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Air Force 2-star to retire as colonel following sex crime conviction
Former Air Force Research Laboratory Commander, Maj. Gen. Bill Cooley is set to retire as a colonel following his conviction for abusive sexual contact, according to sources. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall made the decision to demote Cooley to a field-grade officer after his trial in April 2022.
The Air Force Materiel Command spokesperson stated that the Department of the Air Force holds its leaders accountable for their actions and expects them to uphold the core values of the military. The soon-to-be colonel was charged with three counts of abusive sexual contact under Article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“I think there’s the perception and the reality within the military that the higher rank you are, the less accountable you will be held,” Connolly said Tuesday. “So this is a good outcome, but a very rare one.”<a href="https://t.co/lC1ElrJ3CQ">https://t.co/lC1ElrJ3CQ</a></p>— Protect Our Defenders (@ProtectRDfnders) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProtectRDfnders/status/1663664569863098374?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After a weeklong court-martial at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, he was found guilty of forcibly kissing his brother’s wife in a car after a barbecue in Albuquerque, New Mexico, back in August 2018.
The individual who experienced the abusive sexual contact, known through her relationship with the defendant but choosing to remain anonymous, agreed to publicly acknowledge her connection to the case. Air Force Times adheres to the policy of not disclosing the names of sexual assault victims without their consent. Although Cooley was acquitted of two of the charges, he faced consequences in the form of a reprimand and forfeiture of $54,550.
The potential penalties he could have received were severe, including dismissal from the Air Force, loss of pay, up to seven years of confinement, and the possibility of being registered in the national sex offender database. This case holds significance as it represents the first instance of an Air Force general being convicted in a military court and the first time that sexual assault charges have led to the criminal prosecution of a high-ranking official.
Due to the judge’s sentence, which did not include dismissal from the Air Force or imprisonment for at least six months, Cooley was initially unable to bring his case to the service’s appellate court. However, after new legislation broadened the scope of military court appeals, he lodged a complaint with the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals in April 2023.
The current status of Cooley’s case and whether it will proceed after his retirement remains unclear, as the Air Force did not respond immediately to inquiries.
