Master Chief Cooper’s biography follows:
CNOCM(SW/AW) CAROL A. COOPER
UNITED STATES NAVY, RETIRED
Master Chief Cooper was born on August 21, in Ashland, Ohio. She grew up in Louisiana and graduated from high school in 1973. After a year of college she enlisted in the U.S. Navy.
Trained as a Cryptologic Technician (Technical) (CTT), she had tours at Naval Security Group Activity (NSGA) Hanza, Okinawa and NCS Rota, Spain before transferring in 1982 to NTTC Corry Station, Pensacola Florida for duty as a non-Morse instructor. While there, she also performed duties as Company Commander, Computer Programming Instructor and Morse Instructor. She qualified as a Master Training Specialist and was selected for Chief.
Her first duty as a Chief was on the staff of Commander, Naval Security Group, Washington, D.C. as the Cryptologic Reserves Operational Coordinator. At mid-tour, she moved to the Research and Development Department. During this tour, she attended the Senior Military Cryptologic Supervisors Course and was selected for Senior Chief.
On her way to NSGA Misawa, Japan in 1988, she attended Senior Enlisted Academy and was awarded the City of Newport Award for Academic Excellence. In Misawa, she served as the Collection Department LCPO. While there, she became the first female Cryptologic Technician Master Chief. Master Chief Cooper’s next move was to NSGA Edzell, Scotland, serving first as the CLASSIC WIZARD Division Chief and later as the Operations Department LCPO. During this tour she became a Cryptologic Technician (Collection) (CTR).
In 1994, she moved to London for duty on the staff of Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Navy, Europe. She was the Command Master Chief, CINCUSNAVEUR Staff while also serving as the Tactical Systems Coordinator, Director for Cryptology; and Senior Enlisted Leader, Director, Naval Security Group Europe.
Selected for the Command Master Chief Program in 1996, she received orders to the USS BOXER (LHD-4) in 1997 for duty as the 3M Coordinator. In 1999, she transferred to the USS HOPPER (DDG-70) and served as the CMC until her selection as the Naval Security Group CNO-Directed CMC. She served in this capacity from August 2000 to August 2004.
Master Chief Cooper’s decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (2), Navy Commendation Medal (4 awards), Navy Achievement Medal, Presidential Unit Commendation (2 awards), Meritorious Unit Commendation (2 awards), Navy Good Conduct Medal (5 awards), Battle E (2 awards), National Defense Service Medal (2 awards), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3 awards), Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (3 awards) and Overseas Service Ribbon (12 awards).
Station HYPO 
21 August 2020 at 12:55
Thank you Mario for posting this, always enjoy the posts. Have a great weekend.
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21 August 2020 at 20:56
Thanks for your service, Command (CNO at that) master chief!
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22 August 2020 at 01:47
Served as a CTM 1967-73. Don’t believe I encountered a single female CT in that time. Glad to see women getting recognition for their shill and work at the highest levels of their rate. Hope this persists and spreads throughout the navy as women prove their worth and skills.
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22 August 2020 at 01:48
Skill, not shill. My error. Apologies.
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22 August 2020 at 02:50
I’m inclined to believe we have a better Navy because of women. While I was in the Navy I was a bit of “a male chauvinist pig” towards Navy nurses. I inherited that unfortunate attitude from my late father who had been a Navy medical officer. As I’ve aged, I’ve come to respect women far more than I did when I was in my early 20’s. My wife Debbie, for instance, is vastly more versatile than I’ve ever been or ever will be. There is no job known to me that Deb would not take on. She can also multi-task with the best of the best. I, on the other hand, am the last person on this planet who should ever be asked to multi-task with anything, any time. It’s my unbiased opinion, that most women are far better at multi-tasking than the vast majority of men. That stated, I’m THE worst example of anyone when it comes to multi-tasking. If I like something, I’ll do it. If I don’t like something, it never gets done
Congratulations again to the Command Master Chief! I seem to recall something about that Neglected Giant, Agnes Meyer Driscoll, and the roll any of us can only guess at as relates to her massive contributions in breaking Japanese and German naval codes..
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22 August 2020 at 16:13
I was stationed at NCS Rota from 07/80 to 08/83 and think I met this young sailor while there. I was relay chief in the NSG commcen at the time and stood CDO watches as well. When at Wahiawa (in the commcen) from 12/56 to 12/58 we had WAVES CTO’s until 1957. Each section as I recall had 8 WAVES and they worked just as hard as us guys. Then when I was in Keflavik as CRS Division Chief we got a couple of WAVES just before I transferred to SPINTCOMMCEN at COMSEABASEDASWWINGSLANT at NAS Jacksonville. Some of the WAVES at Wahiawa were Gracie Deegan, Dorothy Collazo, and Yvonne Wolfe; and when I went back to Keflavik for my second tour (07/78 – 06/80) one of the young WAVES in the DAT Commcen was Meg Ryan. It’s always good to see our young folks taking over the tasks to keep our great nation free. Thank you for keeping us informed Mario.
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22 August 2020 at 17:13
Impressive!
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6 March 2021 at 03:52
Was stationed with Command Master Chief Cooper at NSGA Hanza Okinawa. It was both of ours first duty station. Congratulations Carol on a fantastic tour of duty. Thanks for being a good friend. I am still trying to pronounce New Orleans the way you taught me.
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