United States Central Command (CENTCOM) was established in 1983 as the successor to the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force, which had two primary goals: to deter military actions by the Soviet Union and to be able to respond to crises in the Middle East. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the focus of CENTCOM turned squarely to the Middle East nearby Central and South Asia. Today, its Area of Responsibility includes 20 nations in those regions and the waterways around them.
As a theater-level Unified Combatant Command, CENTCOM does not have its own organic military units assigned to it, but instead works with Component Commands from the Armed Forces of the United States and the joint-force U.S. Special Operations Command.
Army personnel serving at CENTCOM wear this Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (AKA unit patch) on combat or utility uniforms (the same design is used for the Combat Service Identification Badge. The CENTCOM Distinctive Unit Insignia (unit crest) features a bald eagle clutching a shield with seven red and white stripes and four stars representing the four branches of the U.S. Armed Forces operating under the Department of Defense.
Related Items
Army Element, United States Central Command Unit Crest (DUI)
Army Element, United States Central Command Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)