Hill general relinquishes command, headed to Germany

HILL AIR FORCE BASE — Brig. Gen. John Cooper relinquished command of the 309th Maintenance Wing during a ceremony Thursday at Hill Air Force Base.

Cooper, who has been the wing's commander since 2008, has been reassigned to the U.S. Air Forces in Europe headquarters at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to serve as director of logistics, installations and mission support for 81 locations throughout Europe.

At Hill, Cooper oversaw 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.

Depot repair refers to overhauls on airplane systems, including landing gear, wheels and brakes, rocket motors, air munitions and guided bombs, photonics equipment, training devices, electronics, avionics, instruments, hydraulics, power systems and software.

The 309th employs more than 8,000 people.

The reassignment is typical for Air Force leaders, who fill assignments for about two years before moving on. A replacement for Cooper has not been announced, but the wing will be turned over to Sue Dryden, the wing's vice director, who will assume responsibilities of acting director until a new commander is announced at a later date.

— Joseph M. Dougherty