CENTCOM commander allegedly shoved airman on military flight

The Army is investigating allegations that the head of U.S. Central Command shoved an airman while on a military flight headed to Israel.

“The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division is aware of an alleged incident and is currently looking into it,” CID spokesman Mark Lunardi told Military Times in an email statement today. “No additional information is available at this time.”

The alleged incident, first reported by Military.com on Thursday, indicates that Army Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, CENTCOM commander, shoved an airman during a C-17 Globemaster III flight. The alleged physical altercation occurred after Kurilla had a heated argument with the flight crew over problems accessing communications.

An NBC News article quoted unnamed defense officials who described the alleged incident, which occurred “several weeks ago.”

The general got frustrated with communication problems and left his seat to address the problems, according to NBC News.

After an airman asked Kurilla to sit down and buckle up for safety reasons, the general allegedly pushed the airman aside and lashed out in front of multiple witnesses.

When reached for comment Friday, a CENTCOM spokesperson told Military Times that they were not aware of the investigation nor the incident.

Kurilla has headed CENTCOM since April 2022. The position is a three-year term, which means he is likely to leave the post in April 2025.

He previously served as the commanding general for the 18th Airborne Corps. His prior commands also include the 75th Ranger Regiment and 82nd Airborne Division, according to his official biography.

Kurilla’s awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge with Star, Master Parachutist Badge with Combat Jump Device, Ranger Tab and the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster.