The United States Central Command is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of t
Central Command insignia
U.S. armored vehicle in Al-Hasakah, Syria, May 2017
Commander of United States Central Command General James Mattis passes the United States Air Forces Central Command or Ninth Air Force guidon to then recently appointed Ninth Air Force Commander Lieutenant General David L. Goldfein at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina on 3 August 2011.
An Army officer briefs Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left, foreground) on counter-ISIL social media activities at MacDill AFB, June 2018.
Brad Cooper (admiral)
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Charles Bradford Cooper II is an American admiral who has served as the commander of the United States Central Command since 2025 and has led forces during the 2026 Iran war.
United States Central Command
…Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve since 2014 in supporting and advise-and-assist roles. As of 8 August 2025, CENTCOM's commander is Admiral Brad Cooper, U.S. Navy. Two of the last three United States secretaries of defense—Lloyd Austin and James Mattis, both of whom required congressional waivers to…
Official portrait, 2025
Midshipman portrait, 1989
Cooper answering questions from local media as the commanding officer of USS Russell, 3 February 2007
Cooper greeting Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during the secretary's visit to U.S. forces in Bahrain, 17 December 2023