US Central Command was born in war. In 1983, the Tampa, Florida-based military command was formed amidst a low-grade maritime war with Iran – the Tanker War, part of the broader, grueling Iran-Iraq War. In the four decades since, CENTCOM has served at the knife’s edge of war in the Middle East, the Levant region, and Central Asia. The Battle of Mogadishu (“Black Hawk Down”), Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm, Operation Southern Watch, the Global War on Terror, Operation New Dawn…CENTCOM has become the Nation’s premier warfighting headquarters.

Throughout 2023, the 40th anniversary of the formation of CENTCOM, we will tell the stories of this command’s history, describe the battles that forged CENTCOM’s warfighting culture, and speak with the giant figures from this command. CENTCOM history over the past 40 years is American military history. CENTCOM’s story is one big personalities, valorous actions by American troops in combat’s critical moments, high stakes stand-offs at sea, and the adjudication of a war on a vile ideology.

Check here on and on our official Twitter page (@CENTCOM) throughout the year for podcasts, interviews, personality profiles, and analysis of critical moments. In the meantime, this six-part video details the birth, life and future of CENTCOM.