Top US commander lashes out, investigated for 'shoving subordinate'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: NBC News
1 Nov 2024 13:17
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Michael E. Kurilla reportedly violently conducted himself during a trip to the Middle East when his flight experienced communication and logistical problems.

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Lt. Gen. Michael E. Kurilla testifies during a Senate committee hearing on Senate Armed Services Thursday, March 16, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP)

The US Central Command's Army General Michael “Erik” Kurilla is being investigated for reportedly shoving a subordinate serviceman during his recent trip to the Middle East, three officials familiar with the matter told NBC News.

In detail, Kurilla reportedly shoved an airman while traveling on a C-17 a few weeks ago. The plane had been experiencing communication and logistical issues when Kurilla grew visibly frustrated, leading him to lash out and shove the airman who had asked him to remain seated and buckled up.

The Army Criminal Investigation Division, an allegedly independent law enforcement agency, revealed that it was probing the incident, without providing any additional information.

In light of the incident, a senior administration official revealed that Kurilla was still carrying out his mission and traveling in the Middle East, noting that his career's fate remains unknown amid uncertainty regarding whether he would be dismissed or suspended from his position.

It is worth noting that Kurilla's tenure is expected to end on April 11, 2025.

Michael E. Kurilla was nominated and appointed as the next head of the military’s marquee combatant operations command responsible for prosecuting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2022.

In October 2023, since the start of the Israeli onslaught in Gaza, Kurilla has frequently scheduled trips to "Israel" in a show of continuous US support for the Israeli occupation and its war in the region.

His latest visit took place on October 5, 2024, only a few days after Iran pounded Israeli military bases in response to the occupation's aggression in Gaza, Lebanon, and attacks on its sovereignty and soil.