Iraq veteran heads Middle East operations
General Michael Kurilla, who was seriously injured by gunshot in Iraq, has been chosen by Joe Biden to lead Pentagon operations in the Middle East.
Marine General Kenneth McKenzie is expected to step down as head of Centcom.
AFP
President Joe Biden has appointed the commander of the most seasoned units in the US military, General Michael Kurilla, to lead US operations in the Middle East, the Pentagon announced on Friday.
If his appointment is confirmed by the Senate, General Kurilla will succeed Marine General Kenneth McKenzie at the head of the Central Command (Centcom) of the United States Army, which oversees military operations in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and the United States. Yemen.
According to his official biography, General Kurilla, 55, is currently in command of the 18th Airborne Corps, which brings together at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the majority of the response forces of the United States Army.
Seriously injured by gunshot
Former West Point, he notably fought in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, where he was seriously wounded by gunshot during an assault in Mosul, in 2005. He also held responsibilities at the general staff of the United States Army and commanded the prestigious 82nd Parachute Division, known to have participated in the Normandy landings in 1944.
The American army is organized in geographic commands like Africom for Africa or Eucom for Europe, but also thematic like the strategic command (Stratcom) in charge of the nuclear armament of the country or the Spacecom, in charge of space. .
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