Maj. Gen. William T. Cooley is the Special Assistant to the Commander of Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Formerly, he was the commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory where he was responsible for managing a $2.5 billion Air Force science and technology program and an additional $2.3 billion in externally funded research and development. He was also responsible for leading a government workforce of approximately 6,000 people in the laboratory's nine component technology directorates and the 711th Human Performance Wing.
Maj. Gen. Cooley entered the Air Force in 1988 through the ROTC program after graduating from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a degree in mechanical engineering. He entered active duty in January 1990 after completing a master’s degree from the University of New Mexico, and went on to earn a Doctor of Philosophy in engineering physics from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
Maj. Gen. Cooley served in a variety of technical management, leadership and staff positions including commanding at the group and wing level. His assignments include Program Executive for Programs and Integration, Missile Defense Agency; Director, GPS Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command; Commander, Phillips Research Site and Materiel Wing Director, Space Vehicles Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory; System Program Director for operational command and control programs; Program Manager, Air Force Distributed Common Ground System; Defense Sector Program Manager, Office of Security Cooperation-Afghanistan, Kabul; Program Element Monitor for Military Satellite Communications, and staff officer at the Warrior Preparation Center, Einsiedlerhof Air Station, Germany.
EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y.
1990 Master of Science, Mechanical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
1995 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1997 Doctor of Philosophy, Engineering Physics, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2003 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2008 Program Managers Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2009 Senior Manager Course in National Security, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2009 Executive Program Managers Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2011 U.S. Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1990–June 1993, Project Manager, Space Power Programs, Aerospace Power Division and Electronic Device Engineer, Research Division, Solid State Directorate, Wright Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2. June 1993–December 1996, Student, Doctor of Philosophy degree in Engineering Physics, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
3. January 1997–January 2000, Chief, Laser Applications Group and Branch Chief, Semiconductor Laser Branch, Directed Energy Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
4. January 2000–July 2002, Division Chief (Operations Directorate), Deputy Director (Technical Support Directorate) and Staff Officer, Commander's Strategy and Action Group, Warrior Preparation Center, Einsiedlerhof Air Station, Germany
5. August 2002–June 2003, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
6. June 2003–August 2006, Program Element Monitor, Military Satellite Communications, and Chief of Staff, Directorate of Space Acquisition, Under Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
7. April 2005–November 2005, Defense Sector Program Manager, Office of Security Cooperation - Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan
8. August 2006–June 2007, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
9. June 2007–June 2008, Director, Air Force Distributed Common Ground System Division, 950th Electronic Systems Group, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
10. June 2008–June 2010, Commander, 350th Electronic Systems Group, Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
11. July 2010–June 2013, Commander, Phillips Research Site and Materiel Wing Director, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
12. June 2013–July 2015, Director, Global Positioning Systems Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
13. August 2015–April 2017, Program Executive for Programs and Integration, Missile Defense Agency, Redstone Arsenal, Ala.
14. May 2017–January 2020, Commander, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
15. January 2020–present, Special Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 2005–November 2005, Defense Sector Program Manager, Office of Security Cooperation - Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan, as a lieutenant colonel
2. June 2013–July 2015, Director, Global Positioning Systems Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command, Los Angeles AFB, Calif., as a colonel
3. August 2015–April 2017, Program Executive for Programs and Integration, Missile Defense Agency, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., as a brigadier general
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2003 Distinguished Graduate and No. 2 in class, Air Command and Staff College
2014 Co-Author “A Guide for DoD Program Managers” with Brian C. Ruhm and published by Defense Acquisition University Press
2015 Lt. Gen. John W. O'Neill Outstanding System Program Director Award
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 19, 1988
First Lieutenant June 19, 1990
Captain June 19, 1992
Major Oct. 1, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2004
Colonel Sept. 1, 2007
Brigadier General March 1, 2015
Major General July 3, 2018
(Current as of June 2020)