Military News: Allegations that Army Gen. Kurilla, Head of Central Command Shoved an Airman Under Investigation

Allegations that Army Gen. Kurilla, Head of Central Command Shoved an Airman are confirmed as under investigation by the Pentagon. The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division acknowledged to AlamogordoTownNews.org it is aware of an alleged incident and is currently looking into it," Mark Lunardi, a CID spokesperson, said in a statement. "No additional information is available at this time."

Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, who oversees U.S. Central Command, allegedly put his hands on an airman during a C-17 Globemaster III flight on a trip to Israel after becoming frustrated with access to communications and following a heated argument with the flight crew as confirmed by a witness as reported by Military.com

After an airman asked Kurilla to take his seat and buckle up for his safety, the general allegedly lashed out, pushing the airman aside. Multiple service members were present and witnessed the reported altercation, the officials said.

It’s not clear whether Kurilla could be removed or suspended from his position pending the outcome of the investigation. For now, he remains in the job and is currently traveling in the Middle East, according to a senior administration official.

Kurilla has been at the helm of CENTCOM, the combatant command in the Middle East and Central Asia, since April 2022. He spends months of every year traveling throughout the region, and that has increased since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7 last year. He has traveled to Israel multiple times, and coordinated its defense when Iran launched a retaliatory air attack in April in response to an Israeli attack on an Iranian diplomatic facility in Syria.

The CENTCOM commander's position generally has a three-year term, meaning Kurilla is expected to relinquish command April 1, 2025.

According to his official bio: General Michael “Erik” Kurilla is from Elk River, Minnesota and commissioned into the Infantry from the United States Military Academy, West Point in 1988. Throughout his career, he has led Airborne, Mechanized, Stryker, Ranger and Joint Special Operations units during combat and operational deployments including Operation Just Cause (Panama), Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm (Saudi Arabia/Iraq), Operation Uphold Democracy (Haiti), Operation Joint Guardian (Kosovo-Macedonia), Operation Joint Resolve (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq), Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), and Operation Inherent Resolve (Iraq). General Kurilla spent every year from 2004 - 2014 leading conventional and special operations forces in the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility.

General Kurilla previously commanded 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry (Stryker), 2nd Ranger Battalion, the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 82nd Airborne Division, and the XVIII Airborne Corps.

In addition to command assignments as a General Officer, General Kurilla served as the Director of Operations and Assistant Commanding General for Joint Special Operations Command, Deputy Commanding General for the 1st Infantry Division, Joint Staff Deputy Director for Special Operations and Counter-Terrorism, and Chief of Staff for U.S. Central Command.

General Kurilla’s awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge with Star, Master Parachutist Badge with Combat Jump Device, Ranger Tab, and the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster. He holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the United States Military Academy, West Point; an M.B.A from Regis University; and a M.S. in National Security Studies from the National War College.

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