United States Central Command

United States Central Command

Updated December 16, 2022
United States Central Command
United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has
The Biden Administration’s October 2022 national security
command authority over U.S. forces in the Middle East and
strategy (NSS) and national defense strategy (NDS)
West/Central Asia. The Department of Defense (DOD)
emphasize competing with China and Russia. The NDS
formally established CENTCOM on January 1, 1983.
states that DOD “continues to right-size its forward military
CENTCOM denotes its area of responsibility (AOR) as 21
presence in the Middle East following the mission transition
countries: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel,
in Afghanistan,” and that “continuing our ‘by, with, and
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Oman,
through’ approach [of working with global and interagency
Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan,
partners] in Iraq and Syria, we will address major security
Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Uzbekistan,
challenges in the region in effective and sustainable ways.”
and Yemen. CENTCOM is headquartered at MacDill Air
Speaking about U.S. partnership with Arab states in
Force Base (AFB) in Tampa, FL. Congress has engaged in
November 2022, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
CENTCOM oversight regularly, particularly during annual
Colin Kahl said, “The United States remains committed to
posture hearings.
the region. We’re here and we’re not going anywhere. This
Component Commands
administration believes that our collective security will
benefit from a more integrated coalition of partners,
As with other Combatant Commands, CENTCOM is a
synchronizing actions across political, economic and
headquarters; no military units are permanently assigned to
security sectors, all within the framework of a rules-based
it. CENTCOM operates through component commands—
international order.” The CENTCOM AOR’s location and
one for each of the U.S. armed services, along with a joint
the resources and defense capabilities of some CENTCOM
special operations component. Each component command
countries may sustain the AOR’s relevance in U.S. strategic
may or may not have military forces assigned to it in theater. competition with China and Russia.
CENTCOM and National Strategic Priorities
A potential oversight issue for Congress is whether DOD is
Israel in CENTCOM
devoting an appropriate level of resources to the
For decades, DOD placed Israel in the European Command
CENTCOM AOR, and whether the Administration is
(EUCOM) AOR due to significant tensions between Israel
properly balancing demands for force deployments to the
and its neighbors in the Middle East. On January 15, 2021,
CENTCOM AOR vis-a-vis other AORs, in particular the
DOD announced that the 2020 Unified Command Plan
Indo-Pacific region and Europe.
review resulted in shifting Israel from the EUCOM AOR to
that of CENTCOM. In so doing, DOD noted, “The easing of
Statements and decisions suggest that the Biden
tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbors subsequent to
Administration, similar to the Trump and Obama
the Abraham Accords has provided a strategic opportunity
Administrations, wants to economize on U.S. force
for the United States to align key partners against shared
deployments to the CENTCOM AOR where possible so that threats in the Middle East.” While improved Israeli ties with
a larger number of U.S. forces can be available for potential
some Arab states may allow more open coordination to
deployments to counter threats from China or Russia. A
counter Iran, including on air and missile defense, these
November 29, 2021, DOD news report on a global DOD
states may choose to limit or avoid some forms of overt
posture review conducted by the Biden Administration
cooperation with Israel (including stationing Israeli
stated that (1) “the Indo-Pacific is the priority region for the
personnel on their territory).
review, given [Secretary of Defense Austin’s] focus on
China as America's pacing challenge”; (2) in Europe, “the
Funding
review looks to strengthen the U.S. combat deterrent against
DOD budget documentation does not delineate total funding
Russia, and enable NATO forces to operate more
by Combatant Command (CCMD). In general, the military
effectively”; and (3) in the Middle East, “there have already services fund forces and operations assigned to the
been some posture review changes including the
commands. CCMD funding justified in budget
redeployment of critically strained missile defense
documentation is, with some exceptions, limited to
capabilities, and reallocation of certain maritime assets back
Operation and Maintenance (O&M) accounts for
to Europe and the Indo-Pacific.” The review indicates that,
headquarters and mission support activities.
in Iraq and Syria, “DOD posture will continue to support the In the case of CENTCOM, the U.S. Air Force is the
defeated Islamic State campaign and building the capacity of
partner forces.” In April and June 2021, reports said that the Combatant Command Support Agent (CCSA) and has
primary responsibility for funding its headquarters. For
Biden Administration had decided to withdraw certain U.S.
FY2023, the Air Force requested $331.1 million in the
forces, including fighter squadrons and Patriot and THAAD
O&M budget sub-activity group (SAG) for Combatant
(Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile defense
Command Mission Operations – USCENTCOM and $1.4
batteries, from the Middle East, so that some could be
million for USCENTCOM Cyberspace Sustainment.
redeployed elsewhere.
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United States Central Command
Figure 1. Selected Installations in and Around the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility

DOD also requested $27.3 billion for overseas operations in
planning is based on clear and unambiguous signaling
the CENTCOM AOR. Of this amount, $5.5 billion was for
to Iran and its threat network.”
Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) in Iraq and Syria, with an
 U.S. Advisory and Deterrence Missions in Saudi
average annual troop strength assumption of 4,017
Arabia. Using security cooperation and security
personnel. The remaining $21.8 billion was for other theater
assistance authorities, the U.S. military provides Saudi-
requirements and missions, with an average annual troop
purchased training to Saudi Arabian counterparts. U.S.
strength assumption of 55,649 personnel.
forces also provide advice and limited information to
Focal Points in the CENTCOM AOR
Saudi counterparts in relation to the war in Yemen.
U.S. forces also are deployed in Saudi Arabia for
The CENTCOM AOR contains a number of conflicts and
deterrence and for air and missile defense purposes.
areas of concern:



Maritime Operations. U.S. forces participate in two
Afghanistan. DOD has initiated Operation Enduring
maritime missions in the Persian Gulf. The Combined
Sentinel (OES) to conduct over-the-horizon operations
Maritime Forces (CMF) is a 34-nation coalition
against terrorist threats in Afghanistan, but has not
focused on defeating terrorism and preventing piracy.
carried out any strikes there since the August 2021 U.S.
The International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC)
military withdrawal. A CIA strike in in Kabul in
is a ten-member coalition focused on maritime
August 2022 killed Al Qaeda leader Ayman al
shipping lanes, providing surveillance and patrolling in
Zawahiri, underscoring U.S. counterterrorism concerns
the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el Mandeb.
and capabilities.
 Yemen. For over a decade, the Republic of Yemen
 Syria/Iraq. The United States has conducted
Government has been engaged in multiple armed
operations in Syria and Iraq to defeat the Islamic State
conflicts to which several internal militant groups and
group since 2014 (OIR). Biden Administration officials
foreign nations are parties. CENTCOM has provided
have stated that approximately 900 U.S. troops remain
noncombat support to a Saudi-led coalition combatting
in Syria, with the majority deployed in northeastern
the Ansar Allah/Houthi movement in Yemen. The
Syria in support of counter-IS operations by partner
Biden Administration ceased U.S. support for
forces. OIR in Iraq is an advise-and-assist mission;
“offensive” operations by the Saudi-led coalition. U.S.
U.S. combat missions in Iraq ended in 2021, in
forces in Yemen conduct operations against Al Qaeda
agreement with the Iraqi government.
and Islamic State affiliates.
 Iran. The United States has been engaged at times in a
Kathleen J. McInnis originally coauthored this product.
hybrid, irregular conflict with Iran for decades. Iran-
supported groups in countries such as Iraq, Yemen,
Nathan J. Lucas, Section Research Manager
Syria, and Lebanon have conducted missile and
Brendan W. McGarry, Analyst in U.S. Defense Budget
unmanned aerial vehicle attacks against U.S. partners
and U.S. forces stationed in the region. According to
IF11428
March 2022 testimony from then- CENTCOM
Commander General McKenzie, “current CENTCOM
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United States Central Command

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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11428 · VERSION 5 · UPDATED