William T. Cooley
U.S. Air Force general
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Theodore Cooley (born February 4, 1966) is a retired senior United States Air Force officer who previously served as commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory.[3][4] He is the first general officer in US Air Force history to be court-martialed. He was relieved of command after allegations of abusive sexual contact against him were reported.[5][6][7] After a General Court Martial found him guilty of abusive sexual contact, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall chose to demote the two-star general to a field-grade officer. Cooley retired as a colonel.[8][9]
.jpg)
February 4, 1966
William T. Cooley | |
|---|---|
| |
| Nickname | Bill[1] |
| Born | William Theodore Cooley February 4, 1966 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Service years | 1988–2023 |
Rank | Colonel (Highest grade: Major General)[2] |
| Commands | Air Force Research Laboratory Global Positioning Systems Directorate Phillips Research Site 350th Electronic Systems Group |
| Awards | Defense Superior Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal |
| Scientific career | |
| Alma mater | |
| Fields | Applied Physics Laser weapons |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Measurement of ultrafast carrier recombination dynamics in mid-infrared semiconductor laser material (1997) |
| Doctoral advisor | Robert Hengehold |
Early life and education
William Theodore Cooley was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on February 4, 1966.[10] He graduated from Highland High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1984. He attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on an Air Force ROTC scholarship from which he received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering in 1988 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the US Air Force. After leaving Rensselaer, Cooley attended graduate school at the University of New Mexico and received a Masters of Science in mechanical engineering in 1990 while simultaneously working at the Sandia National Laboratory. After leaving New Mexico, Cooley worked from 1990 to 1993 at Air Force Wright Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB on photovoltaic solar cells and later crystal growth of III-V compounds using molecular beam epitaxy. In 1993, Cooley entered the doctoral program at Air Force Institute of Technology. He received a Doctor of Philosophy in applied physics in 1997 while working under the supervision of Professor Robert Hengehold.[10]
Military career
Abusive sexual contact allegations and court-martial
Cooley faced a general court-martial at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio in April 2022, charged with three counts of violating Article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice by committing abusive sexual contact. On April 23, 2022, Cooley was found guilty of one count abusive sexual contact for forcibly kissing his sister-in-law[13][14] after a family barbecue. Cooley was sentenced on April 26, 2022, to a public reprimand and total forfeiture of $54,550 in pay over a five-month period.[15] He is the first general officer in US Air Force history to be court-martialed.[16] An appeal with the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals is pending.[17]
Awards and decorations
Cooley has been awarded and is authorized to wear the following major honors as of June 2020:[18]
Effective dates of promotion before demotion
| Insignia | Rank | Date |
|---|---|---|
 | Major general | 3 July 2018 |
 | Brigadier general | 1 March 2015 |
 | Colonel | 1 September 2007 |
 | Lieutenant colonel | 1 March 2004 |
 | Major | 1 October 1999 |
 | Captain | 19 June 1992 |
 | First lieutenant | 19 June 1990 |
 | Second lieutenant | 19 May 1988 |
