Leadership of the United States Central Command
This is a list of all commanders, deputy commanders, senior enlisted leaders, and chiefs of staff of the United States Central Command.
Current combatant command staff
Charles B. Cooper II, Commander - Vacant, Deputy Commander
Brandon R. Tegtmeier, Chief of Staff[1] 
Nicholas M. Homan, Director, Intelligence (J2)[2]
Curt Renshaw, Director, Operations (J3)[3] 
Michael B. Siegl, Director, Logistics (J4)[6]
Sean M. Salene, Director, Strategy, Plans, and Policy (J5)[7] - Nicholas R. Tilbrook, Deputy Director, Strategy, Plans, and Policy[8]
- James D. Turinetti IV, Director, Cyber (J6)[9]
Steven J. deMilliano, Director, Exercises and Training (J7)[10]
- Vacant, Deputy Commander
List of leaders of the United States Central Command
Commanders
| Commander of the United States Central Command | |
|---|---|
Emblem of the United States Central Command | |
 | |
| United States Department of Defense | |
| Type | Unified combatant commander |
| Abbreviation | CDRUSCENTCOM[11] |
| Reports to | President of the United States Secretary of Defense |
| Seat | MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, U.S. |
| Nominator | Secretary of Defense |
| Appointer | The president with Senate advice and consent |
| Term length | 2–3 years (approx.) |
| Constituting instrument | 10 U.S.C. § 167 |
| Formation | 1 January 1983 |
| First holder | Robert Kingston |
| Deputy | Deputy Commander, United States Central Command |
| No. | Commander | Term | Service branch | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | ||
| 1 | General Robert Kingston (1928–2007) | 1 January 1983 | 27 November 1985 | 2 years, 330 days |  U.S. Army | |
| 2 | General George B. Crist (1931–2024) | 27 November 1985 | 23 November 1988 | 2 years, 362 days |  U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 3 | General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. (1934–2012) | 23 November 1988 | 9 August 1991 | 2 years, 259 days | U.S. Army | |
| 4 | General Joseph P. Hoar (1934–2022) | 9 August 1991 | 5 August 1994 | 2 years, 361 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 5 | General J. H. Binford Peay III (born 1940) | 5 August 1994 | 13 August 1997 | 3 years, 8 days | U.S. Army | |
| 6 | General Anthony Zinni (born 1943) | 13 August 1997 | 6 July 2000 | 2 years, 328 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 7 | General Tommy Franks (born 1945) | 6 July 2000 | 7 July 2003 | 3 years, 1 day | U.S. Army | |
| 8 | General John Abizaid (born 1951) | 7 July 2003 | 16 March 2007 | 3 years, 252 days | U.S. Army | |
| 9 | Admiral William J. Fallon (born 1944) | 16 March 2007 | 28 March 2008 | 1 year, 12 days |  U.S. Navy | |
| - | Lieutenant General Martin Dempsey (born 1952) Acting | 28 March 2008 | 31 October 2008 | 217 days | U.S. Army | |
| 10 | General David Petraeus (born 1952) | 31 October 2008 | 30 June 2010 | 1 year, 242 days | U.S. Army | |
| - | Lieutenant General John R. Allen (born 1953) Acting | 30 June 2010 | 11 August 2010 | 42 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 11 | General Jim Mattis (born 1950) | 11 August 2010 | 22 March 2013 | 2 years, 223 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 12 | General Lloyd Austin (born 1953) | 22 March 2013 | 30 March 2016 | 3 years, 8 days | U.S. Army | |
| 13 | General Joseph Votel (born 1958) | 30 March 2016 | 28 March 2019 | 2 years, 363 days | U.S. Army | |
| 14 | General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. (born 1957) | 28 March 2019 | 1 April 2022 | 3 years, 4 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 15 | General Michael Kurilla (born 1966) | 1 April 2022 | 8 August 2025 | 3 years, 129 days | U.S. Army | |
| 16 | Admiral Charles B. Cooper II (born 1967) | 8 August 2025 | Incumbent | 11 days | U.S. Navy | |
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Deputy commanders
| No. | Deputy Commander | Term | Service branch | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | ||
| 1 | Major General Robert C. Taylor | 1 January 1983 | August 1984 | ~1 year, 227 days |  U.S. Air Force | |
| 2 | Major General Davis C. Rohr (born 1929) | August 1984 | ~1 June 1987 | ~2 years, 290 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 3 | Major General Craven C. Rogers Jr. (1934–2016) | ~31 October 1988 | 1991 | ~2 years, 242 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 4 | Major General James R. Ellis Jr. (born 1937) | 1991 | July 1992 | ~1 year, 15 days | U.S. Army | |
| 5 | Major General Waldo D. Freeman | July 1992 | August 1994 | ~2 years, 31 days | U.S. Army | |
| 6 | Lieutenant General Richard I. Neal (1942–2022) | August 1994 | ~19 September 1996 | ~2 years, 35 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 7 | Lieutenant General Anthony Zinni (born 1943) | ~19 September 1996 | 13 August 1997 | ~328 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 8 | Lieutenant General Thomas R. Case (born 1946) | 13 August 1997 | October 1998 | ~1 year, 63 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 9 | Lieutenant General Mike Dodson | October 1998 | ~8 September 2000 | ~1 year, 329 days | U.S. Army | |
| 10 | Lieutenant General Michael P. DeLong (1945–2018) | 11 September 2000 | October 2003 | ~3 years, 34 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 11 | Lieutenant General Lance L. Smith (born 1946) | October 2003 | November 2005 | ~2 years, 31 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 12 | Vice Admiral David C. Nichols (born 1950) | November 2005 | August 2007 | ~1 year, 273 days | U.S. Navy | |
| 13 | Lieutenant General Martin Dempsey (born 1952) | August 2007 | 23 March 2008 | 221 days | U.S. Army | |
| 14 | Lieutenant General John R. Allen (born 1953) | 15 July 2008 | 18 July 2011 | 3 years, 3 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 15 | Vice Admiral Robert Harward (born 1956) | 18 July 2011 | October 2013 | ~2 years, 78 days | U.S. Navy | |
| 16 | Vice Admiral Mark I. Fox (born 1956) | October 2013 | April 2016 | ~2 years, 183 days | U.S. Navy | |
| 17 | Lieutenant General Charles Q. Brown Jr. (born 1962) | ~22 July 2016 | ~26 July 2018 | ~2 years, 4 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 18 | Lieutenant General Thomas W. Bergeson (born 1962) | ~27 August 2018 | 21 September 2020 | ~2 years, 25 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 19 | Vice Admiral James J. Malloy (born 1963) | 21 September 2020 | ~21 July 2022 | ~1 year, 303 days | U.S. Navy | |
| 20 | Lieutenant General Gregory Guillot | ~21 July 2022 | 5 February 2024 | ~1 year, 199 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 21 | Vice Admiral Charles B. Cooper II (born 1967) | 12 February 2024 | 8 August 2025 | 1 year, 177 days | U.S. Navy | |
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Senior enlisted leaders
| No. | Senior enlisted leader | Term | Service branch | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | ||
| 9 | Command Master Sergeant Curtis L. Brownhill | February 2004 | 12 April 2007 | ~3 years, 56 days | U.S. Air Force | |
| 10 | Sergeant Major Jeffrey A. Morin | 12 April 2007 | December 2008 | ~1 year, 247 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| 11 | Command Sergeant Major Marvin L. Hill | December 2008 | August 2010 | ~1 year, 243 days | U.S. Army | |
| 12 | Command Sergeant Major Frank A. Grippe | 3 January 2011 | July 2014 | ~3 years, 193 days | U.S. Army | |
| 13 | Command Sergeant Major Christopher K. Greca | July 2014 | July 2016 | ~2 years | U.S. Army | |
| 14 | Command Sergeant Major William F. Thetford | ~29 August 2016 | ~29 July 2019 | ~2 years, 334 days | U.S. Army | |
| 15 | Fleet Master Chief James Herdel | ~29 July 2019 | ~12 July 2022 | ~2 years, 348 days | U.S. Navy | |
| 16 | Fleet Master Chief Derrick A. Walters | ~12 July 2022 | Incumbent | ~3 years, 38 days | U.S. Navy | |
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Chiefs of staff
| No. | Chief of Staff | Term | Service branch | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | ||
| - | Major General Harry D. Penzler (1934–2020) | ~1986 | ~1 November 1988 | ~2 years, 124 days | U.S. Army | |
| - | Major General Joseph P. Hoar (1934–2022) | ~1 November 1988 | June 1990 | ~1 year, 226 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| - | Major General R. Steven Whitcomb (born 1948) | 19 January 2003 | 7 July 2004 | 1 year, 170 days | U.S. Army | |
| - | Major General John G. Castellaw | 7 July 2004 | 15 September 2005 | 1 year, 70 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| - | Major General Lloyd Austin (born 1953) | 15 September 2005 | 27 October 2006 | ~1 year, 42 days | U.S. Army | |
| - | Major General Timothy F. Ghormley | 27 October 2006 | July 2007 | ~1 year, 303 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| - | Major General Thomas L. Moore Jr. | July 2007 | 1 July 2008 | ~352 days | U.S. Marine Corps | |
| - | Major General Jay W. Hood | 1 July 2008 | 6 August 2010 | 2 years, 36 days | U.S. Army | |
| - | Major General Michael D. Jones | 6 August 2010 | 18 July 2011 | 346 days | U.S. Army | |
| - | Major General Karl R. Horst | 18 July 2011 | August 2013 | ~2 years, 28 days | U.S. Army | |
| - | Major General Michael X. Garrett (born 1961) | August 2013 | ~29 August 2016 | ~3 years, 14 days | U.S. Army | |
| - | Major General Terry R. Ferrell (born 1962) | ~29 August 2016 | ~11 September 2018 | ~2 years, 13 days | U.S. Army | |
| - | Major General Michael Kurilla (born 1966) | ~11 September 2018 | ~22 August 2019 | ~345 days | U.S. Army | |
| - | Major General Scott McKean (born 1968) | ~22 August 2019 | October 2020 | ~1 year, 54 days | U.S. Army | |
| - | Major General Patrick Frank | October 2020 | June 2022 | ~1 year, 243 days | U.S. Army | |
| - | Major General David S. Doyle | ~11 July 2022 | 6 June 2023 | ~330 days | U.S. Army | |
| - | Major General Brandon R. Tegtmeier | ~6 June 2023 | Incumbent | ~2 years, 74 days | U.S. Army | |
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See also
- United States Central Command
- Leadership of the United States Africa Command
- Leadership of the United States European Command
- Leadership of the United States Indo-Pacific Command
- Leadership of the United States Northern Command
- Leadership of the United States Space Command
- Leadership of the United States Cyber Command
- Leadership of the United States Strategic Command
- Leadership of the United States Transportation Command
References
- ^ "Major General Brandon R. Tegtmeier - General Officer Management Office".
- ^ "Rear Admiral Nicholas Homan".
- ^ "Rear Admiral Curt Renshaw".
- ^ "Brigadier General John P. Cogbill - General Officer Management Office".
- ^ https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/3054411/david-r-lopez/
- ^ "Brigadier General Michael B. Siegl - General Officer Management Office".
- ^ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-salene-687b4968/
- ^ "Rear Admiral Nicholas R. Tilbrook".
- ^ "Major General James D. Turinetti IV - General Officer Management Office".
- ^ "National Guard Biography".
- ^ "DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, January 2021" (PDF). jcs.mil. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 January 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2021.