President Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan took office. The JTF could have been dissolved, but the action in the Middle East did not stop, and Reagan created Centcom — a full-fledged combatant command — in January 1983. 

Why was CENTCOM established?

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.

Who is in charge of Central Command?

“I can think of no one better qualified to write CENTCOM’s next chapter than Erik Kurilla,” said McKenzie. Kurilla will oversee all U.S. military missions throughout the 21-country area of responsibility in the Middle East, Levant, and Central Asia, as well as leading the 78-nation campaign against ISIS.

How many countries are in CENTCOM?





CENTCOM denotes its area of responsibility (AOR) as 21 countries: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Uzbekistan, and Yemen.

Where is CENTCOM based out of?

Tampa, Florida

A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the . The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Coalition at MacDill Air Force Base (AFB) in Tampa, Florida, is one of the largest military coalitions in U.S. history.

How many U.S. troops are in CENTCOM?



“Our interests and challenges remain generally the same, but what’s different is that we’re going to have a different force structure on the ground,” Votel said. An estimated 40,000 to 60,000 troops are deployed to CENTCOM, a recent statement from the command to Stars and Stripes said.

How big is CENTCOM?

4 million square miles



The U.S. CENTCOM area of responsibility (AOR) spans more than 4 million square miles and is populated by more than 560 million people from 25 ethnic groups, speaking 20 languages with hundreds of dialects and confessing multiple religions which transect national borders.

How many people work at CENTCOM?

The group of 261 men later evolved into U.S. Central Command — some 3,000 people working at headquarters on MacDill Air Force Base and overseeing military operations in a 20-nation swath of territory from Egypt east to Kazakhstan.

What units are in CENTCOM?

FUNCTIONAL COMBATANT COMMANDS

  • SOCOM: U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida.
  • TRANSCOM: U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
  • STRATCOM: U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
  • CYBERCOM: U.S. Cyber Command, Fort Meade, Maryland.



How old is Gen McKenzie?

(born 1956 or 1957) is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 14th commander of the United States Central Command from March 28, 2019 to April 1, 2022.



Kenneth Franklin McKenzie Jr.

Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr.
Born 1956 or 1957 (age 65–66) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Allegiance United States

Is Africa part of CENTCOM?

Area of responsibility



The territory of the command consists of all of the African continent except for Egypt, which remains under the responsibility of Central Command, as it closely relates to the Middle East.

What was the earliest U.S. joint operation?

The recovery of the frigate and the rescue of the U.S. Crewmen and Officers is perhaps the first joint special operation conducted by the United States of America. KEYWORDS: Hostage rescue and recovery.

What year was the first Unified Command Plan created?



1946

Title. Faced with the need to establish unified command of US military forces in peacetime, the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1946 created an organizational directive, the “Outline Command Plan,” which was the first in a series of documents known as Unified Command Plans.

How many U.S. troops are in CENTCOM?

“Our interests and challenges remain generally the same, but what’s different is that we’re going to have a different force structure on the ground,” Votel said. An estimated 40,000 to 60,000 troops are deployed to CENTCOM, a recent statement from the command to Stars and Stripes said.

How big is CENTCOM?

4 million square miles

The U.S. CENTCOM area of responsibility (AOR) spans more than 4 million square miles and is populated by more than 560 million people from 25 ethnic groups, speaking 20 languages with hundreds of dialects and confessing multiple religions which transect national borders.

Who are the 11 combatant commanders?



At present, there are 11 unified combatant commands within the DOD:

  • U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM)
  • U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM)
  • U.S. European Command (USEUCOM)
  • U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM)
  • U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM)
  • U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM)
  • U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM)

What is the largest combatant command?

the United States Indo-Pacific Command

Aquilino, U.S. Navy. Admiral John Aquilino is the 26th Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, the nation’s oldest and largest combatant command.