U. S. Central Command (Uscentcom)

uscentcom is a unified combatant command of the united states department of defense. our mission is to direct and enable military operations and activities with allies and partners to increase regional security and stability in support of enduring u.s. interests. the uscentcom area of responsibility (aor) spans more than 4 million square miles and is populated by more than 560 million people from 25 ethnic groups, speaking 20 languages with hundreds of dialects and confessing multiple religions which transect national borders. the geography of the region consists of the intersection of three continents and globally vital commercial sea lanes, flight corridors, pipelines and overland routes. the 21 nations of the aor, which stretches from northeast africa across the middle east to central and south asia, have forms of governance ranging across the political spectrum, including emerging democracies, hereditary monarchies, autocracies, and islamist theocratic regimes. u.s. central command