CENTCOM’s role in U.S. military operations in Iran
Military bases across the country have ramped up security. MacDill Air Force Base was the target of two potential threats this week. The base is the epicenter of U.S. military operations right now. FOX 13’s Kylie Jones reports.
TAMPA, Fla. – As military bases around the country ramp up security, experts say MacDill Air Force Base plays a vital role in U.S. military operations.
MacDill AFB houses U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command. U.S. Central Command is overseeing operations in the Middle East.
What we know:
MacDill AFB moved to FPCON (Force Protection Condition) Charlie earlier this week.Â
It’s the second-highest military threat level, below FPCON Delta.
At this level, security tightens across the base:
More ID checksFewer open gatesMore security forces on sitePeople heading onto the base should expect delays and longer lines.
The backstory:
On Monday morning, base officials found a suspicious package near the Dale Mabry gate visitor center.
The FBI began investigating the package, but operations resumed late in the day Monday.
The FBI later said that there was possibly something ‘energetic’ found in the package.Â
On Wednesday morning, traffic in and out of the main entrance to MacDill Air Force Base appeared to operate normally. But, base officials announced a shelter in place around 11:20 a.m. due to a threat made against the base.
A K-9 was seen with military police walking on the property outside the entrance.Â
First responders quickly blocked off the main entrance to the base.
That disruption lasted several hours, but the base reopened around 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
Dig deeper:
MacDill AFB is the epicenter of U.S. military operations right now, with two combatant commands operating out of the base.
Experts say the base is intimately involved in key daily operations in the Middle East.
“AÂ lot of the operational decisions being made in that conflict are being made via the leadership and the staff expertise here at U.S. Central Command in Tampa,” Jim Cardoso, the Senior Director of the Global National Security Institute at USF said.
RELATED: MacDill Air Force Base reopens after shelter in place issued for security threat
“You’ve probably seen the press conferences with Admiral Cooper,” he said. “Admiral Cooper is the Commander of U. S. Central Command.”
Cardoso served several decades as an Air Force pilot, including multiple tours at MacDill at the U.S. Special Operations Command.
Big picture view:
He says military leaders at MacDill are in the driver’s seat with many U.S. military operations.
“The KC-135, the 6th Air Refueling Wing, they are operating in the country right now,” Cardoso said. “They’re providing that air bridge, that extension with air refueling to all the aircraft that are executing missions over in Iran.”
Cardoso says MacDill has a long history of leading military operations around the world.
“Ever since 9/11, really, and even before that, when, in the 1990s, when we first went into Iraq in the early ’90s, that was overseen by United States Central Command right here in MacDill,” he said.
What they’re saying:
On Thursday at a bill signing, Gov. Ron DeSantis said state agencies would assist if requested.Â
However, he says federal agencies and leaders have the intelligence to carry out these types of operations.
“We always have concern, just because our military bases are always a target,” DeSantis said. “It’s just the fact.”
Cardoso says threats can come in numerous forms.
“Cyberattacks,” he said. “It could be forms of misinformation that try to paint a different picture of the conflict than is actually going on.”
He says it’s important that every threat is taken seriously, particularly during conflict.
The Source: Information for this story came from interviews with national security experts.