The officers, Sailors, Marines and civilians assigned to Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, an Echelon II command, and Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet, an Echelon III command, support all naval operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Since the Gulf War, COMUSNAVCENT/ COMFIFTHFLT has fulfilled the roles of both a naval component command and as the fleet command.

United States Naval Forces Central Command/United States 5th Fleet help ensure peace and stability and protect America's vital interests in a 7.5 million square mile area of responsibility comprised of eastern Africa, the Middle East and Southwest Asia.

Its usual configuration includes a Carrier Strike Group, Amphibious Ready Group or Expeditionary Strike Group, and other ships and aircraft with approximately 20,000 people serving afloat and 3,000 support personnel ashore. Whether launching combat aircraft from a carrier, landing Marines ashore, firing cruise missiles at targets hundreds of miles away, or conducting peacetime military exercises with allies in the region, it remains the world's premiere naval force and America's force of choice.

This force can operate forward from the sea, carrying out its mission free of shore-based political encumbrance. It is a highly trained, motivated, mobile and potent force that remains capable and ready to strike -- anywhere, anytime!

United States Naval Forces Central Command is the naval pillar of the joint team responsible for executing U.S. military operations in the Central Command theater.

Naval forces in the region are rotationally deployed from either the Pacific or Atlantic Fleets. Operationally, they are assigned as units of 5th Fleet. Commander, 5th Fleet is subordinate to, and an additional duty of Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.

As such, COMUSNAVCENT/COMFIFTHFLT reports directly to Commander, U.S. Central Command for operational matters, and to the Chief of Naval Operations for administrative related matters.

COMUSNAVCENT/COMFIFTHFLT units provide the ability to respond immediately to any emerging crisis, from peacekeeping and humanitarian missions to asserting necessary force in regional conflicts. Naval forces have been deployed to this region since the end of World War II. On any given day, naval forces typically represent about 60-80 percent of all U.S. military forces in the area.