Headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) is one of nine Unified Combatant
Commands assigned operational control of U.S. combat forces.
USCENTCOMs Commander, Gen. John Abizaid, reports directly to the Secretary of Defense, who in turn, reports to the President of the United States.
A Unified Combatant Command is composed of forces from two or more services, has a broad and continuing mission, and is normally organized on a geographical basis into
regions known as "Areas Of Responsibility" (AORs). USCENTCOMs AOR stretches from the Horn of Africa to Central Asia.
Organized as a headquarters element, USCENTCOM has no war fighting units permanently assigned to it. Instead, all four Armed Services provide USCENTCOM with component commands,
which, along with our joint special operations component, make up USCENTCOM's primary war fighting and engagement organizations.
Activated by President Ronald Reagan on Jan.1, 1983, USCENTCOM is the permanent successor to the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force, a temporary organization created by
President Jimmy Carter in 1980 to project American power in the Middle East and East Africa.
In its first year as a command, USCENTCOM conducted Operations EARLY CALL and ARID FARMER both successful in quelling Libyan-sponsored insurgencies in Sudan and Chad
respectively. Other operations, with names like EAGLE LOOK, EARNEST WILL, NIMBLE ARCHER, and PRAYING MANTIS were successfully conducted throughout the 1980s by USCENTCOM.
In the 1990s, USCENTCOM became known for its success in the liberation of Kuwait (OPERATION DESERT STORM) under the leadership of Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, and for
humanitarian intervention in Somalia. Today, USCENTCOM and its coalition partners continue to confront challenges in the AOR. Whether its enforcing the no-fly zone over
southern Iraq (OPERATION SOUTHERN WATCH) or combating international terrorism (OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM), USCENTCOM maintains its commitment to national security interests in
the region.
With these national interests in mind, USCENTCOMs objectives are to enhance regional stability and demonstrate a steadfast commitment to regional security. The
Commander's Strategy Overview provides a detailed explanation of USCENTCOMs mission, vision, intent and goals.
To reach its objectives, USCENTCOM maintains an active engagement program that includes combined exercises such as BRIGHT STAR , held every two years in Egypt. Other important
USCENTCOM engagement activities include humanitarian and security assistance programs, as well as combined training and education opportunities for military members in AOR nations.
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