The Senate has voted to confirm Lt. Gen. Michael Kurilla, who heads the U.S. Army’s 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, to be the next commander of the U.S. Central Command, MilitaryTimes reported Friday.
Kurilla, who previously served as chief of staff at CENTCOM, will be promoted to four-rank general as part of the confirmation and succeed Marine Corps Gen. Frank McKenzie, who is expected to retire in April.
His confirmation comes more than a month after he was nominated by President Joe Biden to oversee the U.S. military’s operations in the Middle East.
Kurilla said his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Feb. 8 that artificial and human intelligence capabilities will play a key role in countering terrorism threats in the region.
According to Kurilla, CENTCOM needs to invest more in the research and development of emerging technologies to increase its ability to identify and respond to threats posed by Iran and its allies.
The Senate also confirmed Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue as Kurilla’s replacement to command the Army’s 18th Airborne Corps.
