Charles “Charlie” Cooper entered the U.S. Air Force in 1955, retiring in 1991 as a two-star general with well over four thousand hours logged as an air force master navigator. He joined the New York Air National Guard in 1962, rose rapidly through operations and command positions, and served for seven years as its commander. He is a member of numerous aviation-related and veterans’ organizations and a member of the Board of Managers of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.