Chair: Aaron Buchman
Director: Max Weidman
Background Guide: Download [PDF]
Committee Positions: Download [DOC]
Central Command (USCENTCOM) is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands assigned operational control of U.S. combat forces. As a Unified command, CENTCOM operates as its own combined-arms military, drawing equipment and personnel from all four military services and organizing them under independent leadership. Under this structure, USCENTCOM's Commander reports directly to the Secretary of Defense, who in turn, reports to the President of the United States . USCENTCOM's AOR ("Areas Of Responsibility") stretches from the Horn of Africa to Central Asia , making it responsible for most of the conflict "hot spots" in the world today. Half a world away, CENTCOM is headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa , Florida.
USCENTCOM's objectives are to enhance regional stability and demonstrate a steadfast commitment to regional security. The Commander's Strategy Overview provides a detailed explanation of USCENTCOM's 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.
USCENTCOM was the organization for the two major combat operations in the past four years, and commands the ongoing activities in both Afghanistan and Iraq . USCENTCOM has a fluctuating force assigned to it. Typically the US Navy would comprise up to 70% of forces in the AOR, but currently over 150,000 US Army personnel are assigned to CENTCOM in region, with a comparable total for the other three services. This makes it the largest, most technologically advanced warfighting organization in the world.