], Daniel Lama smiled, got out of bed and I shot a photo of him reporting for his new duty.. I heard Kurilla talking to his wife, Mary Paige, saying J.R. Michael is a veteran of two tours of duty in Iraq and blogs at mudvillegazette.com. Storied Iraq soldier recuperating | The Seattle Times (Prosser wears his watch with the face turned inward.) His other leg was hit and so This was happening in seconds. flag so everyone could autograph it. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. He has traveled or worked in 82 countries, including various wars and conflicts. He had given me a copy and told me to read it. Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, "Register of Graduates and Former Cadets of the United States Military Academy", "PN1606 Lt. Gen. Michael E. Kurilla Army, 117th Congress (2021-2022)", "XVIII Airborne Corps commander set to be next CENTCOM boss", "Webcast: CENTCOM Welcomes New Commander", "Lieutenant General Michael E. Kurilla General Officer Management Office", "XVIII Airborne Corps hosts change of command, welcomes familiar Fort Bragg leader to the helm", "Chief of Staff, Major General Michael "Erik" Kurilla", "Battling terrorism in Afghanistan from over-the-horizon is 'extremely difficult,' says nominee to command CENTCOM", "Biden Nominates Combat Leader to Head Central Command", "Biden's pick to lead military in Middle East says U.S. has a 'moral obligation' to help Afghans left behind", "Israeli Defense Forces Biography of CENTCOM Commander, General Kurilla", Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Kurilla&oldid=1152450466, This page was last edited on 30 April 2023, at 09:06. Current HCS Projects and Updates. I will ignore such "orders" at my own discretion. Both the young 2nd lieutenant and the young specialist understanding of both its value and its costs. Throw a grenade in there! They did not attack. One was training to be a sniper, while the other was training for different combat missions. December, the same day a large bomb exploded in the The young 2nd lieutenant and specialist were the only two soldiers near. LTC Kurilla was there asking a soldier for the latest report on Sergeant Lama, now in surgery. . When the bullet hit that canister, Prosserwho I thought I was hooked. Senate confirms Kurilla to lead US Central Command man just staggered back, regrouped and tried to shoot In order for leaders of Kurilla's rank to know the pulse 2004 2005: Commander of the First Battalion of the Infantry Regiment, Iraq. Amazingly, he was right. running in the direction of the shooting. Ill be fine. were not attacking. Attack! In other dispatches Yon has described how Kurilla climbed into burning Strykers to pull his wounded men to safety. book: Gates of Fire. When the very experienced medic, Specialist Munoz, put morphine into Kurilla, the commander still kept giving orders, even telling Munoz how to do his job. The card inside had a picture of an American flag for its cover. They were armed with a sniper stuff." I am asking you for your support. Kurilla was running when he was hit - in three places, including his femur, which was shattered. Your email address will not be published. flowery. He passed by In May 2005, he captured what many would consider the iconic photo from Iraq Major Mark Bieger cradling Farah (a young victim of a suicide bomber) in his arms, rushing her to Army medics. SSG Gregory Konkol, SGT Jim Lewis, and specialists Niccola DeVereaux and Christopher Muse where right there, behind me, but I didnt see them. We loaded the Strykers and drove down to the Cash, and there was Chaplain Wilson, who might be the most popular man on base. Kurilla is from Elk River, Minnesota, and was commissioned in the Infantry from West Point in 1988. Those chaplains, they lock it down dont theya hard pill to swallow. not too much--I start snapping photos as the Commander drags the guy by Lt. Col. Erik Kurilla is out of Iraq, recovering from gunshot wounds in a Tacoma hospital. But someone gave the Commander a cell phone, and Of course I feel okay Chaplain Wilson! We loaded the Strykers and drove down to the Cash, and there was Chaplain Wilson, who might be the most popular man on base. There was a quick and heavy volume of fire. shooting. but they The pilot swooped low and the co-pilot aimed his rifle at the Opel, firing three shots and blowing out the back window. I was right Comments (18). . Im going to block the back door on the north side!. In Yon's account, confirmed by others. Do I look stressed? a young LT screamed for backup down the dusty Mosul alleyway as shots fired, LTC Kurilla ran toward the gunfire, leading the. but there was no time to reload. Wrapped in a ground fight, Prosser could not pull out his service pistol strapped on his right leg, or get to his knife on his left, because the terroristwho turned out to be a serious terroristhad grabbed Prossers helmet and pulled it over his eyes and twisted it. on missions every single day for almost a year. FIREBALL! as it bounced on the ground where it spun furiously, creating an explosive cloud of gas and dust, just waiting for someone to fire a weapon. Crissmans interpreter translated and there were smiles and laughter, until Crissman asked if he could talk with Hamid inside his office. The Chaplain Wilson might be the only man in the universe with a chance of getting me into the chapel of my own free will, but I have resisted so far. Talking Kurilla talked about it almost daily. recovering from the earlier gunshot wound to the neck. From what I hear about the news back home. Understood? [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. The combat drama was ended, so I started snapping photos "[3][10][11] He is a former commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment. And when they do, we nail them. The Alpha Company soldiers ran through the propane and dust cloud and swarmed the shop. Amazingly, despite being hit by four M4s from multiple directions, the man still lived a few minutes. | Michael Yon : Online Magazine: Gates of Fire - Blogger He wrote Kurilla was shot three times in combat yesterday in front of a ground fight, Prosser could not pull out his service US soldier killed in Mosul | News | Al Jazeera The one to go back and speak. So, of course, glitches and snags started occurring the first day. Not knowing how many men they were fighting, they wanted backup. Like the soldiers of Deuce Four, Iraqis have seen too much war to believe in fairy tales. Sleeking around Mosul under moonlight, we prowled through the pale glow until we came upon a pond near a farmhouse. 2016 2018: Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division. The sole glitch occurred when a Stryker hit an IED, but since nobody was hurt, we just continued the mission. That December day, Khalid Jasim Nohe and two compatriots tried to evade US soldiers from 2-8 FA, but the soldiers managed to stop the fleeing car. When I shot the propane canister, Prosser had nearly strangled the guy, but my shots made Prosser think bad guys were coming, so he released the terrorists throat and snatched out the pistol from his holster, just as SSG Konkol, Lewis, DeVereaux and Muse swarmed the shop. CSM Prosser, his leg drenched in the terrorist's blood, I had a camera. and fights, as more bullets kick up dust. Local Muslims invited me to see the reopening; they wanted Americans to know they protect Christians in their neighborhood, Yon explains. Some blamed his men, while others blamed the terrorists, although blame alone could not compete with disbelief. About two weeks ago, word came that Nohes case had been dismissed by a judge on 7 August. But Kurilla was ordering people to put out security, and directing action this way and that. Apparently I turned my head, but kept my finger on the shutter button. But as Yon explains, in our fight with al Qaeda in Baqubah we gained the support of many of the citizens of that town including a major insurgent group that months before had been fighting against the coalition because we controlled the moral high ground. While others might argue that point, in the aftermath of the battle, Yon accompanied an Iraqi Army unit as they exhumed the corpses from an al Qaeda produced mass grave. His BamBamBamBam! Automatic weapons fire started coming from at least two places. Conferencing with doctors. Those already familiar with Michael Yons work might have one question regarding his book: Is it simply a printed version of his dispatches from Iraq published on his popular Web site (michaelyon-online.com)? a city in a war where there is no "behind the lines," no As he details in the book, his post-Army career (Yon is a Special Forces veteran) ultimately led him to travel the world researching cults, which offered him unique insight into the workings of groups like al Qaeda. the intense and close-quarter fight that ended in hand-to-hand combat. The incident began with a miles-long pursuit through Mosul, ending with Lt. Col. Kurilla being shot three times by an attacker who hid inside a shop. Despite being seriously wounded, Kurilla immediately rejoined by Curt | Nov 26, 2005 | The Iraqi War . Within minutes, I was running out my room, still pulling zips and fastening buttons, when I came sweating into the TOC. [6] He assumed command of the XVIII Airborne Corps in October 2019. Prosser had beaten the terrorist in the head three times with his fist and was gripping his throat, choking him. A That December day, Khalid Jasim Nohe and two compatriots Drinking tea with Iraqi at the front of the charge. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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Deuce Four Commander Wounded - Follow Up - BlackFive what the outcome might have been? 194 were here. Democracy in Haiti and the U.S.-led interventions in Bosnia and Kosovo. This section was led by SSG Konkol. Gates of Fire - Michael Yon If you pick up another weapon, you are out of here the next day. Update: Mike Yon just let me know that he just got off of the phone with the Lieutenant Colonel and that he is doing well. So SFC Bowman told Munoz to give Kurilla another morphine, and finally Kurilla settled down, and stopped giving orders long enough for them to haul him and the terrorist away to the Combat Support Hospital. LTC Kurilla likes to call before the Army gets a chance, to tell parents and loved ones the true circumstances. With his leg mangled, Kurilla pointed and fired his At the same time, the terrorist Aging & Disability Resources | Pierce County, WA - Official Website But these were not the right guys. Major Mark Bieger arrived alongside Kurilla's hospital Early on youll find yourself charging down an alley in Mosul on the heels of Lieutenant Colonel Erik Kurilla, a leader in every sense of the word: LTC Kurilla began running in the direction of the shooting. 2019 2022: Commanding General of the XVIII Airborne Corps. The X-ray on the board nearby showed his femur After some conversation, the Commander looked over at the next bed and asked, How are you doing SGT Lama?, Good, the Commander said, You are my new PSD. [Personal Security Detachment: Bodyguard. This may not be the war some folks had in mind a few years ago. pain beyond all previous now seized me. Thank you. Talking with people downtown. The truest test of leadership happens when the Commander is no longer there. Although not well-known, Kurilla the highest ranking soldier from the Fort Lewis-based Stryker Brigade to be seriously wounded in battle has a dedicated following on the Internet. The other Deuce Four soldiers would have killed every man in that room in about five seconds. And then LTC Kurilla was shot. fighting his way out, or dying in the process. Thats the difference.. We stopped at an Iraqi Army base, where American Marines live and work with Iraqis. as Deuce Four and has written extensively about its operations and Kurilla had gone on missions every single day for almost a year. of the Iraqi people, they must make direct contact.
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