Head of US Central Command being investigated for getting physical with an airman on plane to Israel

Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command [CENTCOM], allegedly shoved the airman on a C-17 flight to Israel after getting frustrated with access to logistical and communications issues aboard the flight. 

After an airman asked the general to sit down and buckle his seat belt, he allegedly lashed out and shoved the airman aside. 

"The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division is aware of an alleged incident and is currently looking into it. No additional information is available at this time," CID spokesperson Mark Lunardi said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

Kurilla called for a "whole of government" approach to the issue, which would include economic and diplomatic pressure in addition to stronger military pressure to dissuade the terrorist group from its campaign against shipping vessels in the region.

The tone of the letter shocked some members of the defense department, one official told the Journal, particularly Kurilla's insistence that "U.S. service members will die if we continue going this way." 

Before leading CENTCOM, Kurilla commanded the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 82nd Airborne Division and the XVIII Airborne Corps. He was also assistant commanding general of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). 

He was shot multiple times in a battle in Mosul, Iraq, in 2005, but continued fighting, an act that earned him a Bronze Star.