My DCMA Remember 9/11: Laurie Cooper, packaging policy advocate

My DCMA Remember 9/11: Laurie Cooper, packaging policy advocate

By Elizabeth Szoke DCMA Public Affairs

My DCMA "Remember 9/11" edition showcases the Defense Contract Management Agency's experienced and dedicated workforce as they reflect on the events of Sept. 11, 2001. The campaign highlights that tragic day's personal and professional impact on agency team members. Today, Laurie Cooper shares her story.

My name is Laurie Cooper. I am a packaging policy advocate, and this is "My DCMA."

I joined the Army expecting to wear a suit, carry a badge and investigate threats to national security. Instead, I found myself conducting combat operations alongside infantry units in Iraq. The events of Sept. 11, 2001, took me down a path I never anticipated.

I joined the Army in May 2001 and was attending advanced individual training at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, learning to become a counterintelligence agent.

On Sept. 11, my classmates and I gathered for physical training around 6 a.m. when our drill instructors suddenly began yelling and rushed us into the dayroom, where we watched the second plane hit the World Trade Center.

The installation immediately went into lockdown. Rather than marching to class, we took buses because nobody knew whether additional attacks would target military installations.

My father was flying that day, and another classmate's father was also traveling. We desperately tried calling our families, but communication was nearly impossible. We spent the day comforting one another while our instructors determined how to continue our training.

After graduation, I became a human intelligence collector, training and working directly with infantry and cavalry scout units. In September 2004, I deployed to Iraq to conduct intelligence operations in Mosul, Tal Afar and other locations.

As one of only two female soldiers regularly operating outside the wire, I had opportunities to interact with Iraqi women and children that many male soldiers did not.

Because of cultural customs, women often could not speak with male soldiers. I would take my hair down from beneath my helmet to show them I was a woman and that I was a safe space.

It didn't always amount to much in the way of gathering information, but it allowed me to calm them, make a human connection and understand that this was their home. Once I understood how they lived, I was better able to gather information that could help protect our soldiers, base camps and allies.

I also witnessed some of the most devastating moments of the war, including the aftermath of the December 2004 bombing at Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul. I lost close friends in that attack, and their sacrifices remain with me.

But I also remember the good things about Iraq. I remember playing soccer with children, sharing home-cooked meals and watching people participate in elections. There were a lot of really good people, and I often wonder what happened to the children we met.

Those experiences taught me that terrorism does not define an entire society. Just as America has its own violence, that is only one part of us, not all of us.

I left the Army in April 2006, but I struggled to transition back into civilian life. I couldn't just go to the mall or spend the Fourth of July at the Jersey Shore. I felt there was more work to do and more important things in life.

By August 2006, I returned to Iraq as a civilian contractor, continuing intelligence operations for another two years.

When I returned home in 2008, I carried those experiences with me. I eventually named my daughter Liberty after Camp Liberty, where I served in Iraq. Her name reminds me of that time in my life and the people whose lives touched mine.

Today, working for DCMA allows me to continue being part of the military mission.

As a packaging performance advocate, I visit defense contractors, walk through their facilities, and see what they build and send to our service members. I contribute to ensuring equipment arrives safely and on time.

Having been on the ground, I understand how important that work is and how much our service members depend on it.

For the last 25 years, my life has been dedicated to this mission, first in uniform, then as a civilian contractor and now as a federal civilian. My family continues that commitment to service.

Survivor's guilt remains a real part of my daily reflections, but I also recognize the purpose this path brought into my life.

I have a great life and a fantastic career. It wasn't what I set out for when I was 21, but I look back and am thankful that my 9/11 story turned out the way it has, because that isn't the case for everybody.

I was able to make a positive difference in a world where there were a lot of enemies on both sides. I was able to be a voice in the middle, helping bridge the gap between people and cultures.

Twenty-five years later, I continue to honor those who sacrificed their lives by serving our nation and remembering that even in the aftermath of tragedy, we can make a positive difference.

We will never forget.

Editor's note: DCMA's "Remember 9/11" is a campaign reflecting on the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and the lasting impact 25 years later through stories of remembrance, resilience and service. We invite you to share your story by emailing the DCMA Public Affairs inbox. DCMA Public Affairs hopes to share as many stories as possible but cannot guarantee every submission will be published.