By CHAD GARLAND | STARS AND STRIPES Published: April 22, 2021 Former Air Force Research Laboratory commander Maj. Gen. William Cooley will face a court-martial on sexual assault charges, making him the first general officer to be prosecuted by the service. Cooley is accused of making unwanted sexual advances by kissing and touching a civilian woman during an off-duty incident in Albuquerque, N.M., in August 2018. The woman is not a service member or Defense Department employee. Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr., head of the Air Force Materiel Command, referred one charge against Cooley under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including three specifications of sexual assault under Article 120, the command said in a statement Wednesday.
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4 days ago Maj. Gen. William T. Cooley, former Air Force Research Laboratory commander, will face court-martial on a sexual assault charge. (R.J. Oriez/Air Force) Maj. Gen. William Cooley, the former commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory, will face court-martial on a sexual assault charge, marking the first time the Air Force has ever opted to prosecute a general officer. Cooley is accused of making unwanted sexual advances toward a civilian woman, kissing and touching her through her clothes while off duty in Albuquerque, N.M., in August 2018. The two-star general also faces allegations that he made the woman touch him sexually through his clothing, without her consent. The woman is not a military employee.
Air Force general first to face court-martial on sexual assault charge thehill.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thehill.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Air Force Two-Star General to Face Court-Martial on Sexual Assault Charge
Maj. Gen. William T. Cooley, then-Air Force Research Laboratory commander, speaks during the FIRST LEGO League Tournament closing ceremony at the Wright State University Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio, on Feb. 3, 2019. The state competition was sponsored by the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Educational Outreach office. (U.S. Air Force photo by R.J. Oriez)
21 Apr 2021
The former head of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is headed to court-martial on a sexual assault charge. It may be the first time in modern history an Air Force general has faced such a trial.