Readiness, Relationships and Resilience: Col. Michael Cookey Marks First 100 Days Leading USAG Ansbach

ANSBACH, Germany — When Col. Michael D. Cookey took command of the Army garrison here in July, he assumed leadership of an installation supporting comba… ANSBACH, Germany — When Col. Michael D. Cookey took command of the Army garrison here in July, he assumed leadership of an installation supporting combat readiness and community resilience. Marking his first 100 days in command of U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach, Cookey has focused on intertwining strategic readiness with everyday community well-being across nine installations dispersed throughout Middle Franconia. The scope of Cookey’s area of responsibility spans from the flight lines of Katterbach Army Airfield to the rotational staging facilities 40 kilometers northwest at Storck Barracks. To date, one of his focuses has been solidifying host-nation partnerships, providing transparent updates on infrastructure to the community and local leaders, and upholding Ansbach’s motto as the "Best Hometown in Europe." It’s not Cookey’s first time being stationed in Germany.

“Receiving orders back to Germany felt like we were coming home,” said Cookey of himself and his family, adding that three of his five children were born in Germany. Cookey has been stationed at Army installations at Hohenfels and Stuttgart. An Army fixed-wing aviator by trade, Cookey arrived at USAG Ansbach following an assignment at the Pentagon, where he served as deputy director for strategy and transformation under