New DSCA Director Assumes Leadership

Member for

11 years 1 month

WASHINGTON (August 7, 2017) – The U.S. Senate confirmed Charles W. Hooper for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), July 31, becoming the organization’s 17th director.

LTG Charles HooperHooper takes over as director from Vice Adm. Joseph Rixey, who retired, July 14.

Hooper, a native of Willingboro, New Jersey, most recently served as Senior Defense Official/Defense Attaché-Cairo (United States Central Command), Defense Intelligence Agency, Egypt.

Hooper was commissioned in 1979 as an infantryman.  He has 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. 

Hooper’s political-military assignments include Assistant Army Attaché to the People's Republic of China, U.S. Embassy Beijing, China; Deputy Division Chief, War Plans Division, G35, Army Staff; Senior Country Director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense; Chief, Army International Affairs Division, G35, Army Staff; and as an instructor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. 

In 2007, Hooper was promoted to brigadier general and appointed the U.S. Defense Attaché to the People's Republic of China serving from 2007 until 2009.  He then served as the Deputy Director for Strategic Planning and Policy, J-5, United States Pacific Command from 2009 to 2011. 

Hooper was promoted to major general in 2011 and served as the Director of Strategy, Plans, and Programs, J5, United States Africa Command from August 2011 until March 2014. From July 2014 until June 2017, Hooper was Senior U.S. Defense Official/U.S. Defense Attaché and Chief, Office of Military Cooperation, U.S. Embassy Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt. 

Hooper is the senior U.S. Army Foreign Area Officer and has almost 16 years of security cooperation, security assistance and military attaché experience.

DSCA’s mission is to lead the Security Cooperation community in developing and executing innovative security cooperation solutions that support mutual U.S. and partner interests.  DSCA directs, administers, and provides guidance to the Department of Defense’s Components and representatives to U.S. missions, for the execution of the department’s Security Cooperation programs for which DSCA has responsibility.

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