Lieutenant General Charles Hooper (U.S. Army, retired) is the former Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, a 20,000 person self-funding public enterprise generating over $50 billion in annual revenue. During his 40 years of service with the U.S. Army, he held leadership positions in both Asia and Africa.
General Hooper’s military service began upon graduation from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He served in command and staff assignments in the U.S. Army Armor Center, the 25th Infantry Division, the 82nd Airborne Division, and the U.S. Army Recruiting Command. His political-military assignments include U.S. defense attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing; deputy division chief in the War Plans Division of the Army Staff; senior country director for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense; deputy director for strategic planning and policy of the U.S. Pacific Command (now Indo-Pacific Command); and director of strategy, plans, and programs of the U.S. Africa Command.
In addition to graduating from West Point, General Hooper earned a master of public administration degree from the Harvard Kennedy School and received the Don K. Price Award for Academic Excellence and Public Service. In 2005, he returned to Harvard as a senior research fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. During his military service, he was awarded the Ranger Tab, Expert Infantryman Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Army Recruiter Badge, and French National Defense Medal.