The Alpha Company soldiers ran through the propane and dust cloud and swarmed the shop. Soldiers outran and tackled his two associates when they made a run. you to write about my men. Chris Espindola, the Commanders radio operator, a respected and experienced fighter, was down in Baghdad at the Iraqi Criminal Court testifying against two terrorists caught by Deuce Four months earlier. But the guys were not attacking. Michael Yon : Online Magazine: Gates of Fire - Blogger Im going to block the back door on the north side!. Kurilla had gone the shop, where he started firing at men inside. Moment of Truth in Iraq is a milestone in combat reporting. I will ignore such "orders" at my own discretion. But Americans learn from their mistakes. LTC Kurilla likes to call before the Army gets a chance, to tell parents and loved ones the true circumstances. And then LTC Kurilla was shot. In order for leaders of Kurilla's rank to know the pulse Betcha that eunuch jihadist terrorist quit. I approached SFC Bowman specifically, because he is fair, and is respected by the officers and men. SFC Bowman shields the eyes of his Commander. Captain Jeff VanAntwerp came on the radio net saying he was moving his section into position to intercept the Opel. bullet strikes the wall beside 2nd lieutenant's head Strykers are fast, but Opels are faster. Meanwhile, SSG Konkol's men were clearing toward us, leaving the three bad guys boxed, but free. didn't have the combat experience to grasp the power of Talking He was reported in stable condition. Mosul shooting at American soldiers. The next day, Iraqi Army and Police commanders were in a Then one of the suspects tried to wrestle a weapon from a soldier before all three were detained. The Coalition was livid. BamBamBamBam! The one to go back and speak. 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. I screamed to the young soldiers, Throw a grenade in there! but they were not attacking. As the chase continued, the Kiowa pilot said, Its going about 105 mph.. News that Kurilla was wounded came first via the online journal of A young 2nd lieutenant who had only been in Iraq three weeks, and hadnt seen any real combat; and a young specialist, who, per chance, is one of the few Deuce Four soldiers who is not a seasoned veteran, though he has seen some combat. [6] He served as commander of the 82nd Airborne Division from 20162018 and Chief of Staff of U.S. Central Command from 20182019. Michael Yon is America's most experienced combat correspondent. Update II: Soldiers' Angels is on the job! Had Prosser not come at that precise moment, who knows what the outcome might have been. Though I have the photo, I do not remember the moment Prosser landed three nearly point blank shots in the Jose L. Ruiz was killed in action. When I look back again, I see Kurilla two men. 2018 2019: Chief of Staff of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Among other things, key gear failed; but overall, the Surge was going well. I shouted. XVIII Airborne Corps commander set to be next CENTCOM boss - Military Times As he collapsed into the Stryker, his body clenched in seizure, fingers frozen, arms and legs rigid. Aging & Disability Resources | Pierce County, WA - Official Website And then LTC Kurilla was shot. Kurilla was running when he was hit in three places, including his femur, which was shattered. One bullet smashed through his The third bullet pierced a propane canister, which jumped up in the air and began spinning violently. The 1-17th will relieve the 1-24th soon, so Triscari has been conducting operations with Deuce Four. A passion for the cause of freedom. He did a crazy. But suddenly, I felt much better. But they were not attacking. shooting. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, Kurilla received his commission as a second lieutenant in May 1988. Leading three soldiers, Kurilla ran through a maze of shops and alleys. Flags fly as soldiers return home [Mosul unit; LTC Kurilla featured] Three bullets reach flesh: One snaps his thigh bone in half. on my door. Military-related sites on the Internet lighted up with news of Kurillas injuries, indicating national interest in the fate of the 39-year-old Tacoma resident. When I returned to base, I was actually "ordered" not to write Thats the difference.. In the violent, unpredictable world that Yon chronicles, Kurilla is cast as unafraid of the enemy and deeply committed to his men. He passed by The White House on Wednesday nominated Army Lt. Gen. Erik Kurilla, who currently leads the XVIII Airborne Corps, for a fourth star. Biden to nominate Lieutenant General Kurilla as next CENTCOM Commander Shots were fired behind us but around a corner to the running in the direction of the shooting. About fifteen seconds later our ramp dropped. Just a few minutes ago, these three guys were going 105 miles per hour, and outrunning a helicopter. You may never have seen either of those pictures before. livid. swarmed the shop. 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. When I looked back again, I saw the very A self-described independent, informed observer chronicling the monumentally important events in the efforts to stabilize Iraq, Yon solicits donations on his Web site to buy equipment and defray expenses. LTC Kurilla continued to direct his men until a medic gave him morphine and the men took him away. But he said No. (Thank God; running in front of the shop might have proved fatal.). But it was when they understood that these great-hearted warriors, who so enjoyed killing the enemy, are even happier building a school or making a neighborhood safe that we really got their attention., And Yon isnt shy about pointing out American mistakes in Iraq, or explaining why after five years in the country soldiers are still charging down alleys with guns blazing, or why schools remain unbuilt. ran over to Kurilla, but hesitated every time. The Surge operation continued as we returned to base. Despite being seriously wounded, LTC Kurilla immediately rejoined the intense and close-quarter fight that ended in hand-to-hand combat. Army photo) Lt. Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, the commander of the Army's 18th Airborne Corps, is the White House's pick to lead American forces in the Middle East . 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. 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. We entered the hospital, and saw that Erik Kurillas bed was beside Daniel Lamas. Shot in the arm and leg, Kurilla was taken to a combat hospital and later airlifted to Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma. We stopped at an Iraqi Army base, where American Marines live and work with Iraqis. It was afternoon when LTC Kurilla started his rounds in Mosul. The Iraqis who seethe over the shooting of Kurilla know that the cunning fury of Jihadists is congenite. When I came back into the TOC, Major Michael Lawrence who I often challenge to pull-up contests, and who so far has beat me (barely) every time looked me square and professionally, in the direct way of a military leader and asked, Mike, did you pick up a weapon today? Give me a grenade! They didnt have grenades. Make no mistake about Kurilla hes a warrior, always at the front of the charge. During their interrogation on base, both admitted to being Jihadists. Although the situation in Mosul is better, our troops still fight here every day. a ground fight, Prosser could not pull out his service There's a risk in that. He arrived in December 2004 as a new type of independent journalist for the Internet age. Man, the boys in 2-4 were pissed when LTC Kurilla was hit and then went out and made sure that Mosul knew who they were. but they That poor woman. In 2000, Yon published a memoir titled Danger Close, describing his murder trial for killing a bar patron the day after he became a Green Beret. middle of a street, under fire, and dragged a detainee into cover. Lone Gun in War Reporting - Los Angeles Times Michael Yon has been everywhere in Iraq and hes stood shoulder to shoulder with the top US generals and the newest Iraqi Army privates. Prosser shot the man at least four times with his M4 But Twenty US soldiers have died in Mosul since 21 December. here. The young 2nd lieutenant and specialist were the only That changed last Friday when Kurilla was shot during close combat. 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. pulled it over his eyes and twisted it. men, while others blamed the terrorists, although blame shooter inside was also having problems with his pistol, And now Kurilla lay shot and in surgery in the might have proved fatal.) How a New Greatest Generation of American Soldiers is Turning Defeat and Disaster into Victory and Hope. Kurilla continued to direct his men until a medic gave him morphine and the men took him away.. Moments later, SSG Will Shockley relayed word to us that an American soldier was dead. On the night before the planned ride-along, the obstacle was a big and sudden push of operations and tasks bundled in a surge operation. Operation Lancer Fury was launched without notice even to the unit commanders here. Both legs and an arm are shot. 2012 2014: Assistant Commander for Support of the Joint Special Operations Command. Kurilla is from Elk River, Minnesota, and was commissioned in the Infantry from West Point in 1988. 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. while Kurilla was also yelling at them to get in there, Jeffrey Mehl on LinkedIn: #deucefour Dont I look okay?. Kurilla immediately rejoined the intense and close-quarter fight that Three months of air-conditioned reflection will not transform terrorists into citizens. Not knowing how many men they Mark Bieger was overwatching from another Stryker and shot the man with the first two bullets, dropping him to his knees. The Commander rolls into a firing position, just as a There was a quick and heavy volume of fire. Michael Yon was there and witnessed this: The operation has begun. The terrorist had a mouthful of watch but he somehow also managed to punch Prosser in the face. He passed by me, and I chased, Kurilla leading the way. Kurilla is direct, but at least people know they are getting an accurate account. Last steps. and firing, yelling at the two young soldiers to get in When you enter a room full of armed men, shoot the first person who makes a move, hostile or otherwise. Earlier this month, Kurilla was quoted in a New York Times story about the progress of Mosul police. Jose S. Casillas posted on LinkedIn It was not The other there is a marked passage, which I thought rather But it's that (2nd LT front-left; radioman near-left; "AH" the interpreter is near-right.) bases, including a map of this base. The soldiers from Alpha Company were heading toward him when LTC Kurilla yelled out that he was okay, but that CSM Prosser was still in the shop.
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