Michael Kurilla

Gen. Kurilla is congratulated by his predecessor, Gen Frank McKenzie as he assumes command of CENTCOM on April 1, 2022.

Born in California and raised in Elk River, Minnesota, Kurilla received a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the United States Military Academy, an MBA from Regis University, and a masters degree in national security studies from the National War College.[8] After graduating from West Point, he was commissioned into the U.S. Army as an infantry officer in 1988.[7] During his early career Kurilla participated in the United States invasion of Panama[9] and the Gulf War, as well as operations in Haiti, Kosovo, and Bosnia.[8]

From 2004 to 2014, he was stationed in the geographic area of responsibility of the U.S. Central Command,[8] deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria.[9] In 2005, he deployed to Iraq as the commander of a Stryker battalion in the 25th Infantry Division.[3] He was awarded a Bronze Star with "V" device after a battle in Mosul in which he "was shot three times but continued to fire back at insurgents while directing his troops."[3][10][11] He is a former commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment.[9] From 2012 to 2014 he was the Assistant Commanding General of Joint Special Operations Command.[6] He served as commander of the 82nd Airborne Division from 2016–2018 and Chief of Staff of U.S. Central Command from 2018–2019.[6] He assumed command of the XVIII Airborne Corps in October 2019.[7] In 2022, he deployed to Germany to oversee U.S. troop deployments in response to the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis.[12]

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