March 30, 2016

Votel takes command at CENTCOM

Defense Secretary Ash Carter receives the U.S. Central Command guidon as U.S. Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III relinquishes command to U.S. Army Gen. Joseph L. Votel. Carter officiated the change of command ceremony, which attracted more than 1,000 attendees, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Marine Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Central Command's component commanders, community leaders and senior coalition representatives.

March 30, 2016

Leaders praise Central Command for meeting every challenge

The men and women of U.S. Central Command have met every challenge thrown at them under the leadership of Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, and they won’t miss a beat as Army Gen. Joseph L. Votel takes the reins, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in Tampa, Florida, Wednesday.

March 25, 2016

Carter: U.S. military targets key ISIL terrorists

The U.S. military killed several key Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists this week, including a senior ISIL leader and finance minister who led certain external affairs and plots, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said here Friday.

March 24, 2016

CENTCOM employee named ‘2015 Hero of the Year’

Each day, service members are required to make correct, timely, and difficult decisions, often with life or death hanging in the balance. That is why it should be no surprise that U.S. Army Reserve 1st Lt. Jessica Purcell, of the 478th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) and a government contractor in U.S. Central Command’s J8 Directorate, chose to stop and assist a local Tampa man in desperate need of help.

March 23, 2016

Dunford: No compromise on training for Iraq, Afghanistan

The United States military has not, and will not compromise training or equipping of any troops going into harm’s way, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the House Armed Services Committee today.

March 16, 2016

Campbell: U.S. leaders heeded advice on Afghanistan

Congress and President Barack Obama listened to and acted on advice from the commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan over the last 18 months, said Army Gen. John F. Campbell, whose posting as commander of NATO’s Resolute Support mission and U.S. forces in Afghanistan ended March 2 when Army Gen. John W. “Mick” Nicholson Jr. succeeded him.

March 10, 2016

Outgoing senior military representative reflects on U.S.-Pakistan defense relationship

Situated at the crossroads of Central and South Asia with a population of more than 200 million people, Pakistan is the most populous country in the CENTCOM area of responsibility and one of few nuclear powers in the region. According to the U.S. State Department, the United States and Pakistan have maintained diplomatic relations since Pakistan’s founding in 1947, but it was the events of 9/11 that led the two nations to conduct closer coordination on security and stability matters in the region.

March 10, 2016

General: ISIL contained, Taliban fracturing in Afghanistan

Fighters affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant are contained to one district in Afghanistan and the Taliban is fracturing into separate groups, the deputy chief of staff for communication for NATO's Resolute Support Mission said.

March 9, 2016

Counter-ISIL operations aim to isolate Raqqa

Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. said Syrian Democratic Front forces and Iraqi security forces are working to prevent ISIL from using Raqqa as a planning hub or an area from which the terror group can launch attacks.

March 4, 2016

Marine working dog earns prestigious Dickin Medal for gallantry in Afghanistan

Lucca, a retired Marine Corps military working dog, has been selected as the first United States military working dog to receive this prestigious international award.