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Gen. Kurilla hands CENTCOM leadership to Adm. Cooper after Iran strikes

August 25, 2025

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Gen. Kurilla hands CENTCOM leadership to Adm. Cooper after Iran strikes

Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, the military officer who led the execution of the Iran strikes in June, has officially retired from military service after three years of commanding U.S. troops in the Middle East. Kurilla, a West Point graduate, took over as commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in 2022 and supervised the planning and execution of numerous major combined combat operations during his tenure.

One of Kurilla’s final operations was Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted Iranian nuclear facilities Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The operation involved over 125 U.S. aircraft, including B-2 stealth bombers, and a guided-missile submarine that launched Tomahawk cruise missiles at key Iranian targets. Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, praised Kurilla as a bold and inspiring leader who always prioritizes the country, mission, and troops.

Kurilla has a long history of focusing on operations in the Middle East, with tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan from 2004 to 2014. He is known for his bravery during a firefight in Mosul, Iraq, in 2005 where he sustained multiple gunshot wounds, earning him a Bronze Star with valor and two Purple Heart awards.

After Kurilla’s retirement, U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper has taken over as the new leader of CENTCOM. Cooper, who previously served as deputy commander of CENTCOM and oversaw U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in the Middle East, is familiar with the region and has experience in employing unmanned service vessels into the fleet.

Cooper officially assumed command of CENTCOM on August 8th during a ceremony in Tampa, Florida. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to lead American troops in enhancing regional security and stability in the Central Command region. The transition of leadership marks a new chapter for CENTCOM as it continues to fulfill its mission of defending Americans and promoting peace in the Middle East.

See also Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image. The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X she was a “Bronx girl" to make her a point against the president. The 35-year-old congresswoman wrote in part on X: "I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully," she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City -- when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School where she graduated in 2007. She was considered an accomplished student there and well thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. “There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass," the report states. “She was amazing," Blueglass said, per the report. “Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I've been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic." After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Sandy" nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign where she eventually ousted former 10-terms Congressman Joe Crowley. New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brash with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. "I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she's a big, tough Bronx girl," said Slater. "To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous." "Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie," said Slater on "Fox & Friends First" last week. "She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team." "She's lying about her background, she's lying about her upbringing," Slater claimed. Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image if her family’s home was posted online. “I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday responding to the post. “My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep." “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!"