How We Serve



 

 

USARCENT is an operational-level Army force designated by the Secretary of the Army as the Army Service Component CommandASCC - Command responsible for recommendations to the joint force commander on the allocation and employment of Army forces within a combatant command. Learn more here. of United States Central Command. On behalf of the Secretary of the Army and through the Chief of Staff of the Army, USARCENT exercises administrative control ADCON - the direction or exercise of authority over subordinate or other organizations with respect to administration and support. Learn more here. of all U.S. Army forces in the Middle East and Central Asia - which includes supplying, equipping, training, servicing, administrating, and maintaining forces.

 

We also support joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational (JIIM) elements in the CENTCOM area of responsibility (AOR) through Army support to other services, such as missile defense, logistics management, transportation, fuel distribution, communications, veterinary services, and explosive ordnance disposal. Additional protection and sustainment responsibilities include contracting, medical support and evacuation, military postal service, and detainee operations.

 

When delegated by the CENTCOM commander, USARCENT exercises operational control OPCON - Authority to organize commands and forces and to employ those forces as the receiving commander deems necessary to accomplish assigned missions. Learn more here. over all U.S. Army forces in the CENTCOM AOR, with the exception of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan (USFOR-A) and Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Iraq. Also for the CENTCOM commander, USARCENT produces military plans, improves relationships and interoperability with partner nations through exercises, and facilitates the seamless transition of joint forces in and out of theater.

 

Finally, when directed by CENTCOM, USARCENT serves as a Joint Task Force JTF - An ad hoc military formation established when the scope and complexity of a contingency or crisis require capabilities of Services from at least two Military Departments operating under a single joint force commander. Learn more here. capable of commanding and controlling joint and/or coalition forces engaged in sustained military operations, including disaster relief and crisis response. For example, USARCENT served in this capacity in 2003, during the invasion of Iraq and from 2014 to 2015, for the fight against ISIS. 

 

Our Operational Approach & Lines of Effort

Set the Theater to Prepare for Combat

U.S. Army Central provides flexible options for the Commander in Chief by creating favorable conditions for the rapid execution of military operations. We maintain the necessary mission command and enabling forward presence, which involves significant sustainment, air and missile defense, engineering, information collection, medical, and communication in coordination with other host nations, the interagency, and service components in order to support the National Security Strategy (NSS) and National Military Strategy (NMS.)

Shape the Environment to Pursue Opportunities

As the Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC) within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, U.S. Army Central provides a modern, relevant framework for training, readiness, cooperation, and integration. We support the training and readiness efforts of allied and coalition land forces by recommending priorities, identifying resources for training, and when necessary, serving as the higher headquarters for training exercises and contingencies.

Conduct Unified Land Operations to Transition and Prevail in Combat

U.S. Army Central remains prepared to seize, retain, and exploit the initiative to gain and maintain aposition of relative advantage in sustained multi-domain battle in order to prevent or deter conflict, prevail in war, and create conditions for favorable conflict resolution.