UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND

About U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)

U.S.Central Command (CENTCOM) is one of nine unified commands in the United States military. Six of these commands, including CENTCOM, have an area of responsibility (AOR), which is a specific geographic region of the world where the combatant commanders may plan and conduct operations as defined under the Unified Command Plan.

Located between the European, African and Pacific combatant commands, U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility covers the "central" area of the globe and consists of 20 countries -- Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.

Coalition countries from across the globe also contribute to the war against terrorism.

Mission: With national and international partners, U.S. Central Command promotes cooperation among nations, responds to crises, and deters or defeats state and nonstate aggression, and supports development and, when necessary, reconstruction in order to establish the conditions for regional security, stability, and prosperity.

Leadership: General Lloyd J. Austin III, Commander Vice Admiral Mark I. Fox, Deputy Commander Major General Terry Ferrell, Chief of Staff Command Sergeant Major Christopher K. Greca Read more about these leaders

Commander's Posture Statement: Central Command testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 5, 2015. Read the full CENTCOM posture statement here

History: U.S. Central Command was established January 1, 1983. When the hostage crisis in Iran and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan underlined the need to strengthen U.S. interests in the region, President Jimmy Carter established the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) in March 1980. To provide a stronger, more lasting solution in the region, President Ronald Reagan took steps 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 USCENTCOM in January 1983. Read more about CENTCOM’s history. http://www.centcom.mil/