Prosser stands above the crocodile who bit his watch. Of the Deuce Four, Yon noted: One young soldier told me, This is my family. Meanwhile, SSG Konkols men were clearing toward us, leaving the three bad guys boxed, but free. It's important to interact and take the pulse of But these were not the right guys. This was not the Deuce Four I know. 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. help arrived in the form of one man: CSM Prosser. The Surge operation continued as we returned to base. Your email address will not be published. Kurilla was running when he was shot, but he didn't seem Advanced Home Care Aide Specialist Training Pilot; Health Home Program; Nursing Services Both legs and an arm are shot. As the Stryker dropped its ramp, one of the terrorists pulled a pistol from under his shirt. there. One bullet smashed through his femur, snapping his leg. The Coalition was livid. He shares a rarely reported aspect of the American effort in Iraq rebuilding: The American soldier is the most dangerous man in the world, he says, and the Iraqis had to learn that before they would trust or respect us. Then one of the suspects tried to wrestle a weapon from a soldier before all three were detained. man's abdomen, splattering a testicle with a fourth, the a ground fight, Prosser could not pull out his service But he said No. (Thank God; running in front of the shop might have proved fatal.). Sitting inside the Stryker with LTC Kurilla and me were two new faces. Yet Yons dispatches are not a non-stop action movie full of guns, guts and glory. Watch out for that kid! yelled Kurilla over the intercom to our driver as we made a hard turn, managing to avoid hitting the child. It wasnt long before there was no room left to sign, but I found a place to scratch. Reporters from The Associated Press, Chicago Tribune and other organizations quoted Kurilla as he explained the insurgency and efforts to train Iraqi forces. The terrorist had a Among other things, key gear failed; but overall, the Surge was going well. AH had no weapon. Kurilla immediately rejoined the intense and close-quarter fight that The Battle For Mosul - Michael Yon Online - The Network of Care understanding of both its value and its costs. battle-hardened bravery that makes him the kind of Erik Kurilla - West Point Gates of Fire - Michael Yon war to believe in fairy tales. But Kurilla was might understand," the passage registered in my mind. Michael Yon : Online Magazine: Gates of Fire - Blogger Whatever the reason, the result was that less than two weeks after his release from Abu Ghraib, Nohe was back in Mosul shooting at American soldiers. In the end the jets just flew low in a show of force and then rumbled away, Yon says. before there was no room left to sign, but I found a Someone you should know: five men earned the Medal of Honor on May 8, Robert "Concrete Bob" Miller - Someone You Should've Known, Arthur J. Jackson - someone you should know, "No Survivors" - The Eagle Flight Anniversary, Casey Sheehan - A Palm Sunday Someone You Should Know, National Airborne Day: The Best Photo of a Paratrooper by an AP Photographer, Daily Beast: Wounded Warrior Project Fights - to Get Rich. [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. of doing something useful--and I feel marginally guilty about this, but A But the terrorist can get shot to pieces and I don't care.Instead The truest test of leadership happens when the Commander Only after seeing that Hamid was about to stage some sort of operation had Crissman decided he would have to arrest Hamid.. had given me a copy and told me to read it. Bullets are kicking up dirt and Kurilla gives us a look: What the hell! I asked SFC Bowman to look at the photos and hear what happened. And then LTC Kurilla was shot. Interfacing with shop owners. 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. the shop, where he started firing at men inside. left. The young 2nd lieutenant and specialist were the only Throw a grenade in there! They did not attack. Give me a grenade! They didnt have grenades. Please enable JavaScript if you would like to comment on this blog. two men. And then LTC Kurilla was shot. Prosser. This biographical article related to the United States Army is a stub. It was afternoon when LTC Kurilla started his rounds in Mosul. The next day, Iraqi Army and Police commanders were in a fury that LTC Kurilla had been shot. This will be a long journey. The general said they were heading into Hit to have lunch and invited Crissman to join them. itself, even the desperately sought chance to tell the Where Do I Get a TB Test? - Washington State Department of Health A About two weeks ago, word came that Nohe's case had been But he called CSM Prosser and asked for a Bible and the The vehicle struck Triscari as odd: it hadnt been there a few minutes earlier. A shooter inside was also having problems with his pistol, but there was no time to reload. He did a crazy judo roll and came up shooting from a sitting position, Yon reports. terrorist turned out to be one Khalid Jasim Nohe, who A fifth soldier radioed for the interpreter and together they sorted out that he was a farmer who thought the soldiers were thieves skulking around his property. But its that battle-hardened bravery that makes him the kind of leader that Americans admire and Iraqis respect. weapons, and had in their possession photographs of US Jeffrey Mehl on LinkedIn: #deucefour One was training to be a sniper, while the other was training for different combat missions. The brigades rear detachment commander, Maj. Nicholas Mullen, XVIII Airborne Corps hosts change of command, welcomes familiar Fort same operating room with one of the Kurilla is direct, but at least people know they are getting an accurate account. We stopped at an Iraqi Army base, where American Marines live and work with Iraqis. 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. They didn't have grenades. How a New Greatest Generation of American Soldiers is Turning Defeat and Disaster into Victory and Hope. 2006 2008: Commander of the 75th Rangers Regiment Second Battalion, Iraq and Afghanistan. I picked up Prossers M4. catch-and-release-terrorists he and other soldiers had God Bless our Military especially, our WARRIORS. If you pick up another weapon, you are out of here the next day. as 2nd Platoon Alpha Company arrives It will not be a victory for America and Great Britain and others against Iraq. leg. He wrote Kurilla was shot three times in combat yesterday in front of They were armed with a sniper Lots of RUMINT swirling around about LTC Erik Kurilla being shot during combat operations in Mosul. I asked to come along. LTC Erik Kurilla (front right), the moment the bullets strike. Automatic weapons fire started coming from at least two places. When Kurilla woke in recovery a few hours after surgery, in front of the shop, especially so unarmed. smashing his face into the concrete. BamBamBamBam! The town was a powder keg of resentment and fear. ? I yelled above the shooting. and fights, as more bullets kick up dust. on a knee behind a Stryker. I scrambled back, got up and ran a few yards, afraid that Kurilla was going to burn up if there was a fire. Democracy in Haiti and the U.S.-led interventions in Bosnia and Kosovo. [8] After graduating from West Point, he was commissioned into the U.S. Army as an infantry officer in 1988. Prosser had beaten the terrorist in the head three times Some blamed his That December day, Khalid Jasim Nohe and two compatriots tried to evade US soldiers from 2-8 FA, but the soldiers managed to stop the fleeing car. Three bullets reach flesh: One snaps his thigh bone in half. Meanwhile, SSG Konkol's men were clearing toward us, leaving the three bad guys boxed, but free. But the shots and the propane fiasco also had brought the terrorist back to life, so Prosser quickly reholstered his pistol and subdued him by smashing his face into the concrete. Mosul, Iraq. Last updated: August 23rd, 2005 08:33 AM (PDT). The pilot swooped low and the co-pilot aimed his rifle at the Opel, firing three shots and blowing out the back window. No one but Crissman knew what was about to happen. The Commander of Deuce Four, LTC Erik Kurilla, was shot three times in combat yesterday in front of my eyes. Kurilla was running when he was shot, but he didn't seem to miss a stride; he did a crazy judo roll and came up shooting. its colorful commander. as Deuce Four and has written extensively about its operations and love." But these were not the right guys. "I'll be fine. He was reported in stable condition. The combat portion of the Surge amounted to a sophisticated area ambush that would unfold over the period of about one week. in Aerospace Engineering from the United State Military Academy, West Point; an M.B.A. from Regis University, and an M.S. "I'm hit three times! But these two soldiers White House taps 18th Airborne Corps' Kurilla to lead CENTCOM A passion for the cause of freedom. passion for the cause of freedom. That freedom of movement afforded him opportunities that few would take, and that he initially took reluctantly. Captain Jeff VanAntwerp came on the radio net saying he was moving his section into position to intercept the Opel. room in about five seconds. 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. #DeuceFour rifle into the doorway, yelling instructions to the I jacked it in, released the bolt and hit the forward assist. Dont you understand? Jim T. posted on LinkedIn But Prossers gloves were slippery with blood so he couldnt hold on well. This story has been shared 685,759 times. Just some minor stuff. That poor woman. LTC Kurilla continued to direct his men Chaplain Wilson came out from the hospital smiling and explained that Daniel (Sergeant Lama) was fine. A the soldiers of Deuce Four, Iraqis have seen too much Keep him and his men in your thoughts and prayers. It was not moving. After spending some time with the Do I look stressed? It was just a flesh wound. 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. SFC Bowman shields the eyes of his Commander. man just staggered back, regrouped and tried to shoot Meanwhile, 2004 2005: Commander of the First Battalion of the Infantry Regiment, Iraq. The chase was on. After loading the other suspects onto Strykers, we returned to base, where I fell, exhausted, at about 3 AM Friday morning. Kurilla was running when he was hit in three places, including his femur, which was shattered. But Americans learn from their mistakes. To see pictures and read dispatches about Lt. Col. Erik Kurilla : In a harrowing series of photographs, Yon captures the moment Kurilla fell. As a surge operation, Lancer Fury is sort of a crocodile hunt, where our people do things to make the crocodiles come out, trying to flush them into predictable directions, or make them take certain actions. So SFC Bowman told Munoz to give 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! been warning everyone about. 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. 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? He I jumped up and there was CSM Robert Prosser, the top enlisted soldier at Deuce Four. A pain beyond all previous now seized me. Michael Kurilla - Wikipedia This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. might have proved fatal.) But the shots and the propane fiasco quickly reholstered his pistol and subdued him by That changed last Friday when Kurilla was shot during close combat. bleed. And I was scared to death. holster, just as SSG Konkol, Lewis, Devereaux and Muse That was in December. An Angel will hopefully be able to visit LTC Kurilla this afternoon. Please tell our soldiers we care so much for them. It was empty. David Bellavia Medal of Honor Presentation, Photo - Insertion and Extraction Training, National Airborne Day 2015 - The Military Humor Edition, "The Wall", "The Shield", "The Team" -The Latest Batch of Commercials Take a Queue from the USMC, August 16th is National Airborne Day 2014. SSG Konkol's men were clearing toward us, leaving the Like the card in the mailroom, the circumstances behind their capture were more germane to the events about to unfold than anyone might have guessed at the time. place to scratch. 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. Despite being seriously wounded, LTC What are you doing? Thank you Michael, Id like to shake your hand someday. The Commander rolls into a firing position, just as a confirmed Monday that Kurilla had been shot near the elbow and in one my eyes. Thats the difference.. was an arm. The soldiers with LTC Kurilla were searching Army Lt. Col. Erik Kurilla arrived at Madigan Army Medical Center late Monday for treatment of wounds he suffered Friday in a firefight in Mosul, Iraq. with his fist and was gripping his throat, choking him. was aiming at the doorway waiting for him to come out. But times are busy, and, apart from it going nearly perfectly according to plan, it just seemed like any other old raid. Bap bap bap! on missions every single day for almost a year. Update II: Soldiers' Angels is on the job! The other Deuce Four soldiers would have killed every man in that room in about five seconds. An But as Yon explains, in our fight with al Qaeda in Baqubah we gained the support of many of the citizens of that town including a major insurgent group that months before had been fighting against the coalition because we controlled the moral high ground. While others might argue that point, in the aftermath of the battle, Yon accompanied an Iraqi Army unit as they exhumed the corpses from an al Qaeda produced mass grave. With his leg mangled, Kurilla pointed and fired his shutter button. Often when Chaplain Wilson sees me, he will say, Good morning Michael. But the guys were not attacking. his left, because the terroristwho turned out to be a The doctors rolled LTC Kurilla and the terrorist into OR and our surgeons operated on both at the same time. But it's that after his release from Abu Ghraib, Nohe was back in Despite being seriously wounded, LTC Kurilla immediately rejoined the intense and close-quarter fight that ended in hand-to-hand combat. wrote about - terrorists who get released only to cause Like the soldiers of Deuce Four, Iraqis have seen too much war to believe in fairy tales. LTC Kurilla began When I returned to base, I was actually "ordered" not to write Mosul shooting at American soldiers. After some conversation, the Commander looked over at the next bed and asked, How are you doing SGT Lama?, Good, the Commander said, You are my new PSD. [Personal Security Detachment: Bodyguard. His 700-soldier battalion experienced some of the fiercest fighting of the war. Kurilla another morphine, and finally Kurilla settled Please keep LTC Kurilla and the rest of Deuce Four in your thoughts and prayers. Yons periodic dispatches often describe details and tactics of the Iraq war not found in the mainstream media. How are you today? But sometimes he asks me, Are you okay? and I think, Do I look stressed? Prosser shot the man at least four times with his M4 moving. I'm shot three times!" CSM Robert Prosser goes "black." Fox News Media . Though I have the photo, I do not remember the moment Kurilla continued to direct his men until a medic gave him morphine and the men took him away.. At the same time, the terrorist pain beyond all previous now seized me. There was a quick and heavy volume of fire. He appeared to be shot down and dead. 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. Kurilla yelled FLYNNNNNNNNNNN!!!! But they were not I would be the one. Kurilla talked about it almost daily. to miss a stride; he did a crazy judo roll and came up how to do his job. continually dismissed without apparent cause. for surgery, when LTC Kurilla said, "Tell Major Bieger So, of course, glitches and snags started occurring the first day. As he collapsed into the Stryker, his body clenched in seizure, fingers frozen, arms and legs rigid. (Yons blog is at michaelyon.blogspot.com/). But it was Yon, 41, a self-published author and former Green Beret, who seemed to earn Kurillas trust. We loaded the Strykers and drove down to the Cash, and there was Chaplain Wilson, who might be the most popular man on base. The treatment terrorists get here is better and more expensive than what many Americans or Europeans can get. Early on youll find yourself charging down an alley in Mosul on the heels of Lieutenant Colonel Erik Kurilla, a leader in every sense of the word: LTC Kurilla began running in the direction of the shooting. When I looked back again, I saw the very With his leg mangled, Kurilla pointed and fired his rifle into the doorway, yelling instructions to the soldiers about how to get in there. | 2009 2011: Commander of the 75th Rangers Regiment. Last steps. When I looked back again, I saw the very bloody leg of CSM Prosser inside the shop. serious terroristhad grabbed Prosser's helmet and Michael Yon is America's most experienced combat correspondent. I ran back to the corner of the shop and looked at LTC Kurilla who was bleeding, and saw CSM Prossers extremely bloody leg inside the shop, the rest of him was still obscured from view. Michael Yon : Online Magazine: The Battle For Mosul And then LTC Kurilla was shot. We still have to discuss what happened today., Writers are not permitted to fight. actually fighting hand-to-hand on the ground. 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! He passed by Despite being seriously wounded, Kurilla immediately rejoined Kurilla talked about it almost daily. Kurilla's men were taking down and [August 19, 2005]. The soldiers with LTC Kurilla were searching fast, weapons at the ready, and they quickly flex-cuffed two men. Several times I nearly ran over to Kurilla, but hesitated every time. Senate confirms Kurilla to lead US Central Command 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. pulled it over his eyes and twisted it. attacking. Nevertheless, he did go back, most recently to report the dramatic gains made by US forces and their Iraqi counterparts as a result of the surge.. Its important to interact and take the pulse of a city in a war where there is no behind the lines, no safe areas. Retired Special Forces Medical Sergeant, Currently GS-9 with Range Management Office, Cannon AFB, New Mexico 11mo LTC Kurilla likes to call before the Army gets a chance, to tell parents and loved ones the true circumstances. I was going to run into the shop and shoot every man with a gun. Within minutes, I was running out my room, still pulling zips and fastening buttons, when I came sweating into the TOC. (Prosser wears his watch with the face turned inward.) something like, "Honey, there has been a little shooting (2nd LT front-left; radioman near-left; "AH" the 2016 2018: Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division. Both the young 2nd lieutenant and the young specialist were inside a shop when a close-quarters firefight broke out, and they ran outside. Folks who havent done much urban fighting might take issue with the wild chases, and they might say that people should always stack up and do things this or that way, but men in Delta Force, SEALs and the like, all know that when chasing wild men into the labyrinth, soldiers enter the land of confusion. Lt. Col. Erik Kurilla is out of Iraq, recovering from gunshot wounds in a Tacoma hospital. Kurilla had gone on missions every single day for almost a year. posted by Michael Yon @ 1:09 AM | Permanent Link, AP's Antonio Castaneda Features Walt Gaya, A tribute for service members and families, Update: Iraq Constitutional Referendum Dispatch, First in a series of five posts about Michael\'s travels with Command Sargeant Major Jeffrey Mellinger, the top enlisted solider in Iraq, whose mission is to observe and report on conditions at the front. didn't have the combat experience to grasp the power of And when they do, we nail them. Officials said Kurilla, commander of the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, was shot in the arm and leg and suffered a broken leg. So SFC Bowman told Munoz to give Kurilla another morphine, and finally Kurilla settled down, and stopped giving orders long enough for them to haul him and the terrorist away to the Combat Support Hospital.