HILL AIR FORCE BASE -- A top-ranking military official will be leaving Hill Air Force Base later this year.
Brig. Gen. John B. Cooper, who currently serves as commander of the 309th Maintenance Wing, part of Hill's Ogden Air Logistics Center, has been reassigned to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where he will serve as director of logistics, installations and mission support at Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe.
The U.S. Department of Defense made the announcement Tuesday afternoon, and Hill officials confirmed the reassignment Wednesday.
Cooper provides the center with direction on everything involving depot repair, modification and maintenance for the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor, A-10 Thunderbolt and C-130 Hercules aircraft, as well as the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile system.
The 309th works on overhauls and repairs on landing gear, wheels and brakes, rocket motors, air munitions, guided bombs, and other electronic equipment and avionics.
Cooper joined the Air Force in 1983 and has been an aircraft and logistics officer for most of his career. He took over the 309th during a tumultuous time for the wing.
In September 2009, less than two months after taking command of the wing, Cooper's predecessor, Brig. Gen. Arthur Cameron was disciplined by the Air Force for his role in a mistaken shipment of classified ballistic missile components to Taiwan.
Cameron retired a year later.
Cooper has also been at the helm during a rash of suicides inside the wing. Since 2001, there have been 34 suicides among base employees and many have been among civilian workers in the 309th.
Base spokesman Rich Essary said Cooper's reassignment is a typical matter of course for Air Force leaders in his position.
Cooper was out of the office Wednesday and unavailable for comment.
Essary said the base would hold a change of command ceremony when Cooper's departure date and a replacement are solidified.
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