The USCENTCOM strategic environment is characterized by fragile political transitions, civil wars, sectarianism, under-governed spaces, and Dai'sh, a violent extremist organization, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, a movement that threatens global stability. With the constant threat of terrorist organizations and malign actors in the Middle East and Central Asia, it is important the U.S. Army remains prepared to prevent and deter those threats.
U.S. Army Central is the Army's resident expert in the U.S. Central Command area of operations ready and able to defend America while forward deployed by conducting shaping operations and enabling regional partners in this complex environment, while sustaining ongoing U.S. operations in established combined joint operating areas. USARCENT helps shape the environment by maintaining freedom of movement and promoting stability through theater security cooperation activities. We manage conflicts by degrading and countering terrorist organizations, ultimately defeating the Da'ish threat in the region. We prevent confrontations and situations by promoting stability in the greater Levant area and deterring and countering Iran and international terrorist networks. USARCENT expertise is drawn from a long-term, daily immersion as the Theater Coalition Forces Land Component Command focused on the U.S. Army's strategic concept of Prevent, Shape and Win.
OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE
The past year was a year filled with challenges, unpredictability, and critical success across several campaign fronts. Conflicts in Iraq and Syria in June 2014 led to a shift in USARCENT from a theater CFLCC to additionally being designated as the Joint Forces Land Component Command for land operations in Iraq, and ultimately, the Combined Joint Task Force responsible for Operation Inherent Resolve.
The cities of Tikrit and Mosul and the surrounding areas fell to Da'ish. At the request of and in coordination with the Government of Iraq, the U.S. Government, to include USARCENT, responded in mid June by sending military personnel and equipment to increase security at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the Baghdad International Airport. Military advisors were sent to assess the abilities of the Iraqi Security Forces and determine a way ahead. On Aug 8, 2014, the U.S. military began conducting airstrikes against Da'ish fighters and providing equipment to Iraqi Security Forces to assist Iraqi and Kurdish forces in reclaiming. On Sep 23, 2014, the U.S. military and Arab partners expanded that campaign into parts of Syria, targeting Da'ish and other known terrorist groups. By October 2014, the CJTF was fully operational with active participation from 60 partner nations contributing to operations, including air strikes, Advise and Assist teams and Build Partner Capacity missions.
Airstrikes have played a significant role in the fight to degrade Da'ish ability to mount large offensive attacks as well as reduce their ability to openly control towns and cities, where they so often inflict terror on civilian populations. Since the beginning of operations, we have conducted more than 5,600 airstrikes including more than 100 airstrikes against Da'ish in the vicinity of Ramadi since the counterattack began, and in excess of 650 within the broader Anbar province. These airstrikes have bolstered the ability of the ISF to maneuver on the ground, and, in some cases, isolate Da'ish approaches to Ramadi.
The global campaign to defeat Da'ish includes enabling our military partners, cutting off access to funds, stopping the flow of foreign fighters, providing humanitarian assistance, and countering the Da'ish messaging campaign. This challenge is generational and global and will require much patience.
The Advise and Assist teams have been especially invaluable in providing their expertise to the ISF headquarters and operation centers. Coalition advisors are assisting ISF leadership in operational planning, with their experienced military subject matter experts working side by side with their Iraqi counterparts.
The rapid response required to bolster Iraqi and Kurdish security force efforts and blunt the onslaught of Da'ish would not have been possible without the forward stationed and regionally aligned forces. The USARCENT operational command post in Kuwait and more than 66,000 pieces of prepositioned stock were critical in the establishment of the CJTF-OIR.
To date, more than 11,000 Iraqi Security Force personnel have completed various individual specialty courses at the BPC platforms. In addition to the ISF, approximately 1,100 Sunni tribal fighters have attended training and subject matter exchanges in Iraq. Most recently, more than 400 Kurdish fighters attended the training program in Erbil. The coalition works in coordination with the Government of Iraq, who manages the throughput of trainees for all of these programs.
By the end of fiscal year 2015, CJTF-OIR responsibilities will transition to III Corps, allowing USARCENT to redouble its efforts in shaping operations throughout the CENTCOM area of responsibility.
SHAPING OPERATIONS
Although OIR continues to be a major effort in the area of responsibility, theater security cooperation events and shaping operations throughout the region play a key role in USARCENT's ability to support in a multifaceted environment. Particular strides were made in improving the collective level, combined arms capabilities of many regional partners.
Last year, USARCENT Soldiers participated in more than 400 theater security cooperation events in 18 countries and the U.S., covering a wide range of operations, activities and actions from logistics and medical exchanges, to full-fledge maneuver exercises and partner nation senior officer and noncommissioned officer development.
Among the many exercises, exchanges and engagements hosted by USARCENT, Steppe Eagle 15 was one of the largest. Steppe Eagle, an annual multilateral exercise focused on improving interoperability between participants and enhancing operational readiness, hosted its largest number of nation participation on record. Nine countries participated in the exercise held in Kazakhstan, with more scheduled to participate in 2016. The multi-echelon exercise also focused on peace keeping and peace security operations, and improved planning, capabilities and responsiveness.
USARCENT heavily relies on the Army's regionally aligned forces model to help shape the USCENTCOM environment. Over the last year, USARCENT successfully trained, deployed, and redeployed 12 brigade-level headquarters and over 20 battalion and company-level units throughout Southwest Asia and the Middle East as part of the RAF program. RAF units come trained and prepared to immediately assume their mission of continued support to and partnership with 18 of 20 countries in our area of responsibility from Egypt to Pakistan. More importantly, USARCENT continues to train the deployed units, ensuring they are returned to their parent organization better trained than when they departed. USARCENT is the lead in training, resourcing, developing and deploying individual units and commands using the RAF model as a means to meet requirements for direct support throughout the region.
AFGHANISTAN TRANSITION
December 2014 marked a transition in Afghanistan. The International Security Assistance Forces' 13-year mission came to a successful conclusion. Combat operations ended and Afghans became fully responsible for the security of their mission. The Operation Enduring Freedom mission transitioned to the Resolute Support mission in January 2015 with NATO allies and partners making a cognitive and physical shift to functionally-based security force assistance -- a shift from helping the Afghan National Security Forces learn to fight, to helping them sustain the fighting force. The closure and transfer of bases represent a positive transition for Afghanistan, a normalization of daily life and a return of territorial control.
Throughout this transition, USARCENT provided support to the retrograde of equipment out of Afghanistan and the closure of bases. Leaders have begun the transition of the Title X mission from USFOR-A to USARCENT in Afghanistan through military intelligence, medical, logistical and religious support.
U.S. ARMY CENTRAL -- ASSIGNMENT OF CHOICE
USARCENT provides unique cultural, economic, military and political experiences to our assigned personnel. This Army Service Component Command gives leaders in this assignment the opportunity to share their expertise, grow ideas, implement change and solve problems at operational and strategic levels. Clearly, USARCENT is a broadening assignment that develops our leaders to operate confidently in complex environments.
USARCENT continues to make history and defend vital U.S. interests forward. Within the region, there are ongoing conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan as well as social unrest, violence, terror attacks and challenges to the political and military structure in other partner countries.
Given the dynamics in the region, we will continue to find ourselves at the forefront of conflict which requires us to have leaders who are innovative, agile and forward thinking in order to effectively respond to an ever-changing environment.
USARCENT personnel remain on a prepare-to-deploy order as part of a contingency command post to quickly deploy needed forces throughout the region.
We retain a scalable, rapidly responsive headquarters capable of providing echelons of command and control as needed. This ensures USARCENT, as the Theater CFLCC, is a reliable and committed force in support of our partner nations.
USARCENT will continue to play a critical role in preventing conflict, increasing partner capacity, and enhancing security, making this organization the preeminent fighting force impacting change and shaping future stability in the Middle East and Central Asia.
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