Michael Kurilla was wounded in Iraq in 2005, and twenty years later he was still the man the Pentagon relied on for the Middle East. On August 8, 2025, at a ceremony in Tampa, Florida, the Army general handed U.S. Central Command to Navy Admiral Brad Cooper and went into retirement. Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine presided.
From Panama to the Rangers
Kurilla earned an aerospace engineering degree at West Point, then added an MBA from Regis University in Denver and a master’s in national security studies from the National War College, 19FortyFive reported. He grew up in Elk River, Minnesota.
His combat record starts with the 1989 invasion of Panama and runs through the First Gulf War. In Iraq in 2004 he led a Stryker battalion; he was seriously wounded the next year. Later came command of the 75th Ranger Regiment, a tour in Afghanistan as director of operations for the Joint Special Operations Command, and command of the 82nd Airborne Division. He also served as chief of staff of CENTCOM under General Joseph Votel, and spent time on the Joint Staff.
Retired Lieutenant General Frank Kearney, who mentored him from their West Point days, said Kurilla’s background “has placed him squarely in the heart of every aspect of CENTCOM’s activities over the last 20 years.”
Four stars and a big command
In January 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Kurilla, then commanding the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for a fourth star and the CENTCOM job, replacing Marine General Kenneth McKenzie. The command covered 21 nations from Egypt to Kazakhstan. When he arrived, roughly 2,500 advisory troops were in Iraq and about 900 personnel in Syria, working with the Syrian Democratic Forces.
He held the post for more than three years. According to military statements quoted by Stars and Stripes, he “led the planning and execution of more than 15 major combined combat operations.” The list included a six-week fight against Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen in early 2025 and Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The Council on Foreign Relations put U.S. troop strength in the region at about 40,000, spread over roughly 19 locations.
A hawk on Iran
Kurilla’s stance on Tehran drew attention. Israel’s Ynet once called him “The U.S. general Israel doesn’t want to strike Iran without.” Responsible Statecraft described him as a hawk, and quoted Justin Logan of the Cato Institute saying he “has been pushing for war with Iran and away from diplomacy since before Trump took office in ways that run over civilian officials.”
He also built what Israeli analysts called “Kurilla’s umbrella,” an air defense network tying U.S. radar in the UAE and Qatar to Israeli systems. It reportedly helped shoot down Iranian missiles in April and October 2024. Inside the administration, his military-first view clashed with Elbridge Colby, Vice President J.D. Vance and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, all of whom favored diplomacy.
“It has been the honor of my life to have been their commander,” Kurilla said as he left.
Sources
- CENTCOM gets Navy admiral in charge as Cooper takes over from Kurilla (Stars and Stripes)
- Who Is Michael Kurilla, the Next Potential Commander of CENTCOM? (19FortyFive)
- Is Israel's favorite US general helping to push us into war? (Responsible Statecraft)
