The change-of-command ceremony took place overnight at the Tampa Convention Center in Florida.
A seasoned naval warfare officer, Cooper has served as CENTCOM’s deputy commander since February. Before that, he led U.S. naval forces in the Middle East for three years, commanding the Fifth Fleet and spearheading multinational maritime cooperation. His career includes key leadership roles across U.S. Pacific and Africa Commands, the Pentagon and the White House. He also served in combat operations in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and the Red Sea, and as a senior adviser to the Afghan government.
His predecessor, Kurilla, is ending a notably active tenure that began in April 2022 and included unprecedented support for Israel since the start of the war. Kurilla visited Israel more than 15 times in two years, including during and before the current war. Israeli defense officials credit him with key Pentagon decisions, such as deploying U.S. aircraft carriers to the region.
