SafekipediaUnited States Central Command
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The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense. It was created in 1983 to take over the duties of the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force.
Its area of responsibility covers many important places, including the Middle East (such as Egypt in Africa), Central Asia, and parts of South Asia. CENTCOM has played a big role in many military actions, like the Persian Gulf War in 1991, the war in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War from 2003 to 2011. In more recent years, its forces have helped in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
As of 8 August 2025, the leader of CENTCOM is Admiral Brad Cooper of the U.S. Navy. The command is based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, with another office in Qatar. In January 2021, Israel joined the list of countries in CENTCOM's area, making it the 21st nation included.
History
The United States Central Command was created on January 1, 1983. It took over responsibilities from an earlier group called the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force, which was set up in 1980 to strengthen U.S. presence in the Middle East and nearby areas.
CENTCOM was ready to defend against threats and protect U.S. interests in its area. Over the years, it has been involved in many important events. It helped keep oil routes safe and supported peace efforts in places like Kuwait and Somalia. After terrorist attacks in the 1990s and 2000s, CENTCOM played a key role in operations against terrorist groups. It also provided help after natural disasters in the region.
In 2008, some areas were moved to a new Africa Command, but CENTCOM kept responsibility for places like Egypt. In recent years, CENTCOM has continued to work with partner nations to keep the region stable and safe.
Structure
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) is based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. It has several important areas of work, including personnel, intelligence, operations, and training.
CENTCOM leads several important military groups and works with forces in many countries. It has been involved in important missions in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. The command also plans for different situations, such as defending areas or helping in disasters.
| Emblem | Command | Acronym | Commander | Established | Headquarters | Subordinate Commands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | USARCENT | Lt General Kevin Leahy | 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 | |
  | NAVCENT / FIFTHFLT | Vice Admiral Curt Renshaw | 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 *USCG Command that augments NAVCENT in the CENTCOM AOR | |
  | 9 AF / USAFCENT | Lt General Derek France | 21 August 1941 | Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina | *Assigned to Air Combat Command as the 432nd Wing, but acts as 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing when operating in the CENTCOM AOR | |
 | MARFORCENT | Maj General Christopher McPhillips | 2005 | Macdill Air Force Base, Florida | ||
| USSPACEFORCENT | Colonel Christopher Putnam | 2 December 2022 | Macdill Air Force Base, Florida | |||
| Emblem | Command | Acronym | Commander | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Operations Command Central | SOCCENT | Major General Jasper Jeffers III, USA | Macdill Air Force Base, Florida | |
Geographic scope
When CENTCOM was created in 1983, it included several countries in Africa such as Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti. This allowed CENTCOM to lead military exercises like 'Natural Bond' with Sudan, 'Eastern Wind' with Somalia, and 'Jade Tiger' with Oman, Somalia, and Sudan.
In 2007, plans were announced to create a new United States Africa Command. This command took over responsibility for U.S. military operations in Africa, except for Egypt. By October 2008, the Africa Command was fully operational, and forces in the Horn of Africa began reporting to this new command instead of CENTCOM.
The U.S. military uses many bases around the world depending on its needs. During times of conflict, such as in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2003, the U.S. Air Force used many bases, while in other years it used fewer. The U.S. Navy keeps one major base and smaller installations, with ships and aircraft deployed worldwide.
List of commanders
Main article: Leadership of the United States Central Command
Secretary of Defense
Two past leaders of the U.S. Central Command later became the top leader of the U.S. military. General James Mattis and General Lloyd Austin both served as the United States Secretary of Defense. Mattis was the 26th to hold this role. Austin became the 28th U.S. Secretary of Defense on 22 January 2021 and served until 20 January 2025.
Unit decorations
The awards shown here are for the main headquarters of the U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base. These awards do not apply to smaller groups unless specifically stated in the award orders.
| No. | Commander | Term | Service branch | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | ||
| 1 | Kingston, RobertGeneral Robert Kingston (1928–2007) | 1 January 1983 | 27 November 1985 | 2 years, 330 days |  U.S. Army | |
| 2 | Crist, George B.General George B. Crist (1931–2024) | 27 November 1985 | 23 November 1988 | 2 years, 362 days |  U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 3 | Schwarzkopf, H. Norman Jr.General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. (1934–2012) | 23 November 1988 | 9 August 1991 | 2 years, 259 days | U.S. Army | |
| 4 | Hoar, Joseph P.General Joseph P. Hoar (1934–2022) | 9 August 1991 | 5 August 1994 | 2 years, 361 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 5 | Peay, J. H. Binford IIIGeneral J. H. Binford Peay III (born 1940) | 5 August 1994 | 13 August 1997 | 3 years, 8 days | U.S. Army | |
| 6 | Zinni, AnthonyGeneral Anthony Zinni (born 1943) | 13 August 1997 | 6 July 2000 | 2 years, 328 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 7 | Franks, TommyGeneral Tommy Franks (born 1945) | 6 July 2000 | 7 July 2003 | 3 years, 1 day | U.S. Army | |
| 8 | Abizaid, JohnGeneral John Abizaid (born 1951) | 7 July 2003 | 16 March 2007 | 3 years, 252 days | U.S. Army | |
| 9 | Fallon, William J.Admiral William J. Fallon (born 1944) | 16 March 2007 | 28 March 2008 | 1 year, 12 days |  U.S. Navy | |
| – | Dempsey, MartinLieutenant General Martin Dempsey (born 1952) Acting | 28 March 2008 | 31 October 2008 | 217 days | U.S. Army | |
| 10 | Petraeus, DavidGeneral David Petraeus (born 1952) | 31 October 2008 | 30 June 2010 | 1 year, 242 days | U.S. Army | |
| – | Allen, John R.Lieutenant General John R. Allen (born 1953) Acting | 30 June 2010 | 11 August 2010 | 42 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 11 | Mattis, JimGeneral Jim Mattis (born 1950) | 11 August 2010 | 22 March 2013 | 2 years, 223 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 12 | Austin, LloydGeneral Lloyd Austin (born 1953) | 22 March 2013 | 30 March 2016 | 3 years, 8 days | U.S. Army | |
| 13 | Votel, JosephGeneral Joseph Votel (born 1958) | 30 March 2016 | 28 March 2019 | 2 years, 363 days | U.S. Army | |
| 14 | McKenzie, Kenneth F. Jr.General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. (born 1957) | 28 March 2019 | 1 April 2022 | 3 years, 4 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 15 | Kurilla, MichaelGeneral Michael Kurilla (born 1966) | 1 April 2022 | 8 August 2025 | 3 years, 129 days | U.S. Army | |
| 16 | Cooper, BradAdmiral Brad Cooper (born 1967) | 8 August 2025 | Incumbent | 286 days | U.S. Navy | |
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