CHARLESTON, W.Va. –
Warrant Officer Rachel Cooper, a property accounting technician with the West Virginia Army National Guard (WVARNG) 197th Regiment (Regional Training Institute) or otherwise known as RTI, is the Warrant Officer Spotlight for January 2020.
When a vacancy opened in the 197th RTI in 2019 as a warrant officer, Cooper, a Fraziers Bottom, W.Va., native, knew it was her opportunity to join the warrant officer branch and continue her service in the WVARNG in a new capacity.
“I personally felt compelled to commission,” Cooper said. “Completing Warrant Officer Candidate (WOC) School is my biggest accomplishment to date. Not only is the course demanding, the requirements and process to become a warrant officer is laborious.”
“I always knew that it was the right path for me,” she said. “Despite any fears or doubts that I had about completing the course, I didn’t let it stop me from doing what I knew in my heart was the right thing for me and my family.”
Cooper served as an enlisted unit supply specialist and automated logistical specialist before branching. She began her career in the WVARNG’s 111th Engineer Brigade and deployed with them to Iraq in 2007-2008. She then transferred to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1092nd Engineer Battalion and deployed to Afghanistan in 2010-2011. From there she transferred back to the 111th then to the 77th Troop Command, where she heard about the opening.
“With a lot of support from Warrant Officer Jasmyne Huffman and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jason Addis I was accepted in to WOC School at Fort Rucker, Alabama, in September 2019,” said Cooper, who has a Bachelor of Arts in management from American Military University and plans on pursuing her master’s degree in supply chain management.
With almost 14 years of service under her belt, Cooper is looking forward to many more.
“My biggest goal for the military side is to make it to my mandatory retirement date of 2047,” she said – a full 40 years of service!
“I like that I have opportunities to further my education and advance my career, as long as I am willing to put in the work,” she said. “The WVARNG has allowed me to do things I would likely never do as a civilian.”
Serving hasn’t always been easy, though.
“The most challenging hurdle that I have overcome during my time in the military has been juggling my professional aspirations and family life,” she said. “My husband is also in the WVARNG and is a full-time technician, so between his military obligations, my military obligations, and wanting to expand our family, we've found it to be difficult but ultimately rewarding.”
Outside of her full-time job as a logistics management specialist in the West Virginia National Guard’s Joint Forces Headquarters logistics office in Charleston, W.Va., Cooper enjoys running, hiking, biking and camping with her family.
“The best day of my life is the day I was married,” Cooper said. “My daughter is most definitely my greatest accomplishment and is the light of my life, but my wedding day was surreal.”
“My husband is my best friend and my biggest cheerleader,” Cooper said. “His support means everything to me and he is truly the best person I know.”
Cooper encourages Soldiers to look to the warrant officer branch if they’re interested in a different way to serve the National Guard.
“Do your research, ask questions, and listen to your heart!” she said. “You’ll never hear a warrant officer say that it’s a decision they regret.”