Maj Gen Peter Cooke

Last Name: Cooke

First Name: Peter

Middle Name: Stryker
Medals and Honors: Legion of Merit, Army Distinguished Service Medal

ACNSL Offices and Committees: President, National Security & the All-Volunteer Force Committee Chair

Rank: Major General

Service/Department: U.S. Army

Last or Significant Assignment: Commanding General 96th Regional Support Command; Chairman of Army Reserve Policy

Areas of Experience: Military Force Structure, Readiness, National Security, Combat Support; Reserve Policy

Articles, Books and Publications:

Peter Stryker Cooke is a retired 2-Star Major General in the U.S. Army Reserves, a CEO and a Utah small business owner, and Utah’s former Director of Economic Development. He serves as President of ACNSL and was one of its founders.

Peter was born in Miami, Florida. He grew up in a small family with one brother,and received a global education while his father worked for Pan American Airlines, attending schools I n New Jersey, Florida, Thailand, Puerto Rico and Germany, where he graduated from Frankfurt American High School in 1967. Peter came to Utah to attend Utah State University’s forestry program. Instead, however, Peter earned a Bachelor’s degree (1971) and a Master’s degree (1973) from USU in Political Science. In addition to his USU degrees, Peter graduated from the Army War College in 1999.

Peter served in the Army Reserve from his graduation from USU in 1971 to 2009 when he retired as a 2-Star Major General. Peter was Commanding General of the 96th Regional Readiness Command from 2005 to 2009. He rose to the Rank of Major General during his 39-year career in the Armed Services. In his duties as Commanding General of the 96th RRC, Peter organized and prepared for mobilization 10,000 soldiers and civilians spread across four subordinate commands. Peter’s Command spanned seven states including Colorado, Montana, North and South Dakota, Wyoming, California, and Utah, making it the largest geographical Command in the Army Reserves. Peter’s Command included 66 Army Reserve Units that could be mobilized for wartime missions, maintenance, and supply activities; 560 full-time personnel; 40 command centers; and 13 maintenance and storage facilities with property valued at $250 million and equipment valued at $224 million. Peter’s Command had an annual operating budget of $29.6 million. Peter’s rallying cry for the troops in his Command, “Dead-eye: Ready!” has been adopted by battalions across the world.

In 2009, Major General Cooke won the Army Community of Excellence Award for the best managed command in the United States Army Reserves. Peter was also awarded the United States Army Distinguished Service Medal in 2009.

From 2001 to 2009, Peter served on the Armed Reserve Forces Policy Committee (ARFPC), holding the Chair position from 2007-2009. ARFPC reviews and comments on policy matters directly affecting the Reserve Component (RC) of the Army. ARFPC’s comments accompany any final reports submitted to the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army (VCSA).

Since his retirement from the Army Reserve in 2009, Peter has been an advocate for veterans’ needs, founding Partnership with America and serving as the director of the National Center for Veterans Studies. These organizations specialize in human capital management for veterans and in helping veterans’ transition into the civilian workforce. Peter also founded the Employer Partnership Initiative, which assists reservists and veterans in securing jobs after mobilization to war.

Peter has been an entrepreneur for 29 years, pioneering public-private partnerships and founding and leading real estate ventures that provide affordable housing.