Michael Kurilla | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kurilla in 2025 | |
| Birth name | Michael Erik Kurilla |
| Nickname | Gorilla |
| Born | (1966-05-16)16 May 1966 (age 59) California, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1988–2025 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | United States Central Command XVIII Airborne Corps 82nd Airborne Division 75th Ranger Regiment 2nd Ranger Battalion 1st Battalion,24th Infantry Regiment |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Defense Superior Service Medal (4) Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star (5) Purple Heart (2) |
| Alma mater | |
Kurilla's opening statement at aSenate Armed Services Committee hearing on the FY2024 USCENTCOM posture Recorded 16 March 2023 | |
Michael Erik Kurilla (born 16 May 1966) is a retiredUnited States Armygeneral who served as the 15th commander ofUnited States Central Command from 2022 to 2025. He previously served as the commanding general ofXVIII Airborne Corps from 2019 to 2022 and before that as the chief of staff of Central Command from 2018 to 2019.
Kurilla was born inCalifornia and raised inMinnesota. He was commissioned in 1988 upon graduating from theUnited States Military Academy and has served as an infantry officer in theUnited States Army. During his career he has been deployed during conflicts inPanama,Haiti, theBalkans,Iraq, andAfghanistan, and his notable commands have included the75th Ranger Regiment and the82nd Airborne Division. Kurilla was awarded twoPurple Hearts and theBronze Starwith valor during theIraq War.[1]
He was born inCalifornia on 16 May 1966[2] and raised inElk River, Minnesota. Kurilla received a bachelor's degree inaerospace engineering from theUnited States Military Academy, anMBA fromRegis University, and a master's degree in national security studies from theNational War College.[3] After graduating fromWest Point, he was commissioned into theUnited States Army as an infantry officer in 1988.[4]
During his early career, Kurilla participated in theUnited States invasion of Panama[5] and in theGulf War, as well asOperation Uphold Democracy inHaiti, and was part of theKosovo Force and theStabilization Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[3] From 2004 to 2014, he was stationed in the geographic area of responsibility of the U.S. Central Command,[3] deploying toIraq,Afghanistan, andSyria.[5] In 2005, he deployed to Iraq as the commander of 1st Battalion,24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade,25th Infantry Division.[6] He was awarded aBronze Star with"V" device after a battle inMosul in which he "was shot three times but continued to fire back at insurgents while directing his troops."[6][7][8] Kurilla later commanded the2nd Ranger Battalion and the75th Ranger Regiment.[3][5]
He was the assistant commanding general ofJoint Special Operations Command from 2012 to 2014, deputy commanding general (maneuver) of1st Infantry Division from 2014 to 2015, and deputy director for special operations and counter-terrorism of theJoint Staff from 2015 to 2016.[9] He served as commander of the82nd Airborne Division from 2016 to 2018 and Chief of Staff of U.S. Central Command from 2018 to 2019.[9] He assumed command of theXVIII Airborne Corps in October 2019.[4] In early 2022, he deployed to Germany to oversee U.S. troop deployments in response to the2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis.[10]
.jpg)
In January 2022, he was nominated for promotion tofour-star general and assignment as commander of U.S. Central Command.[11][6][12] Kurilla took up the post in April 2022.[3][13] As the CENTCOM commander since the start of theMiddle Eastern crisis in 2023, Kurilla has provided the Biden and Trump administrations with military options and oversaw their implementation. GeneralMark Milley, thechairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time of his nomination, described Kurilla as the "perfect leader of CENTCOM" due to his knowledge and his experience in both combat and staff officer positions.[14]
In April 2024 he was dispatched to Israel in anticipation of an Iranian counter-attack following the2024 Iranian consulate airstrike in Damascus by Israel on April 1, in which several Iranian military leaders were killed.[15] In September he again visited Israel for consultations with defence ministerYoav Gallant.[16]
As of November 2024, Kurilla was under investigation after shoving an airman upon being asked to take his seat and buckle up for his safety during a flight to Israel.[17]
.jpg)
In early 2025, he was reportedly one of the two candidates considered by thesecond Trump administration to replace GeneralCharles Q. Brown Jr. as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but the position was given toDan Caine.[18]
On 10 June 2025, during thenegotiations between the U.S. and Iran on itsnuclear program, Kurilla said at a congressional hearing that he prepared a "wide range" of military options for PresidentDonald Trump if negotiations fail.[19] Kurilla has called for a military response against Iran following theIran–Israel war; his role in the conflict was considered to be unusually significant, with U.S. defence secretaryPete Hegseth seen as deferring to Kurilla during the conflict.[20][21]
On 8 August 2025, he was succeeded byBrad Cooper as commander of U.S. Central Command.[22]
Kurilla and his wife Mary Paige have two daughters.[3]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States government.
.svg)
_ribbon.svg)
_ribbon.svg)
_ribbon_bar.svg)
.svg){kind=icon}
.svg)
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Commander of the75th Ranger Regiment 2009–2011 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Assistant Commanding General ofJoint Special Operations Command 2012–2014 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by ??? | Deputy Commanding General (Maneuver) of the1st Infantry Division 2014–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Deputy Director for Special Operations and Counter-Terrorism of theJoint Staff 2015–2016 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division 2016–2018 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief of Staff of theUnited States Central Command 2018–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commanding General of theXVIII Airborne Corps 2019–2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander ofUnited States Central Command 2022–2025 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas actingCommandant of the Coast Guard | Order of precedence of the United States as Commander of U.S. Central Command | Succeeded byas Commander ofU.S. Africa Command |
Senior officials in theUnited States Department of Defense | ||
|---|---|---|
|  | |
a - Acting | ||
 | ||
