Former Air Force Research Laboratory Commander Major General Bill Cooley, convicted of abusive sexual contact, will retire as a colonel after being demoted by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall.Â
Major General Bill Cooley, a former commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory, will retire as a colonel following his conviction for abusive sexual contact. The decision to demote Cooley to a field-grade officer was made by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall after his trial in April 2022. Cooley was found guilty of forcibly kissing his brother’s wife and sentenced to a reprimand and forfeiture of $54,550. While he could have faced more severe punishment, the judge’s ruling did not warrant his case being brought to the service’s appellate court. Cooley’s retirement marks the end of his three-decade military career.Â
