Lt. Gen. Charles D. Luckey, chief of Army Reserve and commanding general, U.S. Army Reserve Command, announces the selection of Brig. Gen. Robert S. Cooley Jr. as the next chief of staff for the U.S. Army Reserve Headquarters.

Cooley currently serves as the commander of the 353rd Civil Affairs Command, Staten Island, New York. He is a 1989 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. During his career, Cooley has served on active duty and in the Army Reserve in every leadership position from platoon leader to numerous command and key staff assignments. He is a combat veteran with deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan.

As chief of staff, Cooley will be responsible for the Army Reserve Headquarters-Fort Bragg (North Carolina); Army Reserve Staff-Fort Belvoir (Virginia); and Army Reserve Staff-Fort Knox (Kentucky) — ultimately supporting over 200,000 Soldiers and civilian employees across the Army Reserve.  He will succeed Maj. Gen. Marion Garcia, who is retiring after 32 years of service.

Cooley’s awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (with oak leaf cluster), Meritorious Service Medal (with three oak leaf clusters), Afghanistan Campaign Medal (with campaign star), Iraqi Campaign Medal (with two campaign stars), NATO Article 5 Medal, Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge and the United States Army Civil Affairs Corps Order of Cincinnatus. 

Cooley earned a Master of Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; a Master of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania; and is a graduate of the National Defense University CAPSTONE General and Flag Officer Course, Washington, D.C. He currently resides in Wilmington, North Carolina, with his wife, Jeannie, and is a small-business owner of Apple Annie's Bake Shop and co-owner of The Wine Sampler.