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Länderdossier: USA

Streitkräfteübersicht / Armed Forces

Waffensysteme Übersicht / Weapon Systems Overview

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Verteidigungsministerium USA

US Central Command (CENTCOM)

Headquarter:
MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa (Florida), USA

Mission
US Central Command, working with national and international partners, promotes development and cooperation among nations, responds to crises, and deters or defeats state and transnational aggression in order to establish regional security and stability.

History
United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) was established January 1, 1983. As its name implies, USCENTCOM covers the "central" area of the globe located between the European and Pacific Commands. When the hostage crisis in Iran and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan underlined the need to strengthen U.S. interests in the region, President Jimmy Carter established the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) in March 1980. To provide a stronger, more lasting solution in the region, President Ronald Reagan took steps to transform the RDJTF into a permanent unified command (USCENTCOM) over a two-year period.

Area of Responsibility Image source: USCENTCOM

Additional information
On September 11, 2001 citizen from more than 80 countries died during the terror attacks in USA. A day later on September 12, 2001 the United States began building the coalition, and there are currently 70 nations supporting the global war on terrorism. To date, 21 nations have deployed more than 16,000 troops to the U.S. Central Command's region of responsibility.

In Afghanistan alone, the US coalition partners are contributing nearly 8,000 troops to Operation Enduring Freedom and to the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul - making up over half of the 15,000 non-Afghan forces in Afghanistan.