Since its founding in 1983, the US Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa has made Iran the main focus.
Today, “Deter Iran” is listed as a top priority for commands. Last week, Central Command was at the heart of the Trump administration’s bombing of three nuclear facilities in the Middle Eastern country.
Central Command is one of 11 such orders in the US Department of Defense. The four operate around specific functions. The seven, including Tampa’s Central Command, covers geographical regions around the world.
MacDill’s Central Command is the busiest and latest command station within the US Department of Defense. Initially it focused on eight countries, but has since expanded to 21 in the “central” part of the globe, including the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia and the water surrounding them.
How was this key command station born in Tampa and why is Iran so important? Here’s the summary.
Why is the Central Command created and what has its connection with Iran?
Central Command is the direct result of the Iranian revolution that began in the late 1970s and the subsequent US hostage crisis. In February 1979, Iranian extremists overthrew the country’s secular monarchy and established the Muslim priesthood republic. That November, extremists seized the US embassy in Tehran, taking 52 American diplomats hostage.
In March 1979, President Jimmy Carter established the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force in response to the hostage crisis. The task force’s mission was to respond to threats in the Persian Gulf region. According to the Department of Defense, such threats continued to become a permanent unification command under President Ronald Reagan in 1983.
Four years later, in 1987, Central Command directed a combat operation with Iran to protect Kuwait ships in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq war.
In 1991, Central Command led Operation Desert Storm, known as the first Persian Gulf War, after the Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait.
What role has the American war had since 9/11?
This order has led the longest battle in American history.
Since covering the Middle East, Central Command has been leading American operations in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003. It led the battle in Afghanistan and managed the war with Iraqi Saddam Hussein. In 2014, they also launched a business to combat ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
What do people do every day?
The days at Central Command are diverse, including Washington’s Pentagon military personnel and those physically based in the MacDill office in Tampa, where they research, plan, coordinate and cooperate with other countries and US military commands.
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The command consists of five small commands specializing in a variety of military partnerships and operations, including military training and peacekeeping operations. It also works with several coalitions and organizations, including NATO and the United Nations initiatives.
Why are there other Central Commands on MacDill?
Central Command is located on MacDill. Because its predecessor, the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force, was based there, and in 1961 it was based on a similar prioritization focused command.
“The growth of these major combatant command headquarters itself has begun to create a subhead quarter for MacDill and shift the base characteristics from an Air Force-centric installation to one serving all co-partners and coalition partners,” MacDill said.
McDill is also home to the 6th Airline Refueling Wing, which involves planes refueling military aircraft into the air. Specialized, short-term missions commands are also housed at MacDill.
Who leads Central Command?
General Michael “Eric” Kurira is the commander of the Central Commander. He took on the role in April 2022 from General Kenneth “Frank” Mackenzie Jr.
Other well-known generals led the Central Command, some of whom have either led the Department of Defense or become key presidential advisers. They include former Secretaries of Defense Lloyd Austin and Jens. Jim Mattis and David Petraeus.
