Brigadier General Robert S. Cooley Jr. assumed the role of U.S. Army Reserve Command Chief of Staff, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on April 20, 2020, with responsibility for U.S. Army Reserve Command Headquarters, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Office of the Chief of Army Reserve, Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and Army Reserve Staff, Fort Knox, Kentucky.
Prior to this assignment, Brigadier General Cooley served as the Commanding General, U.S. Army 353rd Civil Affairs Command, one of four Army Reserve Civil Affairs Commands. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry in 1989. In 1999 he received his Masters in Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. He later received his Masters in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 2012. He is a graduate of the Field Artillery Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Senior Transportation Officer Qualification Course, the Civil Affairs Qualification Course, the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, and the Command General Staff College, Advanced Joint Professional Military Education Course at the Joint Forces Staff College (2013), the CAPSTONE General and Flag Officer Course at the National Defense University (2019), and the Senior Joint Information Operations and Application Course (2019).
Over his career Brigadier General Cooley served in numerous assignments supporting the Global War on Terror. In 2005 he deployed to Baghdad, Iraq as the Operations Officer for the 448th Civil Affairs Battalion, Fort Lewis, Washington. In 2006 he assumed the role of civil affairs planner in the Multinational Forces – Iraq Civil Military Operations Directorate in Baghdad, Iraq. In 2009 he deployed supporting Operation Enduring Freedom as the Deputy Commander for the Provincial Reconstruction Team Khost, Afghanistan. Upon redeployment from Afghanistan in 2010, he assumed command of the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion in Greensboro, North Carolina. Upon successful completion of command, he assumed the Chief of Staff position at the 352d Civil Affairs Command at Fort Meade, Maryland. In June 2014 he assumed command of the 1st Mobilization Support Group at Fort Totten, New York and in June 2016 he assumed the role of Deputy Commander, 85th Support Command, Arlington Heights, Illinois.
BG Cooley’s awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star (with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster), the Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Afghanistan Campaign Medal (with 1 campaign star), the Iraqi Campaign Medal (with 2 campaign stars), the Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Army Superior Unit Award, the Combat Action Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge and the United States Army Civil Affairs Corps Order of Cincinnatus and GEN Winfield Scott Medallion in Silver, the Field Artillery Order of Saint Barbara. He resides in Wilmington, North Carolina with his wife Jeannie and they have three children Grayson, Robbie, and Abby.