Eric "Coop" Cooper is a senior policy researcher at RAND. Retiring as a senior Coast Guard officer, Cooper was involved with multiple missions including disaster management, port resilience, illegal immigration, drug smuggling, maritime and border security, pandemic response, CBRNE preparedness, and search and rescue operations. Cooper also served at the White House as the director for maritime security and the director for Arctic region policy for the National Security Council from 2013 to 2015. In that role, he implemented the national strategy for the Arctic region, developed the counterpiracy action plan, authored a blueprint for Central American maritime security, and managed the Ebola response in the maritime domain. He twice served as a delegate to the International Maritime Organization for the United States. He was the commanding officer of two major units, including Maritime Security Response Team West, the Coast Guard's west coast counter-terrorism unit. During a joint tour at United States Northern Command, he served as a maritime planner and crisis action team member in the operations directorate supporting defense support to civil authorities, humanitarian response, and emergency management.
Cooper holds a master of science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington, a master of arts degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College, and a master of arts degree in security studies (homeland security) from the Naval Postgraduate School. He earned his undergraduate degree with high honors in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
MA in security studies, Naval Postgraduate School; MA in national security and strategic studies, Naval War College; MS in mechanical engineering, University of Washington; BS in mechanical engineering, U.S. Coast Guard Academy
