A joint base ( JB ) is a base of the armed forces of the United States utilized by multiple military services; one service hosts one or more other services as tenants on the base. In most cases, joint bases have interservice support agreements (ISSAs) to govern how the host provides services to the tenants.
60-604: The practice originated during Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), 1993, in which joint reserve bases were established at Willow Grove , Pennsylvania, and Fort Worth , Texas. Base Realignment and Closure, 2005 added to this list when 26 bases were combined into twelve and renamed as joint bases. In addition, several other uses of the term "joint" are used in names of bases in the United States military and are described below. JRBs at Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, and Fort Worth, Texas, were created during BRAC 1993 ; however,
120-412: A boundary. As of 1 October 2010, all 12 joint bases achieved full operational capability. Joint basing is not governed by the standard host–tenant ISSA policy, DODI 4000.19. Joint basing is instead governed by a memorandum of agreement between each joint base's supporting component, which provides installation support, and supported components, which receive installation support. BRAC 2005 law identified
180-460: A massive air interdiction campaign, which prepared the theater for a coalition ground assault. The primary coalition objective, the liberation of Kuwait, was achieved on 27 February, and the next morning a ceasefire was declared, just one hundred hours after the commencement of the ground campaign. The end of formal hostilities did not bring the end of difficulties with Iraq. Operation Provide Comfort , implemented to provide humanitarian assistance to
240-562: A no-fly zone south of the 32nd parallel. In January 1997, Operation Northern Watch replaced Provide Comfort, with a focus on enforcing the northern no-fly zone. Throughout the decade, CENTCOM carried out a string of operations – Vigilant Warrior , Vigilant Sentinel , Desert Strike , Desert Thunder (I and II), and Desert Fox – to try to coerce Saddam into greater compliance with U.S. wishes. The 1990s also brought significant challenges in Somalia as well as from
300-603: A response to the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan , and the large-scale evacuation of American citizens from Lebanon in 2006. On 1 October 2008, the Department of Defense transferred responsibility for Sudan , Eritrea , Ethiopia , Djibouti , Kenya, and Somalia to the newly established Africa Command. Egypt , home to Exercise Bright Star , the Department of Defense's largest reoccurring military exercise, remained in
360-514: A set of installation support functional areas and provided for the creation of a set of joint base common standards to define the level of service expected at each joint base and to ensure consistent delivery of installation support services. As of March 2014, there are 260 joint base common standards grouped into 48 functional areas and 12 categories. Not all of the joint bases were mandated by BRAC 2005 law to establish themselves as joint bases; however, all 12 joint bases assumed that nomenclature or
420-579: A variable number of base locations depending on its level of operations. With ongoing warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2003, the United States Air Force used 35 bases, while in 2006 it used 14, including four in Iraq. The United States Navy maintains one major base and one smaller installation, with extensive deployments afloat and ashore by U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard ships, aviation units and ground units. Two of
480-564: A variation. In addition to the above bases, Joint Base Balad was created as part of a combination of bases in Iraq . It was handed over to the Iraqi Air Force in 2011, as the United States military withdrew from the nation. Joint Base Balad operated under the direction of CENTCOM . Two authorities provided support to tenants: the base operations support integrator (BOS-I) and the senior airfield authority (SAA). The U.S. Air Force
540-568: A war against international terrorism. CENTCOM soon launched Operation Enduring Freedom to expel the Taliban government in Afghanistan, which was harboring Al Qaida terrorists and hosting terrorist training camps. Exercise Internal Look has been employed for explicit war planning on at least two occasions: Internal Look '90, which dealt with a threat from Iraq, and Internal Look '03, which was used to plan what became Operation Iraqi Freedom -
600-490: Is General Michael E. Kurilla , U.S. Army . Two of the last three United States Secretaries of Defense -- incumbent Lloyd Austin and James Mattis , both of whom required congressional waivers to be confirmed -- were recent CENTCOM commanders. Of all seven American regional unified combatant commands, CENTCOM is among four that are headquartered outside their area of operations (the other three being USAFRICOM , USSOUTHCOM , and USSPACECOM ). CENTCOM's main headquarters
660-494: Is known as Joint Intelligence Center, Central Command, or JICCENT, which serves as a Joint Intelligence Center for the co-ordination of intelligence . Under the intelligence directorate, there are several divisions including the Afghanistan-Pakistan Center of Excellence . CENTCOM directs five "service component commands" and one subordinate unified command : * USCG Command that augments NAVCENT in
SECTION 10
#1732780584328720-732: Is located at MacDill Air Force Base , in Tampa, Florida . A forward headquarters was established in 2002 at Camp As Sayliyah in Doha, Qatar , which in 2009 transitioned to a forward headquarters at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar . In January 2021, Israel became the 21st country of the AOR, added to another 20 nations including Afghanistan , Bahrain , Egypt , Iran , Iraq , Jordan , Kazakhstan , Kuwait , Kyrgyzstan , Lebanon , Oman , Pakistan , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , Syria , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan ,
780-689: Is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense . It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF). Its Area of Responsibility (AOR) includes the Middle East (including Egypt in Africa ), Central Asia and parts of South Asia . The command has been the main American presence in many military operations, including
840-516: Is tasked to pursue the most sensitive high-value targets such as Al Qaeda and the Taliban leadership since 11 September 2001. Rather, TF 77, which started out as Task Force 11 and has gone through a number of name/number changes, reports directly to Joint Special Operations Command , part of USSOCOM. As of 2015 , CENTCOM forces are deployed primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan in combat roles and have support roles at bases in Kuwait , Bahrain , Qatar ,
900-520: The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission on May 13, 2005 (a date given the moniker "BRAC Friday," a pun on Black Friday ). After an extensive series of public hearings, analysis of DoD-supplied supporting data, and solicitation of comments from the public, the list of recommendations was revised by the 9-member Defense Base Closure and Realignments Commission in two days of public markups and votes on individual recommendations (the proceedings were broadcast by C-SPAN and are available for review on
960-496: The Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations closed 574 U.S. military bases around the world, particularly after President John F. Kennedy was briefed after his inauguration that the missile gap was not a concern. The Defense Base Realignment and Closure Act of 1990 provided "the basic framework for the transfer and disposal of military installations closed during the base realignment and closure (BRAC) process". The process
1020-461: The Horn of Africa to combat terrorism, establish a secure environment, and foster regional stability. These operations involved a series of Special Operations Forces raids, humanitarian assistance, consequence management, and a variety of civic action programs. The command has also remained poised to provide disaster relief throughout the region; its most recent significant relief operations have been
1080-639: The House Armed Services Committee rejected calls by the Pentagon for base closures outside of a 2015 round by a 44 to 18 vote. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta had called for two rounds of base closures while at the same time arguing that the alternative of the sequester would be a "meat-ax" approach to cuts which would "hollow out" military forces. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 specifically prohibits authorization of future BRAC rounds. In May 2014, it
1140-697: The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) directed most U.S. forces in Afghanistan. A U.S. general ( Dan K. McNeill ) assumed command of ISAF that same month. Temporary task forces include the Central Command Forward ;– Jordan (CF-J), which was announced in April 2013. CF-J's stated purpose was to work with the Jordanian armed forces to improve the latter's capabilities. There
1200-664: The Persian Gulf War 's Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the War in Afghanistan , as well as the Iraq War from 2003 to 2011. As of 2015 , CENTCOM forces were deployed primarily in Afghanistan under the auspices of Operation Freedom's Sentinel , which was itself part of NATO's Resolute Support Mission (from 2015 to 2021), and in Iraq and Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve since 2014 in supporting and advise-and-assist roles. As of 1 April 2022 , CENTCOM's commander
1260-708: The United Arab Emirates , Oman , and central Asia . CENTCOM forces have also been deployed in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The following war plan numbers have been made public: Others listed by Arkin's supplements include CENTCOM CONPLAN 1211-07 "Foreign Humanitarian Assistance / Disaster Response Operations." It was issued in November 2007, and required using the Request for Forces method via then- U.S. Joint Forces Command to supply any required forces. With
SECTION 20
#17327805843281320-571: The United Arab Emirates , Uzbekistan and Yemen . The command was established on 1 January 1983. As its name implies, CENTCOM covers the "central" area of the globe located between the African, European and Indo-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
1380-740: The Zagros Mountains from a Soviet attack and was held annually. In autumn 1989, the main CENTCOM contingency plan, OPLAN 1002-88, assumed a Soviet attack through Iran to the Persian Gulf. The plan called for five-and-two-thirds US divisions to deploy, mostly light and heavy forces at something less than full strength (apportioned to it by the Joint Strategic Capability Plan [JSCAP]). The original plan called for these five-and-two-thirds divisions to march from
1440-655: The " Tanker War ", the Federal government of the United States reflagged and renamed 11 Kuwaiti oil tankers. In Operation Earnest Will , these tankers were escorted by USCENTCOM's Middle East Force through the Persian Gulf to Kuwait and back through the Strait of Hormuz . By late 1988, the regional strategy still largely focused on the potential threat of a massive Soviet invasion of Iran. Exercise Internal Look has been one of CENTCOM's primary planning events. It had frequently been used to train CENTCOM to be ready to defend
1500-468: The 1983 establishment of CENTCOM Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti came within the area of responsibility (AOR). Thus CENTCOM directed the 'Natural Bond' exercises with Sudan, the 'Eastern Wind' exercises with Somalia, and the 'Jade Tiger' exercises with Oman, Somalia, and Sudan. Exercise Jade Tiger involved the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit with Oman from 29 November 1982 to 8 December 1982. On 7 February 2007, plans were announced for
1560-488: The 2003 United States invasion of Iraq , which began on 19 March 2003. Following the defeat of both the Taliban regime in Afghanistan (9 November 2001) and Saddam Hussein's government in Iraq (8 April 2003), CENTCOM has continued to provide security to the new freely-elected governments in those countries, conducting counterinsurgency operations and assisting host nation security forces to provide for their own defense. Beginning in October 2002, CENTCOM conducted operations in
1620-497: The CENTCOM Area of Responsibility . On 15 January 2021, responsibility for Israel was transferred from Europe Command to CENTCOM. In January 2015, CENTCOM's Twitter feed was reported to have been hacked on 11 January by ISIS sympathizers. This situation lasted for less than one hour; no classified information was posted and "none of the information posted came from CENTCOM's server or social media sites"; however, some of
1680-590: The CENTCOM AOR *Assigned to Air Combat Command as the 432nd Wing, but acts as 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing when operating in the CENTCOM AOR Two major subordinate multi-service commands reporting to Central Command were responsible for Afghanistan: Combined Joint Task Force 180 and Combined Forces Command Afghanistan (CFC-A). CFC-A was disestablished in February 2007. From that point onward,
1740-733: The Cold War (e.g., during the Korean War ) resulted in large numbers of new installations, such as the Permanent System radar stations and Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) control centers . By 1959, plans for even larger numbers of Cold War installations were canceled (e.g., DoD's June 19, 1959, Continental Air Defense Program reduced the number of Super Combat Center underground nuclear bunkers to 7). In 1958, U.S. Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) began to replace Strategic Air Command bombers. From 1960 to 1964,
1800-703: The Iranian government designated the United States Central Command a terrorist organization after the Trump administration branded Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with the same label. CENTCOM's main headquarters is located at MacDill Air Force Base , in Tampa, Florida . CENTCOM headquarters staff directorates include personnel, intelligence, operations, logistics, plans & policy, information systems, training & exercises, and resources, and other functions. The intelligence section
1860-474: The Kurds and enforce a "no-fly" zone in Iraq , north of the 36th parallel, began in April 1991. In August 1992, Operation Southern Watch began in response to Saddam's noncompliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 688 condemning his brutal repression of Iraqi civilians in southeastern Iraq. Under the command and control of Joint Task Force Southwest Asia, coalition forces in this operation enforced
Joint base - Misplaced Pages Continue
1920-585: The Massachusetts Military Reservation to Joint Base Cape Cod in 2013, reflecting its many operational tenants. Base Realignment and Closure Base Realignment and Closure ( BRAC ) was a process by a United States federal government commission to increase the efficiency of the United States Department of Defense by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following
1980-597: The Navy hosts a variety of reserve flying units from the Navy , Marine Corps , and Air Force ; each has an ISSA with the Navy for the support it needs at the base. The joint basing program, established by recommendation 146 of the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission, represents the department's efforts to optimize the delivery of installation support across the services. The BRAC Report created 12 joint bases from 26 service installations that were in close proximity or shared
2040-585: The Persian Gulf to the Zagros Mountains and prevent the Soviet Ground Forces (army) from seizing the Iranian oil fields . After 1990, General Norman Schwarzkopf reoriented CENTCOM's planning to fend off a threat from Iraq, and Internal Look moved to a biennial schedule. There was a notable similarity between the 1990 Internal Look exercise scripts and the real-world movement of Iraqi forces which culminated in Iraq's invasion of Kuwait during
2100-719: The Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) in March 1980. Steps were taken to transform the RDJTF into a permanent unified command over a two-year period. The first step was to make the RDJTF independent of U.S. Readiness Command , followed by the activation of CENTCOM in January 1983. Overcoming skeptical perceptions that the command was still an RDJTF in all but name, designed to support a Cold War strategy, took time. The Iran–Iraq War clearly underlined
2160-750: The USS Cole , resulting in the deaths of 17 U.S. sailors, was linked to Osama bin Laden 's Al Qaida organization. From April to July 1999, CENTCOM conducted Exercise Desert Crossing 1999 , centered on the scenario of Saddam Hussein being ousted as Iraq's dictator. It was held in the offices of Booz Allen Hamilton in McLean, Virginia . The exercise concluded that unless measures were taken, "fragmentation and chaos" would ensue after Saddam Hussein's overthrow. The September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington DC led President George W. Bush to declare
2220-670: The approved list was then given to Congress, who had the opportunity to disapprove the entire list within 45 days by enacting a resolution of disapproval. This did not happen, and the BRAC Commission's recommendations became final. The 1988 Base Realignment and Closure Commission included: In 1990, the Navy considered cutting 34 military installations. The 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission included: The 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission included: The 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission included: The Pentagon released its proposed list for
2280-465: The command launched Operation Desert Focus, designed to relocate U.S. installations to more defensible locations (such as Prince Sultan Air Base ), reduce the U.S. forward "footprint" by eliminating nonessential billets, and return dependents to the United States. In 1998 terrorists attacked the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania , killing 250 persons, including 12 Americans. The October 2000 attack on
2340-644: The countryside, the situation in Mogadishu worsened, and the significant casualties of the Battle of Mogadishu ultimately led President Bill Clinton to order the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Somalia. Throughout the 1990s, following the Gulf War, terrorist attacks had a major impact on CENTCOM forces. Faced with attacks such as the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers , which killed 19 American airmen,
2400-542: The creation of a United States Africa Command which transferred responsibility for U.S. military operations across Africa to the new USAFRICOM, except for Egypt. On 1 October 2008, the Africa Command became operational and Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa , the primary CENTCOM force on the continent, started reporting to AFRICOM at Stuttgart instead of CENTCOM in Tampa. The Department of Defense uses
2460-547: The delivery of installation support across the services. The DoD developed joint base common output level standards (JB-COLS) to provide common output or performance level standards for installation support. The framework of JB-COLS provides a common language to serve as a basis for (1) developing common output levels for each function of installation support at joint bases and (2) developing service-wide capability-based planning models for all installation support functions. OSD's 2008 guidance on implementing joint basing established
Joint base - Misplaced Pages Continue
2520-590: The end of the Cold War . Over 350 installations have been closed in five BRAC rounds: 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995, and 2005. These five BRAC rounds constitute a combined savings of $ 12 billion annually. The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 , passed after the 1947 reorganization of the National Military Establishment , reduced the number of U.S. military bases, forts, posts, and stations. The subsequent 1950s buildup for
2580-511: The end of the most recent BRAC commission report, its former chairman Anthony Principi wrote, "Now is the time to do what's right for our men and women in uniform. Spending dollars on infrastructure that does not serve their needs is inexcusable." The following is a chronological timeline of authorizations for U.S. Congressional legislation related to U.S. defense installation realignments and military base closures. CENTCOM The United States Central Command ( USCENTCOM or CENTCOM )
2640-476: The final days of the exercise. U.S. President George Bush responded quickly. A timely deployment of forces and the formation of a coalition deterred Iraq from invading Saudi Arabia , and the command began to focus on the liberation of Kuwait. The buildup of forces continued, reinforced by United Nations Security Council Resolution 678 , which called for Iraqi forces to leave Kuwait. On 17 January 1991, U.S. and coalition forces launched Operation Desert Storm with
2700-477: The former U.S. Central Command Commanders would later serve as United States Secretary of Defense : General James Mattis and General Lloyd Austin . Mattis served as the 26th U.S. Secretary of Defense. Austin became the 28th U.S. Secretary of Defense on January 22, 2021; he is the current incumbent. The unit awards depicted below are for Headquarters, U.S. Central Command at MacDill AFB. Award for unit decorations do not apply to any subordinate organization such as
2760-586: The growing tensions in the region, and developments such as Iranian mining operations in the Persian Gulf led to CENTCOM's first combat operations. On 17 May 1987, the USS ; Stark (FFG-31) , conducting operations in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq War, was struck by Exocet missiles fired by an Iraqi aircraft , resulting in 37 casualties. Soon afterward, as part of what became known as
2820-590: The growing threat of regional terrorism. To prevent widespread starvation as the Somali Civil War continued, CENTCOM began Operation Provide Relief in 1992 to supply humanitarian assistance to Somalia and northeastern Kenya . CENTCOM's Operation Restore Hope supported United Nations Security Council Resolution 794 and a multinational Unified Task Force, which provided security until the U.N. created UNOSOM II in May 1993. In spite of some UNOSOM II success in
2880-466: The list by taking testimony from interested parties and visiting affected bases. The BRAC Commission had the opportunity to add bases to the list and did so in a July 19, 2005, hearing. The Commission met its deadline of September 2005 to provide the evaluated list to the President, who approved the list with the condition that it could only be approved or disapproved in its entirety. On November 7, 2005,
2940-575: The name Joint Reserve Base was not used in the BRAC law. Instead, the BRAC realigned several reserve air assets to Carswell AFB (now NAS JRB Fort Worth) and NAS Willow Grove. It is not clear how or when these bases acquired the Joint Reserve Base name. The JRBs are examples of typical military host–tenant relationships, in which support provided to the tenants by the host is codified in an ISSA as dictated by DOD Policy. At NAS JRB Fort Worth,
3000-399: The network's website). The Commission submitted its revised list to the President on September 8, 2005. The President approved the list and notified Congress on September 15. The House of Representatives took up a joint resolution to disapprove the recommendations on October 26, but the resolution failed to pass. The recommendations were thereby enacted. The Secretary of Defense must implement
3060-671: The recommendations no later than September 15, 2011. Major facilities slated for closure included: Major facilities slated for realignment include: Twenty-six bases were realigned into 12 joint bases , with each joint base's installation support being led by the Army , the Air Force, or the Navy. An example is Joint Base Lewis–McChord , Washington, combining Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base . The 2005 Commission recommended that Congress authorize another BRAC round in 2015 and every eight years thereafter. On May 10, 2012,
SECTION 50
#17327805843283120-563: The senior leadership of CENTCOM, concluding that "allegations of intelligence being intentionally altered, delayed or suppressed by top CENTCOM officials from mid-2014 to mid-2015 were largely unsubstantiated." In January 2018, Turkey urged the United States to remove its troops from Syrian city of Manbij , saying that otherwise they might come under attack from Turkish troops; however, former CENTCOM commander Joseph Votel confirmed an American commitment to keeping troops in Manbij. In 2019,
3180-715: The slides came from the federally funded Lincoln Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . In August 2015, intelligence analysts working for CENTCOM complained to the media, alleging that CENTCOM's senior leadership was altering or distorting intelligence reports on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. In February 2017, the Inspector General of the United States Department of Defense completed its investigation and cleared
3240-478: The supported component by requiring that its base realign the "relocating the installation management functions to" the supporting component. Guidance developed by the OSD in 2008 required that the supporting and supported components complete a memorandum of agreement defining the installation support relationship between them for forming the joint base and to fully implement the BRAC 2005 joint basing decisions, and that
3300-425: The supporting component deliver installation support in accordance with the new definitions and standards. Resources then were transferred from the supported component(s) to the supporting component in the fiscal year 2010 President's Budget submittal to align resources with responsibility for installation support at the joint bases. The joint basing program represents Department of Defense (DoD) efforts to optimize
3360-458: Was a major subordinate multi-service command during the Iraq War order of battle until it was disestablished in 2011. Elements of other Unified Combatant Commands , especially United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), operate in the CENTCOM area. It appears that SOCCENT does not direct the secretive Task Force 88 , the ad-hoc grouping of Joint Special Operations Command 'black' units such as Delta Force and Army Rangers , which
3420-541: Was attempted to fund another round of BRAC, although funding was not approved in a vote in May of that year. In March 2015, the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment addressed the possibility of a future BRAC, indicating that the DOD, Defense Secretary Ash Carter was requesting authority to conduct another BRAC. In September 2015, at the tenth anniversary of
3480-497: Was created in 1988 to reduce pork barrel politics with members of Congress that arise when facilities face activity reductions. The most recent process began May 13, 2005, when Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld forwarded his recommendations for realignments and closures to the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission. The BRAC is an independent nine-member panel appointed by the President. This panel evaluated
3540-553: Was speculation, however, that another reason for its establishment was to serve as a base from which raids into Syria could be launched to seize Syrian WMD if necessary, and as a launch pad for looming American military action in Syria. On 1 October 2008 Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti was transferred to United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM). The United States Forces – Iraq or USF-I,
3600-401: Was the host at Joint Base Balad serving as both the BOS-I and SAA. No host-tenant agreement with the Army or other tenants of Joint Base Balad were needed, as it was CENTCOM policy for the BOS-I and SAA to advocate on behalf of all tenants. Although not officially named by the United States Department of Defense , local leaders on Cape Cod , and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts renamed
#327672