HILL AIR FORCE BASE — Later this year, Brig. Gen. John Cooper will leave the first wing he commanded for Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
The fact that Cooper has been reassigned isn't a surprise. Air Force commanders generally serve two years in each assignment, and Cooper has been assigned to the Ogden Air Logistics Center's 309th Maintenance Wing at Hill Air Force Base since July 2008.
Before coming to Hill, Cooper served as director of logistics at Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command in Hurlburt Field, Fla.
The new location will provide new challenges for Cooper, who has overseen the depot repair, modification and maintenance for the F-16, F-22, A-10 and C-130 aircraft and the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile system.
"I'll be the director of logistics, installations and mission support," he said in an e-mail Thursday.
That means he'll be responsible for the logistics and infrastructure support for 81 locations throughout Europe.
"I look forward to those challenges and opportunities as I serve in the European theater," Cooper said.
Neither a replacement for Cooper nor a change-of-command date has been announced.
Cooper said leaving Hill will be hard, because it has become a special place to him.
"Here, I was given the opportunity to command a wing," he said. "While our nation's at war, to be a wing commander to me is a very, very special honor. It's a very special trust the Air Force has placed in me, and I've been proud to serve."
He said the people — co-workers, associate units on base and community leaders — make it hard to leave.
And the job hasn't always been easy.
A rash of suicides — 17 among active-duty and civilian airmen since 2008 — has hit various wings at Hill. In the 309th, Cooper said, he has placed attention on improving engagement and morale.
"Our efforts to support the warfighter are important, and it's a tough business," he said. "We realize and recognize that we want to take care of our employees who are supporting our warfighters."
The 309th employs more than 8,000 people.
"The vast majority — I would say over 99 percent of our employees — are very happy with their work, with their workplace, with their work environment," Cooper said.
To help those who aren't, the wing has invested in wellness advocates, who can help employees get help if they need it.
"We've invested heavily with a support system that I think is very strong and shows the commitment the 309th has to its employees," Cooper said. "I think that has helped, and I think that it will continue to help in the years to come."
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