# 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

* Michael Kurilla, Commander
** Charles Cooper II, Deputy Commander
*** Brandon R. Tegtmeier, Chief of Staff
**** Nicholas M. Homan, Director, Intelligence (J2)
**** Curt Renshaw, Director, Operations (J3)
***** John P. Cogbill, Deputy Director, Operations Fires and Effects
***** David R. Lopez, Deputy Director, Operations
**** Michael B. Siegl, Director, Logistics (J4)
**** Sean M. Salene, Director, Strategy, Plans, and Policy (J5)
***** Nicholas R. Tilbrook, Deputy Director, Strategy, Plans, and Policy
**** James D. Turinetti IV, Director, Cyber (J6)
**** Steven J. deMilliano, Director, Exercises and Training (J7)

## List of commanders of the United States Central Command

| No. | Commander | Commander | Term | Term | Term | Service branch |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | Service branch |
| 1 | | Kingston, RobertGeneral Robert Kingston (1928–2007) | 1 January 1983 | 27 November 1985 | 2 years, 330 days | U.S. Army |
| 2 | | Crist, George B.General George B. Crist (born 1931) | 27 November 1985 | 23 November 1988 | 2 years, 362 days | U.S. Marine Corps |
| 3 | | Schwarzkopf, H. Norman Jr.General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. (1934–2012) | 23 November 1988 | 9 August 1991 | 2 years, 259 days | U.S. Army |
| 4 | | Hoar, Joseph P.General Joseph P. Hoar (1934–2022) | 9 August 1991 | 5 August 1994 | 2 years, 361 days | U.S. Marine Corps |
| 5 | | Peay, J. H. Binford IIIGeneral J. H. Binford Peay III (born 1940) | 5 August 1994 | 13 August 1997 | 3 years, 8 days | U.S. Army |
| 6 | | Zinni, AnthonyGeneral Anthony Zinni (born 1943) | 13 August 1997 | 6 July 2000 | 2 years, 328 days | U.S. Marine Corps |
| 7 | | Franks, TommyGeneral Tommy Franks (born 1945) | 6 July 2000 | 7 July 2003 | 3 years, 1 day | U.S. Army |
| 8 | | Abizaid, JohnGeneral John Abizaid (born 1951) | 7 July 2003 | 16 March 2007 | 3 years, 252 days | U.S. Army |
| 9 | | Fallon, William J.Admiral William J. Fallon (born 1944) | 16 March 2007 | 28 March 2008 | 1 year, 12 days | U.S. Navy |
| - | | Dempsey, MartinLieutenant General Martin Dempsey (born 1952) Acting | 28 March 2008 | 31 October 2008 | 217 days | U.S. Army |
| 10 | | Petraeus, DavidGeneral David Petraeus (born 1952) | 31 October 2008 | 30 June 2010 | 1 year, 242 days | U.S. Army |
| - | | Allen, John R.Lieutenant General John R. Allen (born 1953) Acting | 30 June 2010 | 11 August 2010 | 42 days | U.S. Marine Corps |
| 11 | | Mattis, JimGeneral Jim Mattis (born 1950) | 11 August 2010 | 22 March 2013 | 2 years, 223 days | U.S. Marine Corps |
| 12 | | Austin, LloydGeneral Lloyd Austin (born 1953) | 22 March 2013 | 30 March 2016 | 3 years, 8 days | U.S. Army |
| 13 | | Votel, JosephGeneral Joseph Votel (born 1958) | 30 March 2016 | 28 March 2019 | 2 years, 363 days | U.S. Army |
| 14 | | McKenzie, Kenneth F. Jr.General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. (born 1957) | 28 March 2019 | 1 April 2022 | 3 years, 4 days | U.S. Marine Corps |
| 15 | | Kurilla, MichaelGeneral Michael Kurilla (born 1966) | 1 April 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 291 days | U.S. Army |

## List of deputy commanders of the United States Central Command

| No. | Deputy Commander | Deputy Commander | Term | Term | Term | Service branch |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | Service branch |
| 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 | | Dempsey, MartinLieutenant General Martin Dempsey (born 1952) | August 2007 | 23 March 2008 | 221 days | U.S. Army |
| 14 | | Allen, John R.Lieutenant General John R. Allen (born 1953) | 15 July 2008 | 18 July 2011 | 3 years, 3 days | U.S. Marine Corps |
| 15 | | Fox, Mark I.Vice Admiral Robert Harward (born 1956) | 18 July 2011 | October 2013 | ~2 years, 78 days | U.S. Navy |
| 16 | | Fox, Mark I.Vice Admiral Mark I. Fox (born 1956) | October 2013 | April 2016 | ~2 years, 183 days | U.S. Navy |
| 17 | | Brown, Charles Q. Jr.Lieutenant General Charles Q. Brown Jr. (born 1962) | ~22 July 2016 | ~26 July 2018 | ~2 years, 4 days | U.S. Air Force |
| 18 | | Bergeson, Thomas W.Lieutenant General Thomas W. Bergeson (born 1962) | ~27 August 2018 | 21 September 2020 | ~2 years, 25 days | U.S. Air Force |
| 19 | | Malloy, James J.Vice Admiral James J. Malloy (born 1963) | 21 September 2020 | ~21 July 2022 | ~1 year, 303 days | U.S. Navy |
| 20 | | Guillot, Gregory M.Lieutenant General Gregory Guillot | ~21 July 2022 | 5 February 2024 | ~1 year, 199 days | U.S. Air Force |
| 21 | | Cooper, CharlesVice Admiral Charles Cooper II (born 1967) | 12 February 2024 | Incumbent | 340 days | U.S. Navy |

## List of senior enlisted leaders of the United States Central Command

| No. | Senior enlisted leader | Senior enlisted leader | Term | Term | Term | Service branch |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | Service branch |
| 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 | | Hill, Marvin L.Command Sergeant Major Marvin L. Hill | December 2008 | August 2010 | ~1 year, 243 days | U.S. Army |
| 12 | | Grippe, Frank A.Command Sergeant Major Frank A. Grippe | 3 January 2011 | July 2014 | ~3 years, 193 days | U.S. Army |
| 13 | | Greca, Christopher K.Command Sergeant Major Christopher K. Greca | July 2014 | July 2016 | ~2 years | U.S. Army |
| 14 | | Thetford, William F.Command Sergeant Major William F. Thetford | ~29 August 2016 | ~29 July 2019 | ~2 years, 334 days | U.S. Army |
| 15 | | Herdel, JamesFleet Master Chief James Herdel | ~29 July 2019 | ~12 July 2022 | ~2 years, 348 days | U.S. Navy |
| 16 | | Walters, Derrick A.Fleet Master Chief Derrick A. Walters | ~12 July 2022 | Incumbent | ~2 years, 189 days | U.S. Navy |

## List of chiefs of staff of the United States Central Command

| No. | Chief of Staff | Chief of Staff | Term | Term | Term | Service branch |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | Service branch |
| - | | 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 | ~1 year, 225 days | U.S. Army |