CENTCOM

CENTCOM   (Unified Combatant Command)
Emblem of the United States Central Command.
Predecessor	Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force
Formation	1983
Headquarters	MacDill Air Force Base,  Tampa,  Florida,  U.S.
Leader	Commander of United States Central Command
Type	military
Subgroups	•  JICCENT •  USARCENT •  USAFCENT •  USMARCENT •  USNAVCENT •  USSOCCENT •  Combined Joint Task Force 180 •  Central Command Forward - Jordan
Interests	•  Middle East •  Central Asia •  Afghanistan •  Bahrain •  Egypt •  Iran •  Iraq •  Jordan •  Kazakhstan •  Kuwait •  Kyrgyzstan •  Lebanon •  Oman •  Pakistan •  Qatar •  Saudi Arabia •  Syria •  Tajikistan •  Turkmenistan •  United Arab Emirates •  Uzbekistan •  Yemen •  Israel
Other name	CENTCOM
Subpage	•CENTCOM/Commander •CENTCOM/Deputy Commander •CENTCOM/Media outreach

The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the US Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF).

ARCENT

US Army Central (ARCENT) is the Army component under CENTCOM and is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.

"Area of Responsibility"

In 2021, Israel was transferred from U.S. European Command (the only non-European nation ever in that category) to CENTCOM earlier this year, there are now twenty-one nations covered by it. The others are Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, thr United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

CMCC

On 17 October 2025, CENTCOM opened a Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Israel to oversee the progress of the ceasefire agreement, brokered by Donald Trump between Hamas and Israel, and also help coordinate humanitarian assistance to Gaza. The CMCC was established with approximately 200 US service members experienced in transportation, planning, security, logistics, and engineering under the leadership of Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, commander of US Army Central (ARCENT). A British 2-star General will work as deputy to Gen. Frank, US commander of the CMCC.

Media outreach

Full article: CENTCOM/Media outreach

State Department Liaison

Jay Freres was a State Department liaison for U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa from 2002 to 2007.

Changed Priorities in 2021

For twenty years CENTCOM has waged the bulk of military operations under the rubric of what Washington formerly named the War on Terror, including wars in and strikes against Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria and Yemen.

In April 2021, General Kenneth McKenzie testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on how he prioritized his command’s concerns: He identified “the four global challenges that manifest across the USCENTCOM AOR [area of responsibility]: China, Russia, Iran, and Violent Extremist Organizations (VEOs).” The last term is a replacement for what until recently would have been deemed terrorist organizations. The raison d’être of CENTCOM had now become its last priority. He also accused China of harboring plans to establish a military presence in the region.

 

Events carried out

Event	Location	Description
2015 Hawija bombing	Iraq Hawija Kirkuk province	A bombing of an IED plant that was ordered under suspicious circumstances went awry. Dutch Cabinet denied involvement, then denied any knowledge of the casualties until Dutch FOIA requests showed otherwise.
CENTCOM/Media outreach

 

Related Quotation

Page	Quote	Author	Date
Joseph Votel	“After the coup attempt, many close allies of the US military in the Turkish military were put in prison. We undoubtedly have relations with many Turkish leaders, especially military leaders. I am worried about how these relations will be affected.”	Joseph Votel	July 2016

 

Employees on Wikispooks

Employee	Job	Appointed	End	Description
Scott Bennett	Counterterrorist Finance Analyst	2008	2010	Tampa
Joseph Votel	Naval ranks	March 2016	March 2019

 

Related Document

Title	Type	Publication date	Author(s)	Description
Document:How did the US rename a terror group to work with it	Article	24 January 2018	Murat Yetkin	So Mr Tillerson, contrary to what CENTCOM and Brett McGurk keep telling you, the Syrian Democratic Forces are not a “truly multi-ethnic” group of freedom fighters uniting against ISIL barbarism. The handful of Arab tribes in the SDF are there for cosmetic purposes only, as part an effort to cover up cooperation between US forces and a group that your administration official designates a “terrorist group.”

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