latter's capabilities.<ref name="DoD CFJ visit" /> There was speculation, however, that another reason for its establishment was to serve as a base from which raids into Syria could be launched to seize Syrian WMD if necessary, and as a launch pad for looming American military action in Syria.<ref>{{Cite web | last = Nasser | first = Nicola | date = 12 September 2013 | title = Amman's shaky claims to neutrality | url = http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/4031/21/Amman%E2%80%99s-shaky-claims-to-neutrality.aspx | website = [[Al-Ahram]] | access-date = 5 June 2015 | archive-date = 11 April 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190411002713/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/4031/21/Amman%E2%80%99s-shaky-claims-to-neutrality.aspx | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="NYT CFJ open">{{Cite web | last = Shanker | first = Thom | date = 15 August 2013 | title = With Eyes on Syria, U.S. Turns Warehouse Into Support Hub for Jordan | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/16/world/middleeast/for-the-us-in-jordan-command-central-is-a-steel-warehouse.html | website = [[The New York Times]] | access-date = 5 June 2015 }}</ref><ref name="BF Obama bomb">{{Cite web | last = McMorris-Santoro | first = Evan | date = 31 August 2013 | title = Obama: I Have Decided To Bomb Syria, But I Want Congress To Weigh In First | url = https://www.buzzfeed.com/evanmcsan/obama-i-have-decided-to-bomb-syria-but-i-want-congress-to-we | website = buzzfeed.com | access-date = 5 June 2015 }}</ref>

On 1 October 2008 [[Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa]] at [[Camp Lemonnier]] in Djibouti was transferred to [[United States Africa Command]] (USAFRICOM).<ref name="africom-stands-up">{{cite news|title=Africans Fear Hidden U.S. Agenda in New Approach to Africom|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,430564,00.html|agency=Associated Press|date=2008-09-30|access-date=2008-09-30}}</ref> The [[United States Forces – Iraq]] or USF-I, was a major subordinate multi-service command during the [[Iraq War order of battle]] until it was disestablished in 2011.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}
[[File:Secretary Pompeo Visits the CENTCOM WebOPS Building (48087577878).jpg|thumb|An Army officer briefs Secretary of State [[Mike Pompeo]] (left, foreground) on counter-ISIL social media activities at MacDill AFB, June 2018.]][[File:Refueling the fight against terrorism 170103-F-XF291-0016.jpg|thumb|[[United_States_Air_Force|U.S. Air Force]] [[Boeing_KC-135_Stratotanker|KC-135 Stratotankers]] at [[Al Udeid Air Base]] in Qatar]]

Elements of other [[Unified Combatant Command]]s, especially [[United States Special Operations Command]] (USSOCOM), operate in the CENTCOM area. It appears that SOCCENT does ''not'' direct the secretive [[Task Force 88 (anti-terrorist unit)|Task Force 88]], the ad-hoc grouping of [[Joint Special Operations Command]] 'black' units such as [[Delta Force]] and [[75th Ranger Regiment|Army Rangers]], which is tasked to pursue the most sensitive high-value targets such as Al Qaeda and the Taliban leadership since 11 September 2001. Rather, TF 77, which started out as [[Task Force 11]] and has gone through a number of name/number changes, reports directly to [[Joint Special Operations Command]], part of USSOCOM.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}

{{as of|2015}}, CENTCOM forces are deployed primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan in combat roles and have support roles at bases in [[Kuwait]], [[Bahrain]], [[Qatar]], the [[United Arab Emirates]], [[Oman]], and [[central Asia]]. CENTCOM forces have also been deployed in Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
{{-}}

===War planning===

The following war plan numbers have been made public:{{sfn|Arkin|2005|page=46}}
*OPLAN 1002-88, addressing Soviet-related armed conflict in the CENTCOM AOR<ref>{{cite book|author=Diane T. Putney|title=Airpower Advantage: Planning the Gulf War Air Campaign 1989–1991|date=2004|url=https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/25/2001330265/-1/-1/0/AFD-100525-065.pdf|pages=10–11}}</ref>
*OPLAN 1002 (Defense of the Arabian Peninsula).<ref>https://williamaarkin.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/arkins-contingency-plans-of-the-us-government.pdf and {{Cite web|url=https://williamaarkin.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/arkins-contingency-plans-of-the-us-government.pdf|title=National Security Contingency Plans of the U.S. Government|last=Arkin|first=William|date=1 January 2005b}}</ref>
*CENTCOM OPORDER 01-97, Force Protection
*SOCEUR SUPPLAN 1001-90, 9 May 1989
*CENTCOM CONPLAN 1010, July 2003
*CENTCOM CONPLAN 1015-98, possible support to [[OPLAN 5027]] for Korea, 15 March 1991
*CENTCOM 1017, 1999
*CONPLAN 1020
*OPLAN 1021, prior to 1990, referred to "the ..Soviets pushing through Iran."<ref>Putney, 2004, 18.</ref> OPLAN 1021-88 had a nuclear weapons annex, Annex C, that called for the deployment of some nuclear-capable forces. In September 1990, copying deployment lists from the Cold War planning in haste over to Desert Shield deployments after the [[Iraqi invasion of Kuwait]] appears to have inadvertently begun the deployment of a [[MGM-52 Lance]] short-range ballistic missile unit, 1st Battalion, [[12th Field Artillery Regiment]]. "The unit's equipment was literally on railcars and ready to move to ports in Texas before the missilemen were ordered to stand down."<ref>[[William Arkin]], "Week Nine: SPECAT Nike Air," [[Stars and Stripes  (newspaper)]], September 25, 2000.</ref>
*CONPLAN 1067, for possible Biological Warfare response
*CENTCOM CONPLAN 1100-95, 31 March 1992

Others listed by Arkin's supplements include CENTCOM CONPLAN 1211-07 "Foreign Humanitarian Assistance / Disaster Response Operations." It was issued in November 2007, and required using the Request for Forces method via then-[[U.S. Joint Forces Command]] to supply any required forces.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Preston |first1=Thomas J. |title=The Smarter Way to Plan for Deployment of Forces for Humanitarian Operations |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a525168.pdf |date=3 May 2010}}</ref>

==Geographic scope==

[[File:GCCMAP.png|thumb|right|250px|Current as of 1{{nbsp}}June 2018]]

With the 1983 establishment of CENTCOM Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti came within the [[area of responsibility]] (AOR). Thus CENTCOM directed the 'Natural Bond' exercises with Sudan, the 'Eastern Wind' exercises with Somalia, and the 'Jade Tiger' exercises with Oman, Somalia, and Sudan. Exercise Jade Tiger involved the [[31st Marine Expeditionary Unit]] with Oman from 29 November 1982 to 8 December 1982.{{sfn|Arkin|2005|page=404}}

On 7 February 2007, plans were announced for the creation of a [[United States Africa Command]] which transferred responsibility for U.S. military operations across Africa to the new USAFRICOM, except for Egypt. On 1{{nbsp}}October 2008, the Africa Command became operational and [[Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa]], the primary CENTCOM force on the continent, started reporting to AFRICOM at [[Stuttgart]] instead of CENTCOM in Tampa.

The Department of Defense uses a variable number of base locations depending on its level of operations. With ongoing warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2003, the [[United States Air Force]] used 35 bases, while in 2006 it used 14, including four in Iraq. The [[United States Navy]] maintains one major base and one smaller installation, with extensive deployments afloat and ashore by U.S. Navy, [[U.S. Marine Corps]] and [[U.S. Coast Guard]] ships, aviation units and ground units.

==List of commanders==
[[File:From left, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis and Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III stand for the playing 130322-M-LU710-054.jpg|thumb|Outgoing commander [[Jim Mattis|James Mattis]] (second, from right) with incoming commander [[Lloyd Austin]] (first, from right) during the USCENTCOM change of command ceremony at [[MacDill Air Force Base]], 22 March 2013.]]
[[File:2022 USCENTCOM Change of Command 220401-D-BN624-0180 (51976806000).jpg|thumb|U.S. Secretary of Defense [[Lloyd Austin]] (extreme left), incoming combatant commander [[Michael Kurilla]] (center), outgoing commander [[Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr.]] (right) and [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]] [[Mark A. Milley]] (extreme right) at the USCENTCOM change of command ceremony on 1 April 2022.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! rowspan=2| {{abbr|No.|Number}}
! colspan=2| Commander
! colspan=3| Term
! rowspan=2| Service branch
|-
! Portrait
! Name
! Took office
! Left office
! Term length
|-
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 1
| military_rank     = General
| image             = General Robert Kingston, official military photo, 1984.JPEG
| officeholder      = [[Robert Kingston]]
| officeholder_sort = Kingston, Robert
| born_year         = 1928
| died_year         = 2007
| term_start        = 1 January 1983
| term_end          = 27 November 1985
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|1 January 1983|27 November 1985}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Military service mark of the United States Army.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Army|U.S. Army]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 2
| military_rank     = General
| image             = General George Crist, official military photo, 1985.JPEG
| officeholder      = [[George B. Crist]]
| officeholder_sort = Crist, George B.
| born_year         = 1931
| died_year         = 2024
| term_start        = 27 November 1985
| term_end          = 23 November 1988
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|27 November 1985|23 November 1988}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Emblem of the United States Marine Corps.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 3
| military_rank     = General
| image             = NormanSchwarzkopf.jpg
| officeholder      = [[Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.]]
| officeholder_sort = Schwarzkopf, H. Norman Jr.
| born_year         = 1934
| died_year         = 2012
| term_start        = 23 November 1988
| term_end          = 9 August 1991
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|23 November 1988|9 August 1991}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Military service mark of the United States Army.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Army|U.S. Army]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 4
| military_rank     = General
| image             = Joseph Hoar official military photo.jpg
| officeholder      = [[Joseph P. Hoar]]
| officeholder_sort = Hoar, Joseph P.
| born_year         = 1934
| died_year         = 2022
| term_start        = 9 August 1991
| term_end          = 5 August 1994
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|9 August 1991|5 August 1994}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Emblem of the United States Marine Corps.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 5
| military_rank     = General
| image             = BinfordPeay.JPEG
| officeholder      = [[J. H. Binford Peay III]]
| officeholder_sort = Peay, J. H. Binford III
| born_year         = 1940
| died_year         = 
| term_start        = 5 August 1994
| term_end          = 13 August 1997
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|5 August 1994|13 August 1997}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Military service mark of the United States Army.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Army|U.S. Army]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 6
| military_rank     = General
| image             = Anthony Zinni.jpg
| officeholder      = [[Anthony Zinni]]
| officeholder_sort = Zinni, Anthony
| born_year         = 1943
| died_year         = 
| term_start        = 13 August 1997
| term_end          = 6 July 2000
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|13 August 1997|6 July 2000}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Emblem of the United States Marine Corps.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 7
| military_rank     = General
| image             = Gen. Tommy Franks CENTCOM.jpg
| officeholder      = [[Tommy Franks]]
| officeholder_sort = Franks, Tommy
| born_year         = 1945
| died_year         = 
| term_start        = 6 July 2000
| term_end          = 7 July 2003
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|6 July 2000|7 July 2003}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Military service mark of the United States Army.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Army|U.S. Army]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 8
| military_rank     = General
| image             = Gen. John P. Abizaid CENTCOM.jpg
| officeholder      = [[John Abizaid]]
| officeholder_sort = Abizaid, John
| born_year         = 1951
| died_year         = 
| term_start        = 7 July 2003
| term_end          = 16 March 2007
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|7 July 2003|16 March 2007}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Military service mark of the United States Army.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Army|U.S. Army]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 9
| military_rank     = Admiral
| image             = ADM Fallon Portrait.jpg
| officeholder      = [[William J. Fallon]]
| officeholder_sort = Fallon, William J.
| born_year         = 1944
| died_year         = 
| term_start        = 16 March 2007
| term_end          = 28 March 2008
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|16 March 2007|28 March 2008}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Emblem of the United States Navy.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = –
| military_rank     = Lieutenant General
| image             = General Martin E. Dempsey.jpg
| officeholder      = [[Martin Dempsey]]
| officeholder_sort = Dempsey, Martin
| born_year         = 1952
| died_year         = 
| term_start        = 28 March 2008
| term_end          = 31 October 2008
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|28 March 2008|31 October 2008}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Military service mark of the United States Army.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Army|U.S. Army]]
| acting            = y
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 10
| military_rank     = General
| image             = GEN David H Petraeus - Uniform Class A.jpg
| officeholder      = [[David Petraeus]]
| officeholder_sort = Petraeus, David
| born_year         = 1952
| died_year         = 
| term_start        = 31 October 2008
| term_end          = 30 June 2010
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|31 October 2008|30 June 2010}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Military service mark of the United States Army.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Army|U.S. Army]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = –
| military_rank     = Lieutenant General
| image             = LtGen John R. Allen USMC.jpg
| officeholder      = [[John R. Allen]]
| officeholder_sort = Allen, John R.
| born_year         = 1953
| died_year         = 
| term_start        = 30 June 2010
| term_end          = 11 August 2010
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|30 June 2010|11 August 2010}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Emblem of the United States Marine Corps.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]]
| acting            = y
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 11
| military_rank     = General
| image             = Mattis Centcom 2009.jpg
| officeholder      = [[Jim Mattis]]
| officeholder_sort = Mattis, Jim
| born_year         = 1950
| died_year         = 
| term_start        = 11 August 2010
| term_end          = 22 March 2013
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|11 August 2010|22 March 2013}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Emblem of the United States Marine Corps.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 12
| military_rank     = General
| image             = Austin 2013 2.jpg
| officeholder      = [[Lloyd Austin]]
| officeholder_sort = Austin, Lloyd
| born_year         = 1953
| died_year         = 
| term_start        = 22 March 2013
| term_end          = 30 March 2016
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|22 March 2013|30 March 2016}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Military service mark of the United States Army.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Army|U.S. Army]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 13
| military_rank     = General
| image             = General Joseph L. Votel (USCENTCOM).jpg
| officeholder      = [[Joseph Votel]]
| officeholder_sort = Votel, Joseph
| born_year         = 1958
| died_year         = 
| term_start        = 30 March 2016
| term_end          = 28 March 2019
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|30 March 2016|28 March 2019}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Military service mark of the United States Army.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Army|U.S. Army]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 14
| military_rank     = General
| image             = General Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr (USCENTCOM).jpg
| officeholder      = [[Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr.]]
| officeholder_sort = McKenzie, Kenneth F. Jr.
| born_year         = 1957
| died_year         = 
| term_start        = 28 March 2019
| term_end          = 1 April 2022
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|28 March 2019|1 April 2022}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Emblem of the United States Marine Corps.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 15
| military_rank     = General
| image             = Michael E. Kurilla (4).jpg
| officeholder      = [[Michael Kurilla]]
| officeholder_sort = Kurilla, Michael
| born_year         = 1966
| died_year         = 
| term_start        = 1 April 2022
| term_end          = 8 August 2025
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|1 April 2022|8 August 2025}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Military service mark of the United States Army.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Army|U.S. Army]]
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 16
| military_rank     = Admiral
| image             = ADM Charles B. Cooper II.jpg
| officeholder      = [[Brad Cooper (admiral)|Brad Cooper]]
| officeholder_sort = Cooper, Brad
| born_year         = 1967
| died_year         = 
| term_start        = 8 August 2025
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|8 August 2025}}
| defence_branch    = [[File:Emblem of the United States Navy.svg|75px]]<br />[[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]]
}}
|}

=== Secretary of Defense ===
Two of the former U.S. Central Command Commanders would later serve as [[United States Secretary of Defense]]: General [[James Mattis]] and General [[Lloyd Austin]]. Mattis served as the 26th U.S. Secretary of Defense. Austin became the 28th U.S. Secretary of Defense on January 22, 2021, serving until January 20, 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rej|first=Abhijnan|title=US Senate Confirms Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense|url=https://thediplomat.com/2021/01/us-senate-confirms-lloyd-austin-as-secretary-of-defense/|access-date=2021-01-26|website=thediplomat.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Unit decorations===

The unit awards depicted below are for Headquarters, U.S. Central Command at MacDill AFB. Award for unit decorations do not apply to any subordinate organization such as the service component commands or any other activities unless the orders specifically address them.

{{unit awards table
|award_image1=JMUA
|award_name1=[[Joint Meritorious Unit Award]]
|award_date1=2 August 1990 – 21 April 1991
|award_notes1=Department of the Army General Order (DAGO) 1991-22 & 1992-34<ref name="DAGO">{{cite web |url=https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/da_general_orders_1.html |title=Department of the Army General Orders |publisher=[[United States Army Publishing Directorate]] |access-date=30 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427192108/http://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/da_general_orders_1.html |archive-date=27 April 2011 |url-status=live }} ([[Army Knowledge Online]] account may be required.)</ref>
|award_image2=JMUA
|award_name2=Joint Meritorious Unit Award
|award_date2=1 August 1992 – 4 May 1993
|award_notes2=DAGO 1994-12 & 1996-01
|award_image3=JMUA
|award_name3=Joint Meritorious Unit Award
|award_date3=8 October 1994 – 16 March 1995
|award_notes3=DAGO 2001–25
|award_image4=JMUA
|award_name4=Joint Meritorious Unit Award
|award_date4=1 September 1996 – 6 January 1997
|award_notes4=Joint Staff Permanent Order (JSPO) J-ISO-0012-97
|award_image5=JMUA
|award_name5=Joint Meritorious Unit Award
|award_date5=1 October 1997 – 15 July 1998
|award_notes5=JSPO J-1SO-0241-98
|award_image6=JMUA
|award_name6=Joint Meritorious Unit Award
|award_date6=16 July 1998 – 1 November 1999
|award_notes6=JSPO J-1SO-0330-99 / DAGO 2001–25
|award_image7=JMUA
|award_name7=Joint Meritorious Unit Award
|award_date7=2 November 1999 – 15 March 2001
|award_notes7=
|award_image8=JMUA
|award_name8=Joint Meritorious Unit Award
|award_date8=11 September 2001 – 1 May 2003 
|award_notes8=DAGO 2005–09
|award_image9=JMUA
|award_name9=Joint Meritorious Unit Award
|award_date9=2 May 2003 – 31 December 2005
|award_notes9=
|award_image10=JMUA
|award_name10=Joint Meritorious Unit Award
|award_date10=1 January 2006 – 1 March 2008
|award_notes10=JSPO J-1SO-0061-08
|award_image11=JMUA
|award_name11=Joint Meritorious Unit Award
|award_date11=2 March 2008 – 1 July 2010
|award_notes11=
|award_image12=JMUA
|award_name12=Joint Meritorious Unit Award
|award_date12=2 July 2010 – 31 July 2012
|award_notes12=
}}

==See also==

* [[Strategic Army Corps]]
* [[Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs]], responsible State Department bureau

== References == 
{{Reflist|30em}}
* {{cite book|last1=Arkin|first1=William|title=Code Names: Deciphering U.S. Military Plans, Programs and Operations in the 9/11 World|date=25 January 2005|publisher=Steerforth|isbn=1586420836|edition=First|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/codenamesdeciphe00arki}}
* {{cite book|first1=David P.|last1=Auerswald|first2=Stephen M.|last2=Saideman|title=NATO in Afghanistan: Fighting Together, Fighting Alone|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XXtAAQAAQBAJ|date=2014|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-1-4008-4867-6}}
* {{cite web |last=Cordesman |first=Anthony |url=http://csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/uscentcom3%5B1%5D.pdf |title=USCENTCOM Mission and History |publisher=[[Center for Strategic and International Studies]] |date=August 1998 |access-date=4 October 2015 |archive-date=23 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123170511/http://csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/uscentcom3%26 |url-status=dead }} [[Anthony Cordesman]]
* {{cite book |first1=Michael R. |last1=Gordon |first2=Bernard E. |last2=Trainor |year=2012 |title=The Endgame: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from George W. Bush to Barack Obama |location=New York |publisher=Pantheon Books |isbn=978-0-307-37722-7 }}
* {{cite book|last=Hanks |first=Robert S. |title=The US military presence in the Middle East: problems and prospects |publisher=Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis |date=1982}}
* {{cite book |first=Richard Moody |last=Swain |title=Lucky War: Third Army in Desert Storm |year=1997 |publisher=U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Press |via=[[Google Books]] |isbn=9780788178658 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mZty9wdfHRkC&pg=PA6 }}

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
* {{Official|}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20090225094840/http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22095&Itemid=4http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php%3Foption=com_content&task=view&id=14196&Itemid=466 Multi-National Force – Iraq.com mnf-iraq.com]}} {{in lang|en}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090605090714/http://www.shurakaal-iraq.com/ Multi-National Force – Iraq] shurakaal-iraq.com {{in lang|ar}}
* {{cite news |title=Naming New Generals A Key Step In Shift On Iraq |first=Peter |last=Spiegel |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jan-05-na-generals5-story.html |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=5 January 2007}}
* [[Foreign Policy (magazine)|''Foreign Policy'']], [https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/30/the-pentagon-ups-the-ante-in-syria-fight-iraq-islamic-state-delta-force/ Pentagon Ups the Ante in Syria Fight]
* [http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/pentagon/2014/12/30/iraq-1st-infantry-funk/21062071/ 2-star on Iraq: 'Still a big fight going on here'] – Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command – Iraq, 2014
* [https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-inches-toward-war-iran-makes-israel-full-military-partner-1768600 Joe Biden inches toward war with Iran, makes Israel full military partner] - Israel being reallocated to Central Command's area of responsibility

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