Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla has stepped down as the commander of the U.S. Central Command, concluding a three-year tenure in the role. He handed over the command to Adm. Brad Cooper in a ceremony, CENTCOM said Friday.
Commenting on his departure, Kurilla said, “It has been the honor of my life to have been their commander.”
He welcomed the appointment of Cooper, saying that under his leadership, the “front lines of freedom will always succeed.”
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Who Is Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla?
Kurilla has been CENTCOM’s commander since April 2022. Over the years, he headed the Airborne, Mechanized, Stryker, Ranger and Special Operations units on missions and combat deployments in locations including Panama, Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, Kosovo, Bosnia and more, according to his Department of Defense profile. From 2004 to 2014, he led troops in the Middle East for CENTCOM. He commanded the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry (Stryker), 2nd Ranger Battalion, the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 82nd Airborne Division and the XVIII Airborne Corps. Before that, he held key leadership roles in special operations, counter-terrorism and served as CENTCOM’s chief of staff. He joined the Infantry in 1988 after graduating from the United States Military Academy.
Who Is Brad Cooper?
Before his appointment, Cooper served as the deputy commander of CENTCOM. He was also the commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, commander of the Naval Surface Force Atlantic, the U.S. Navy’s chief of legislative affairs, led the Expeditionary Strike Group in Japan and commanded the U.S. Naval Forces Korea. Cooper also served as the director of the Surface Career Management division under the Navy Personnel Command. He began his career as the commander of the USS Gettysburg.
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