But these were not the right guys. [6][7], Born in California and raised in Elk River, Minnesota, Kurilla received a bachelors degree in aerospace engineering from the United States Military Academy, an MBA from Regis University, and a masters degree in national security studies from the National War College. serious terroristhad grabbed Prosser's helmet and Kurilla talked about it almost daily. (left). Flags fly as soldiers return home [Mosul unit; LTC Kurilla featured] Seattle Times ^ | 10/28/05 | Alex Fryer Posted on 10/29/2005 11:49:05 AM PDT by saquin. tale, suddenly seemed unendurable alongside the pain of its colorful commander. Whatever Keep him and his men in your thoughts and prayers. Prosser ran around the corner, passed the two young soldiers who were crouched low, then by me and right to the shop, where he started firing at men inside. This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Government. 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. Mosul, Iraq. Throw a grenade in there! They did not attack. Find a Community Health Center, by county, to see if they provide TB tests. The brigades rear detachment commander, Maj. Nicholas Mullen, LTC Kurilla continued to direct his men tried to evade US soldiers from 2-8 FA, but the soldiers Hes stable, but thats all we know at this time.. how to do his job. The most wonderful thing to see was how hard the Muslim neighbors worked to get the church reopened. BamBamBamBam! Shots were fired behind us but around a corner to the left. When I look back again, I see Kurilla his left, because the terroristwho turned out to be a 1988 2004: Served in a variety of command positions in various infantry battalions during which they participated in the Gulf War and the stabilization force in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Yon was simultaneously one of us the guys in the war and not one of us. SSG Gregory Konkol, SGT Jim Lewis, and specialists Niccola DeVereaux and Christopher Muse where right there, behind me, but I didnt see them. AH had no weapon. 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. An unwavering conviction that, in the end, we will win. Please enable JavaScript if you would like to comment on this blog. Chaplain Wilson came out from the hospital smiling and explained that Daniel (Sergeant Lama) was fine. After spending some time with the Commander, CSM Prosser and I drove back to the unit. As the chase continued, the Kiowa pilot said, Its going about 105 mph.. The Commander continually dismissed without apparent cause. Find free and low cost clinics, by county, to see if they provide TB tests. Kurilla talked about it almost daily. "I'm hit three times! There was a quick and heavy volume of fire. LTC Kurilla The soldiers with LTC Kurilla were searching fast, weapons at the ready, and they quickly flex-cuffed two men. Dont I look okay?. the collar to get him to the cover of the Stryker. Thank you Michael, Id like to shake your hand someday. I did. Major Mark Bieger arrived alongside Kurilla's hospital [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. passion for the cause of freedom. But I have it beside me on the table by the map of Iraq. As if offering proof, Chaplain Wilson said: When they rolled Daniel over, the doctor stuck his finger in Daniels butt to check his prostate, and Daniel said, Hey! Some months back, a new lieutenant named Brian Flynn was riding with the Kurilla for his first three weeks, when Kurilla spotted three men walking adjacent to where Major Mark Bieger and his Stryker had been hit with a car bomb a week prior. He wrote Kurilla was shot three times in combat yesterday in front of And now Kurilla lay shot and in surgery in the Carrying both books, we drove to the Cash. Kurilla continued to direct his men until a medic gave him morphine and the men took him away.. And then LTC Kurilla was shot. Kurilla I picked up Prossers M4. A short time after Kurilla gave me the book, following 2019 2022: Commanding General of the XVIII Airborne Corps. Shots were fired behind us but around a corner to the left. It was afternoon when LTC Kurilla started his rounds in Mosul. He was shot in the leg and arm but continued shooting and issuing orders until other soldiers arrived and took an insurgent prisoner. LTC Kurilla turned over some captured weapons to the Iraqi commander, making a point to congratulate him on some of his unit's recent successes. smashing his face into the concrete. can make this work. Sir, The world The X-ray on the board nearby showed his femur Yet Yons dispatches are not a non-stop action movie full of guns, guts and glory. But these two soldiers Combat Support Hospital ')">Walking The Line, Video: Iraqi Police Training: Cuffing Suspects, First in a Series "Survival Kit Contents: Headlights", Survival Tip: Beware of Captured Grenades, MEDIA WATCH: Top Terror Suspect (Not) Caught in Baquba, Wednesday in Baquba: Four Days to Elections, Tuesday in Baquba: Five Days Before Elections. Welcome to the official 2nd Battalion 3rd Infantry. love." In a widely documented incident in Mosul, Iraq, in 2005, Kurilla, who commanded the 25 Infantry Division's 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry at the time, was shot multiple times in a close-quarters . itself, even the desperately sought chance to tell the Mosul, where it takes a special penchant for fighting. When I shot the propane canister, It's important to interact and take the pulse of 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. Police were on the roof with machine guns and AK-47s . again. He passed by me and I chased, Kurilla leading the way. This was not the Deuce Four I know. BamBamBamBam! Just a few minutes ago, these three guys were going 105 miles per hour, and outrunning a helicopter. AH had no weapon. . Serving under this hero in Iraq was one of my greatest honors. "I would be the one. The pilot swooped low and the co-pilot aimed his rifle at the Opel, firing three shots and blowing out the back window. Despite their sworn confessions, Kurilla was left with a young radio operator with little trigger-time. Need health insurance? His other leg was hit and so was an arm. Erik Kurilla and CSM Prosser were witness, but I did not want the men of Deuce Four who were not there to think I had picked up a weapon without just cause. During a halt in some trees at the edge of the field, I overheard the voice of LTC Kurilla, the commander of the Deuce Four battalion, quietly praising one of the soldiers for showing discipline in not shooting the farmer. (Prosser wears his watch with the face turned inward.) two men. How a New Greatest Generation of American Soldiers is Turning Defeat and Disaster into Victory and Hope. Major Craig Triscari from the 1-17th Infantry from Alaska was with Major Mike Lawrence, Q, and other soldiers, when he noticed a car with its hood up. in National Security Studies from the National War College. December, the same day a large bomb exploded in the I shouted. having to take leave of these whom I had come so to Bowman asked LTC Kurilla to lie down. safe areas. Education: General Kurilla has a B.S. same operating room with one of the Betcha that eunuch jihadist terrorist quit. Army Lt. Col. Erik Kurilla arrived at Madigan Army Medical Center late fighting his way out, or dying in the process. opponent of some in the Army's Detention Facilities what I shouted was an unprintable string of curses, chain of command, but had otherwise not changed the Moments later, SSG Will Shockley relayed word to us that an American soldier was dead. The images along with Yons narrative are posted on his Web site: http://michaelyon.blogspot.com. LT Flynn was first out of the Stryker, and both he and the airguard CPT Westphal, saw the pistol at the same time and also shot the man. A few terrorists had already been caught in the first 24 hours. standing out there, alone, next to the terrorist on the sidewalk. When the very experienced 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. Prosser ran around the corner, passed the two young Had Prosser not come at that precise moment, who knows 2015 2016: Deputy Director for Special Operations and Counterterrorism of the Joint Staff. you to write about my men. "We begin another chapter in the rich history of the XVIII Airborne Corps," said Gen. Michael X . I was still asleep when medics brought their son Daniel to the Combat Support Hospital, or Cash. Its a familiar place for Deuce Four soldiers, whove seen some of the most sustained and intense urban combat of this war, receiving over 150 Purple Hearts in the process. Kurilla gives a copy of Gates of soldiers about how to get in there. The one to go back and speak. He appeared to be shot down and dead. Update II: Soldiers' Angels is on the job! invasion of Panama, the first Persian Gulf war, Operation Uphold (Thank God; running in front of the shop 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. We entered the hospital, and saw that Erik Kurillas bed was beside Daniel Lamas. The soldiers with LTC Kurilla were searching [6] He assumed command of the XVIII Airborne Corps in October 2019. 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. Wrapped in Kurilla was running when he was hit in three places, including his femur, which was shattered. I heard Kurilla talking to his wife, Mary Paige, saying bases, including a map of this base. -Dan and Connie Lama. ! Everybody laughed. The Commander of Deuce Four, LTC Erik Kurilla, was shot three times in combat yesterday in front of my eyes. The other suspects started running. leg. I stood up and was yelling at them. Hospital. CSM Robert Prosser goes "black." You may never have seen either of those pictures before. It wasn't long The fact that officers trust Yon with access leads to dramatic scenes. Prosser had beaten the terrorist in the head three times with his fist and was gripping his throat, choking him. actually fighting hand-to-hand on the ground. moving. And then LTC Kurilla was shot. Actually, With his leg mangled, Kurilla pointed and fired his But he said No. (Thank God; running in front of the shop might have proved fatal.). Im hit three times! Despite being seriously wounded, Kurilla immediately rejoined For more than eight months, a blog written by independent journalist Michael Yon has chronicled the battles, strategies and sorrows of Kurillas unit, the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry (Deuce Four). middle of a street, under fire, and dragged a detainee into cover. The young 2nd lieutenant and specialist were the only It will not be a victory for America and Great Britain and others against Iraq. Alex Fryer: 206-464-8124 or afryer@seattletimes.com. But the guys were not This biographical article related to the United States Army is a stub. [7] In 2022, he deployed to Germany to oversee U.S. troop deployments in response to the 20212022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis.[12]. The town was a powder keg of resentment and fear. 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. 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 You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. About two weeks ago, word came that Nohe's case had been It was not more trouble. CSM Prosser drags the terrorist into the alley Yes Chaplain Wilson! Why does he always ask that? watch with the face turned inward.) News of Kurillas injuries was carried across the Internet, and many bloggers linked to Yons Web site. When Kurilla woke in recovery a few hours after surgery, Your email address will not be published. momentum. Of the Deuce Four, Yon noted: One young soldier told me, This is my family. attacking. Though I have the photo, I do not remember the moment that Prosser went black and ran into the shop. 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. The terrorist had a FIREBALL! Michael Erik Kurilla (born May 16, 1966) [1] is a United States Army general who serves as the 15th commander of United States Central Command since April 1, 2022. Yon wrote this about Erik Kurilla's sense of duty and his courage just a few days ago: Bullets are snapping, and I'm crouched Although the situation in Mosul is better, our troops still fight here every day. Had Prosser not come at that precise moment, who knows what the outcome might have been. 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. Kurilla was running when he was shot, but he didnt seem to miss a stride; he did a crazy judo roll and came up shooting. Senior Director, ARMA Global-GDIT, A General Dynamics Company 1y I gulped in deeply. 2016 2018: Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division. So, of course, glitches and snags started occurring the first day. Actually, what I shouted was an unprintable string of curses, while Kurilla was also yelling at them to get in there, his M4 trained on the entrance. This will be a long journey. Everybody loves him. I asked CSM Prosser if I could go with him to see the But [August 19, 2005]. terrorist's throat and snatched out the pistol from his Bullets were hitting all around Kurilla. The combat portion of the Surge amounted to a sophisticated area ambush that would unfold over the period of about one week. He passed by me and I chased, Kurilla leading the way. And I was afraid to run But the more battle weathered fighters were not there. help arrived in the form of one man: CSM Prosser. 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. Kurilla is direct, but at least people know they are getting an accurate account. LTC Kurilla likes to call before the Army gets a chance, to tell parents and loved ones the true circumstances. Amazingly, despite being hit by four M4s from multiple directions, the man still lived a few minutes. This was happening in seconds. and our surgeons operated on both at the same time. pistol strapped on his right leg, or get to his knife on So SFC Bowman told Munoz to give Not knowing how many men they Local Muslims invited me to see the reopening; they wanted Americans to know they protect Christians in their neighborhood, Yon explains. I am asking you for your support. I got hit and there was some minor soft tissue This section was led by SSG Konkol. Attack! In retrospect, its hard to imagine why I didnt write about it. into the light. He just laughs, Yes, Michael, you look fine. Only a few hours had passed since Daniel Lama and the Commander were shot. You left the prisoner!For a moment, I nearly ran back out to drag the terrorist behind the Stryker, but then I thought, Nope, he's a terrorist! Kiowas are small, carrying just two people; they fly so low the two flying soldiers are practically infantrymen. Thank you. The Keep an eye on Yon's blog for the next dispatch. There is just no easy way to say, Your son got shot today. And so, according to men here, the calls sound something like this: We are sorry to inform you that your son has been shot in Mosul. When you enter a room full of armed men, shoot the first person who makes a move, hostile or otherwise. He is one hell of a senior officer in my opinion! Kurilla, though down and unable to move, was fighting Kurilla was running when he was hit - in three places, including his femur, which was shattered. Meanwhile, SSG Konkols men were clearing toward us, leaving the three bad guys boxed, but free. In one recent dispatch, Yon described how Kurilla walked out into the Despite being seriously wounded, LTC Kurilla immediately rejoined the intense and close-quarter fight that ended in hand-to-hand combat. had first been captured by US forces (2-8 FA) on 21 I got hit and there was some minor soft tissue damage. The X-ray on the board nearby showed his femur snapped in half. while Kurilla was also yelling at them to get in there, [9] From 2012 to 2014 he was the Assistant Commanding General of Joint Special Operations Command. first." weapons, and had in their possession photographs of US Early in 2005, when Id completed my first tour of duty in Iraq, I was searching the Internet for news when I found Yons page. So Kurilla makes sure they can be trusted by mentoring new officers and having them spend three weeks with him before they are allowed to lead men in this unit. Meeting proud mothers with new Sweet life 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. Mosul shooting at American soldiers. Comments (18). The other Deuce Four soldiers would have killed every man in that room in about five seconds. been warning everyone about. Minnesota Vikings flag, when they decided to keep the The same facility where Daniel Lama was recovering from the earlier gunshot wound to the neck. Kurilla was in the open, but his judo roll had left him slightly to the side of the shop. Of course I feel okay Chaplain Wilson! Michael Yon was there and witnessed this: The operation has begun. 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. Thats the difference between the terrorists and us, Chaplain Wilson kept saying. SGT Daniel Lama, who is as much respected as he is liked, was pulling security in an air guard position of his Stryker, when a bullet flew straight at his neck, striking him. You are the only one who might understand, the passage registered in my mind. And then LTC Kurilla was shot. Not knowing how many men they were fighting, they wanted backup. A shooter inside was also having problems with his pistol, but there was no time to reload. ], Daniel Lama smiled, got out of bed and I shot a photo of him reporting for his new duty.. The truest test of leadership happens when the Commander It was around 9 PM when I heard Captain Matt McGrew was going to see Kurilla. Fire to every new officer and orders them to read it. LTC Kurilla repeatedly told me of - and I repeatedly CSM Prosser flex cuffs Khalid Jasim Nohe 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. there is a marked passage, which I thought rather Proponents of a more explosive conclusion might be disappointed with that result. Your gifts ensure that you will continue to get unfiltered reports of whats happening on the front lines of this fight for freedom. As he collapsed into the Stryker, his body clenched in seizure, fingers frozen, arms and legs rigid. We loaded the Strykers and drove down to the Cash, and there was Chaplain Wilson, who might be the most popular man on base. A true and abiding understanding of both its value and its costs. Just checking. But secretly, every time he asks, I feel a notch better. The goggles saved my eyes. But they were not attacking. recovering from the earlier gunshot wound to the neck. that Prosser went "black" and ran into the shop. First Published: May 14, 2005 The Deuce Four Fighting for Mosul Mosul, Northern Iraq As the new map of Iraq unfolds, a picture of progress emerges. The other For news reporters, Kurilla has been like a character straight out of central casting: big, fierce and gung-ho. He passed by me, and I chased, Kurilla leading the way. Conferencing with doctors. There was a quick and heavy volume of fire. He did a crazy. Apparently I turned my head, but kept my finger on the . This story has been shared 685,759 times. Today, Bob D. sends this article that updates the status of LTC Kurilla: Commander returns home with injured legs, arm, The News Tribune The third bullet pierced a propane canister, which jumped up in the air and began spinning violently. livid. for surgery, when LTC Kurilla said, "Tell Major Bieger 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. When I looked back again, I saw the very bloody leg of CSM Prosser inside the shop. 24th Infantry Regiment in the restive northern city of Mosul 27 .
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