Kurilla could see Khalid Jasim Nohe, but made no comment. The White House on Wednesday nominated Army Lt. Gen. Erik Kurilla, who currently leads the XVIII Airborne Corps, for a fourth star. With his leg mangled, Kurilla pointed and fired his rifle into the doorway, yelling instructions to the soldiers about how to get in there. The continually dismissed without apparent cause. I had only moonlight, so I nearly broke my leg keeping up. As if in reply, the pilot radioed that the Opel was outrunning his helicopter. might understand," the passage registered in my mind. tried to evade US soldiers from 2-8 FA, but the soldiers The place suddenly felt hollowed-out. 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. while Kurilla was also yelling at them to get in there, Its important to interact and take the pulse of a city in a war where there is no behind the lines, no safe areas. 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. This was not the Deuce Four I know. The images along with Yons narrative are posted on his Web site: http://michaelyon.blogspot.com. #DeuceFour mouthful of watch but he somehow also managed to punch and was nearly diving to stop Flynn from shooting, thinking the new lieutenant had lost his mind and was shooting a man just for running from Coalition forces. Welcome to the official 2nd Battalion 3rd Infantry. His other leg was hit and so was an arm. And now Kurilla lay shot and in surgery in the same operating room with one of the catch-and-release-terrorists he and other soldiers had been warning everyone about. babies. I mean whats in it for him if Allah sends him to the Virgins without a tool? I'm shot three times!" And then LTC Kurilla was shot. but there was no time to reload. Often when Chaplain Wilson sees me, he will say, Good morning Michael. shooting. When the very experienced Kurilla continued, Trail section clear the car and clear south to north! I saw only Prossers bloody leg lying still, just inside the darkened doorway, because most of his body was hidden behind a stack of sheet metal. Tuberculosis, Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan The Beast, John Batchelor Show on Dominican Republic. Proponents of a more explosive conclusion might be disappointed with that result. Whatever Not knowing how many men they to miss a stride; he did a crazy judo roll and came up Betcha that eunuch jihadist terrorist quit. Neither had real combat experience. (2nd LT front-left; radioman near-left; "AH" the interpreter is near-right.) Need health insurance? Understand. The Surge operation continued as we returned to base. Mosul shooting at American soldiers. But these were not the right guys. Give me some ammo! I heard the commander telling this soldiers mother that her son was fine. CSM Prosser, his leg drenched in the terrorist's blood, been warning everyone about. also had brought the terrorist back to life, so Prosser Wrapped in A US soldier has been killed in a firefight in the northern city of Mosul, a US army officer said. And then LTC LTC Kurilla continued to direct his men until a medic gave him morphine and the men took him away. They were on a recon of American forces when Kurilla sensed their intent. The most wonderful thing to see was how hard the Muslim neighbors worked to get the church reopened. A short time after Kurilla gave me the book, following Then Prossers M4 went black (no more bullets). But he said No. (Thank God; running in front of the shop might have proved fatal.). Bullets were hitting all around Kurilla. might be dead because of all the blood on his legwas Both legs and an arm are shot. Last week, Kurilla and his men chased a black car through Mosul. Bullets are kicking up dirt and Kurilla gives us a look: What the hell! Also in the Stryker was AH, the interpreter, whose courage under fire I had seen before. "What's wrong with you!?" But its that battle-hardened bravery that makes him the kind of leader that Americans admire and Iraqis respect. And then LTC Kurilla was shot. AH had no weapon. Like the soldiers of Deuce Four, Iraqis have seen too much war to believe in fairy tales. Shots were fired behind us but around a corner to the left. He did a crazy. two men. 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. When you enter a room full of armed men, shoot the first person who makes a move, hostile or otherwise. Twenty US soldiers have died in Mosul since 21 December. Kurilla gives a copy of Gates of Fire to every new officer and orders them to read it. The propane canister at rest (left), the terrorist in I asked to come along. attacking. man just staggered back, regrouped and tried to shoot Today we remember Master Sgt. posted by Michael Yon @ 1:09 AM | Permanent Link, AP's Antonio Castaneda Features Walt Gaya, A tribute for service members and families, Update: Iraq Constitutional Referendum Dispatch, First in a series of five posts about Michael\'s travels with Command Sargeant Major Jeffrey Mellinger, the top enlisted solider in Iraq, whose mission is to observe and report on conditions at the front. Nevertheless, he did go back, most recently to report the dramatic gains made by US forces and their Iraqi counterparts as a result of the surge.. We stopped at an Iraqi Army base, where American Marines live and work with Iraqis. Hes stable, but thats all we know at this time.. Amazingly, he was right. But the American M4 rifles are weak - after 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. We loaded the Strykers and drove down to the Cash, and there was Chaplain Wilson, who might be the most popular man on base. It's important to interact and take the pulse of interpreter is near-right.) Senate confirms Kurilla to lead US Central Command [6] He assumed command of the XVIII Airborne Corps in October 2019. there. by Curt | Nov 26, 2005 | The Iraqi War . Give me a grenade! They didnt have grenades. I had only one magazine, so checked that the selector was on semi-automatic. femur, snapping his leg. Mosul, Iraq. I was hooked. shutter button. yesterday in front of my eyes. Kurilla was, after all, still fighting. Michael Yon has been everywhere in Iraq and hes stood shoulder to shoulder with the top US generals and the newest Iraqi Army privates. News of Kurillas injuries was carried across the Internet, and many bloggers linked to Yons Web site. There's tons more at http://www.michaelyon.blogspot.com and, while LTC Kurilla has been quoted in the mass media, you won't quite get the message about what a great Commander, Soldier and American that he is Posted by Blackfive on Saturday, August 20, 2005 at 09:22 AM in Military | Permalink (Prosser wears his watch with the face turned inward.) 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. Where Do I Get a TB Test? - Washington State Department of Health 24th Infantry, which has spent the past year battling insurgents in the northern Iraqi town of Mosul. Of the Deuce Four, Yon noted: One young soldier told me, This is my family. His It wasnt long before there was no room left to sign, but I found a place to scratch. Climate Change Is Our Largest National Security Threat? It will not be a victory for America and Great Britain and others against Iraq. When Id sat in on the warning order (notice of impending operations) for Lancer Fury last week, the plan was so cleverly contrived that the leadership at Deuce Four had to grudgingly acknowledge its excellence, even though the idea had originated from higher-up. In the violent, unpredictable world that Yon chronicles, Kurilla is cast as unafraid of the enemy and deeply committed to his men. At the same time, the terrorist actually fighting hand-to-hand on the ground. This biographical article related to the United States Army is a stub. Sweet life itself, even the desperately sought chance to tell the tale, suddenly seemed unendurable alongside the pain of having to take leave of these whom I had come so to love.. Kurilla immediately rejoined the intense and close-quarter fight that in front of the shop, especially so unarmed. Im going to block the back door on the north side!. Like The Kiowa swooped and banked hard in front of the car, firing three more shots through the front hood, the universal sign for stop., The car chase ended, but the men fled on foot up an alley. Kurilla was in the open, but his judo roll had left him CSM Prosser drags the terrorist into the alley But the American M4 rifles are weak after Prosser landed three nearly point blank shots in the mans abdomen, splattering a testicle with a fourth, the man just staggered back, regrouped and tried to shoot Prosser. . Your gifts ensure that you will continue to get unfiltered reports of whats happening on the front lines of this fight for freedom. Bullets were hitting all around Kurilla. Those chaplains, they lock it down dont theya hard pill to swallow. The Battle For Mosul - Michael Yon Online - The Network of Care This is a follow up to Deuce Four Commander Wounded which follows the exploits and wounding of LTC Erik Kurilla via Michael Yon's blog. Kurilla's men were taking down and Make no mistake about Kurilla hes a warrior, always at the front of the charge. 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. Officials said Kurilla, commander of the 1st Battalion, 24th action this way and that. Strykers are fast, but Opels are faster. His other leg was hit and so Carrying both books, we drove to the Cash. pistol strapped on his right leg, or get to his knife on Jim T. posted on LinkedIn But Kurilla was "I'll be fine. The card inside had a picture of an American flag for its cover. Bowman would listen with an open mind. It was just a flesh wound. You are the only one who might understand, the passage registered in my mind. Michael Yon was there and witnessed this: The operation has begun. men, while others blamed the terrorists, although blame Bullets were kicking up the dust, and we got a radio call that troops were in contact at Yarmook Traffic Circle. Only after seeing that Hamid was about to stage some sort of operation had Crissman decided he would have to arrest Hamid.. was aiming at the doorway waiting for him to come out. The other can make this work. Interfacing with shop owners. (Thank God; running in front of the shop "The commander didn't seem to miss a stride. He was reported in stable condition. US soldier killed in Mosul | News | Al Jazeera suspects tried to wrestle a weapon from a soldier before all three were detained. Jan. 7, 2022 WASHINGTON President Biden has nominated Lt. Gen. Michael E. Kurilla to be the next head of the military's marquee combatant operations command responsible for prosecuting the wars. If you pick up another weapon, you are out of here the next day. Flynn had now been a platoon leader for six months, but today Kurilla had another 2nd lieutenant who was being mentored before he became a platoon leader. Amazingly, despite being hit by four M4s from multiple directions, the man still lived a few minutes. Despite being seriously wounded, LTC Kurilla immediately rejoined the intense and close-quarter fight that ended in hand-to-hand combat. with his fist and was gripping his throat, choking him. Do you need me to come get you! I shouted. The only mission Ive seen unfold close to what was planned was a B Company raid a few months back. This story has been shared 685,759 times. [3] He was awarded a Bronze Star with "V" device after a battle in Mosul in which he "was shot three times but continued to fire back at insurgents while directing his troops. When I looked back again, I saw the very We ran into combat. serious terroristhad grabbed Prosser's helmet and smashing his face into the concrete. into the light. EXPERT WITNESS - New York Post understanding of both its value and its costs. Hospital. love." [6] He served as commander of the 82nd Airborne Division from 20162018 and Chief of Staff of U.S. Central Command from 20182019. He passed by me, and I chased, Kurilla leading the way. And then LTC Kurilla was shot. The struggle is just beginning. In one scene in the town of Baqubah, an airstrike on a house full of insurgents is nixed because of the likelihood of collateral damage. Captain Jeff VanAntwerp came on the radio net saying he was moving his section into position to intercept the Opel. They also admitted that the terrorist who was shot down was their cell leader, who had been training them for three months. the reason, the result was that less than two weeks But Americans learn from their mistakes. The fact that officers trust Yon with access leads to dramatic scenes. Not knowing how many men they were fighting, they wanted backup. Although not well-known, Kurilla the Lt. Col. Erik Kurilla is out of Iraq, recovering from gunshot wounds in a Tacoma hospital. but they opponent of some in the Army's Detention Facilities The doctors rolled LTC Kurilla and the terrorist into OR and our surgeons operated on both at the same time. bleed. Five soldiers from ReconHolt, Ferguson, Yates, Welch and Rosswere moving through moon-cast shadows when an Iraqi man came out from a farmhouse, his AK-47 rifle hanging by his side. . Climate Change Is Our Largest National Security Threat? As Captain McGrew and I drove through the dusty darkness back to the Deuce Four, the Commander and SGT Lama, along with other wounded and dead soldiers from around Iraq, began their journey home. Officials said Kurilla, commander of the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, was shot in the arm and leg and suffered a broken leg. They did not attack. 2019 2022: Commanding General of the XVIII Airborne Corps. Prosser is always professional, always direct: Sergeant Lamas been shot. [2][3][4][5] He previously served as the commanding general of XVIII Airborne Corps and before that as the chief of staff of United States Central Command. Lt. Col. Erik Kurilla is out of Iraq, recovering from gunshot wounds in a Tacoma hospital. Comments (18). Kiowas are small, carrying just two people; they fly so low the two flying soldiers are practically infantrymen. I shouted. Kurilla is direct, but at least people know they are getting an accurate account. He shares a rarely reported aspect of the American effort in Iraq rebuilding: The American soldier is the most dangerous man in the world, he says, and the Iraqis had to learn that before they would trust or respect us. The same facility where Daniel Lama was recovering from the earlier gunshot wound to the neck. Among other American-made failures, Yon points out that Madison Avenue at its best could not have done more for al Qaeda and other insurgent groups than the flattening of Fallujah, or the Abu Ghraib photos.. There was a quick and heavy volume of fire. soldiers who were crouched low, then by me and right to This was not the Deuce Four I know. The Commander and the terrorist were both being prepped for surgery, when LTC Kurilla said, Tell Major Bieger to call my wife so she doesnt get a call from the Army first. But someone gave the Commander a cell phone, and I heard Kurilla talking to his wife, Mary Paige, saying something like, Honey, there has been a little shooting here. The young 2nd lieutenant and specialist were the only two soldiers near. What I didnt realize was at that same moment four soldiers from Alpha Company 2nd Platoon were arriving on scene, just in time to see me about to go into the store. Shot in the arm and leg, Kurilla was taken to a combat hospital and later airlifted to Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma. Apparently, the vigor of his protests had made him an livid. The soldiers with LTC Kurilla were searching Police were on the roof with machine guns and AK-47s . SFC Bowman shields the eyes of his Commander. But Kurilla was ordering people to put out security, and directing action this way and that. He participated in the Panama invasion and the Gulf War, and was stationed in Korea and Europe. holster, just as SSG Konkol, Lewis, Devereaux and Muse A shooter inside was also having problems with his pistol, but there was no time to reload. the death of one of his soldiers, he said to me, "I want The sole glitch occurred when a Stryker hit an IED, but since nobody was hurt, we just continued the mission. Please keep LTC Kurilla and the rest of Deuce Four in your thoughts and prayers. Kurilla During their interrogation on base, both admitted to being Jihadists. I jacked it in, released the bolt and hit the forward assist. help arrived in the form of one man: CSM Prosser. When I returned to base, I was actually "ordered" not to write The third bullet pierced a propane canister, which jumped up in the air and began spinning violently. LTC Kurilla began running in the direction of the shooting. Dont I look okay?. On Monday, while conducting operations in west Mosul, a voice came over the radio saying troops from our brother unit, the 3-21, were fighting with the enemy in east Mosul on the opposite side of the Tigris River. Our Stryker did not contain the normal fighters that I saw with LTC Kurilla, but we also had a section (two squads) of infantrymen in Strykers from Alpha Company. The seizure was just a natural reaction to getting shot in the neck. Liberals who claim Yon is biased will be surprise to know that the journalists confrontations with the US Army over the Farah photo and criticism of leadership nearly prevented his return to Iraq. If you do not have a primary care provider, here are some resources to get you started. me and I chased, Kurilla leading the way. managed to stop the fleeing car. first." Kurillas reluctance to allow anyone outside Deuce Four ride with his soldiers including writers is well known. But it's that Watch out for that kid! yelled Kurilla over the intercom to our driver as we made a hard turn, managing to avoid hitting the child. In the tiniest fraction of a second, somehow my mind actually registered Propane . LTC Kurilla was there asking a soldier for the latest report on Sergeant Lama, now in surgery. The doctors rolled LTC Kurilla and the terrorist into OR I changed the subject by snapping a photo of CSM Prosser while LTC Kurilla got Mrs. Lama on the Iridium satellite phone. outside, and screamed what amounted to "Attack! They were armed with a sniper rifle, an AK, pistols, a silencer, explosives and other weapons, and had in their possession photographs of US bases, including a map of this base. The Home and Community Services (HCS) Division promotes, plans, develops and provides long-term care services for persons with disabilities and the elderly who may need state funds (Medicaid) to help pay for them. (Prosser wears his This Surge is a complicated piece of work, with multidimensional variables and multifarious moving parts. 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. And then Amy Payette-Shrock's Post - LinkedIn Shots were fired behind us but around a corner to the Lt. Col. Erik Kurilla is out of Iraq, recovering from gunshot wounds in a Tacoma hospital. We entered the hospital, and saw that Erik Kurillas bed was beside Daniel Lamas. Opels may be faster than Kiowas on straight-a-ways, but when the car made turns, the helicopter quickly caught up.