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1 1 (March 30, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/govegtq0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Informing I e flave debate sine 1914 United States Central Command Updated March 30, 2022 United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has command authority over U.S. forces in the Middle East and West/Central Asia. CENTCOM was formally established by the Department of Defense (DOD) on January 1, 1983. Its area of responsibility (AOR) comprises Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, West Bank & Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Yemen, Israel, Iran, Turkmenistan, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. CENTCOM is headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base (AFB) in Tampa, FL. Component Commands As with other Combatant Commands, CENTCOM is a headquarters; no military units are permanently assigned to it. CENTCOM operates through component commands- one for each of the U.S. armed services (with the exception of Space Force), along with a joint special operations component. Each component command may or may not have military forces assigned to it in theater. CENTCOM and National Strategic Priorities The Trump and Biden Administrations both described the need to effectively contend-economically, diplomatically, and militarily-with China and Russia as the key national security challenge facing the United States. Accordingly, activities vis-a-vis China and Russia would potentially be prioritized over other strategic challenges that have been prominent in the CENTCOM AOR, including deterring Iranian aggression and countering violent extremist groups such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. Some observers maintain that a shift in U.S. resources and focus away from the CENTCOM AOR and toward Europe and Asia is advisable for several reasons. These include the reprioritization of military resources that, according to some, might be better applied to challenges in Europe-especially in the wake of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine-or the Indo-Pacific; skepticism about whether continued investments, presence, and operations in the region would result in strategic gains; and the growing threat posed by U.S. strategic competitors such as Russia and China. Others note the continuing influential role some CENTCOM countries play in world energy markets; the region's geographic location between Europe, Africa, and the Indian Ocean basin; and the possible use of parts of the theater as a proxy for great power competition in arguing for the continued prioritization of U.S. defense presence and engagement in parts of the CENTCOM AOR, specifically the Middle East. The Biden Administration's Interim National Security Strategic Guidance (INSSG) notes: In the Middle East, we will maintain our ironclad commitment to Israel's security, while seeking to further its integration with its neighbors and resuming our role as promoter of a viable two-state solution. We will work with our regional partners to deter Iranian aggression and threats to sovereignty and territorial integrity, disrupt al-Qaeda and related terrorist networks and prevent an ISIS resurgence, address humanitarian crises, and redouble our efforts to resolve the complex armed conflicts that threaten regional stability. But we do not believe that military force is the answer to the region's challenges, and we will not give our partners in the Middle East a blank check to pursue policies at odds with American interests and values. Israel in CENT COM For decades, DOD placed Israel in the European Command (EUCOM) AOR due to significant tensions between Israel and its neighbors in the Middle East. On January 15, 2021, DOD announced that the 2020 UCP review resulted in shifting Israel from the EUCOM AOR to that of CENTCOM. In so doing, DOD noted, The easing of tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbors subsequent to the Abraham Accords has provided a strategic opportunity for the United States to align key partners against shared threats in the Middle East. While improved Israeli ties with some Arab states may allow more open coordination to counter Iran, including on air and missile defense, these states may stay clear of some forms of direct cooperation with Israel (including stationing Israeli personnel on their territory) to avoid provoking Iran or sparking domestic protest. Funding DOD budget documentation does not delineate total funding by Combatant Command (CCMD). Forces and operations assigned to the commands are, in general, funded by the military services. CCMD funding justified in budget documentation is, with some exceptions, generally limited to Operation and Maintenance (O&M) accounts for headquarters and mission support activities. In the case of CENTCOM, the U.S. Air Force is the Combatant Command Support Agent (CCSA) and primarily responsible for funding its headquarters. For FY2022, the Air Force requested $372.4 million in the O&M budget sub- activity group (SAG) for Combatant Command Mission Operations - USCENTCOM. Congress provided $366.54 million-$5.8 million (1.6%) less than the request.

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