Mr. Carl Coop Cooper

Chief Master Sergeant Carl "Coop" Cooper has been a regular visitor to Cold Lake over the past five years.Since assuming his position of First Sergeant (1st Sgt) with the 414th Combat Training Squadron at Nellis Air Forces Base (AFB) in Nevada, Chief Cooper has made the trek North, twice a year, to attend the Maple Flag International Planning Conference (IPC) and Exercise Maple Flag.The IPC for this year's Maple Flag will be his last because in one week, Chief Cooper will become Mr Cooper.

Over the last five years, Chief Cooper was always one of the first in and one of the last out during Exercise Maple Flag.Along with his team, Chief Cooper made sure that everything was ready when personnel from Nellis AFB arrived to begin participating in the yearly Exercise.When Flag was over, he would stay on in Cold Lake to tie up any loose ends before returning to Nellis.This attention to detail usually meant Chief Cooper and his staff would be in Cold Lake at least three weeks longer than most participants.

Chief Cooper's job as 1st Sgt is to ensure that the morale, health, and welfare needs of the troops in his command are taken care of.The well being of his people is his main concern and he accomplishes the job with a smile and a firm but friendly hand.

Chief Cooper joined the United States Air Force two months after his 18th birthday, and for the past 29 years, he has served his country in places such as Iceland and the Philippines, as well as various bases throughout the US.The tradition of military service has continued in Chief Cooper's family, his youngest daughter is a Staff Sgt with the US Air Force, and his wife, Jeri, has been an Air Force Supply tech for the past 25 years.

When asked what he will miss the most about his trips to Cold Lake, Chief Cooper replied, "I think the cooperation between the 414th and 4 Wing is just fantastic.My greatest joy from being up here [Cold Lake] is the people ...been treated just like we were family, this is my second home! ...the fellowship, and the family atmosphere is what I will miss the most, and Ice Caps from Timmy Horton's."

During last week's International Planning Conference, Wing Commander, Col Sullivan (left), CO of AFTTC, Maj Hartzell (2nd from right) and Wing Chief Warrant Officer, CWO Levesque (far right) presented Chief Master Sergeant Carl Cooper with a token of appreciation for his contribution to Maple Flag Operations over the past five years. (Photo by Joy Smith)