USCENTCOM
/ Strategic Challenge / Theater End State
/ Mission
Chapter 1: USCENTCOM
USCENTCOM
/ Strategic Challenge / Theater End State
/ Mission
Central Command is a unified command, commanding forces from each of the military services. The command was established in response to regional instability within its Area of Responsibility (AOR) and to protect vital United States interests in this area. The U.S. Central Command vision is that of a flexible and versatile command which now, and into the 21st century, is...
trained, positioned, and ready to defend the nation's vital interests, promote peace and stability, deter conflict, and conduct operations across the conflict continuum
and...
is prepared to wage unrelenting, simultaneous joint and combined operations to achieve decisive victory in war.
The Central Command Area of Responsibility comprises 19 nations of the Middle East, Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia, including the waters of the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Gulf of Oman.
USCENTCOM's strategic challenge centers on the fact that the U.S. has vital interests far from our own shores, but close to potential threats, in a volatile region where political and fiscal constraints limit the nature and scope of U.S. forward presence. Even after the completion of significant modernization efforts, the nations of the region are not yet capable of defending themselves either alone or collectively. Therefore the United States must be prepared to defend its vital interests unilaterally if necessary. The problem is compounded by shortfalls in strategic lift and competing intelligence requirements which make early warning difficult. Proliferation of conventional weapons and WMD/missiles by rogue states, among others, intent on offsetting the U.S. technological and conventional advantage is an alarming post-Cold War development with serious strategic and operational implications. The United States has no treaties with regional friends and relies solely on Defense Cooperation Agreements (DCAs) which we have negotiated with most members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
It is the goal of U.S. Central Command to pursue the following theater end state:
"A peaceful and stable region that enjoys close relations with the U.S.; comprised of nations that possess military forces to satisfy legitimate self-defense needs, that engage in collective security arrangements to promote the common defense, that support non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missiles, and that respect fundamental human rights."
Such an end state will help ensure the international community uninterrupted access to oil. The strategic challenge of achieving this desired end state is the basis of USCENTCOM's mission.
The mission of the U.S. Central Command is four-fold:
