Colonel Michael D. Cookey is the commander of U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach, consisting of nine kasernes with the mission of integrating and delivering base support to enable the readiness and force projection of permanent and rotational forces for U.S. Army Europe-Africa.
Col. Cookey most recently served as the Deputy Director for Strategy and Transformation in the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, G-2 (formerly the Army ISR Task Force). A native of Lititz, Pennsylvania, he was commissioned as an Aviation officer from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Throughout his career, Col. Cookey has served in a variety of command and staff positions worldwide. He began his service in Korea as a Shops Platoon Leader and Flight Platoon Leader with the 3-2 General Support Aviation Battalion.
His subsequent assignments in Germany included serving as an Assistant Operations Officer for the 1st Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation), during which he deployed multiple times to Afghanistan, and later commanding the battalion's A Company in Hohenfels, Germany. He remained in Germany to serve at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, first as a UAS Observer, Coach, Trainer and then as the Chief of Training.
He returned to Korea as a field grade officer, serving as the Battalion Operations Officer and Executive Officer for the 3rd MI Battalion (AE). He then served in a joint capacity as the Chief of the Joint Reconnaissance Center, J-2 for U.S. European Command before commanding the 204th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Reconnaissance) at Fort Bliss, Texas.
Col. Cookey’s military education includes the Military Intelligence Captain’s Career Course, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the U.S. Army War College. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of Oklahoma and a Master’s in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.
Col. Cookey’s aircraft qualifications include the OH-58A/C, CH-47D, UH-72A, C-12, RC-12, and RO-6A / DHC-8.
His awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and Army Achievement Medal, as well as the Air Assault Badge and the Master Aviator Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge. He is the recipient of the Order of Saint Michael and Knowlton Awards.