On Veterans Day, the nation celebrates those who have dedicated their lives to protecting the freedoms we hold dear, honoring not just the veterans themselves, but also the values of brotherhood, service, and sacrifice that unite them. For many, these words evoke the sense of camaraderie found among soldiers of all branches— “brothers and sisters in arms.” For Jennifer Cooper and Jeremy J. Rogers, siblings from Vian, this statement holds an even deeper significance.

In an inspiring and rare moment of shared accomplishment, these two veterans— both graduates of Vian High School and Oklahoma State University—are celebrating a monumental achievement: they have both been promoted to the rank of Colonel in the United States Army, less than 12 months apart.

Jennifer, a U.S. Army Chaplain, was promoted to Colonel in October 2024, while her younger brother Jeremy, a Signal Corps officer, will join her in the same rank in April 2025. Their shared journey of service, sacrifice, and leadership not only exemplifies the highest standards of military commitment but also showcases the special bond between them as they rise through the ranks together—both on parallel paths and at times, crossing paths in service.

Their shared experiences also brought them together in Iraq, where they both served on overlapping deployments. Though their roles were different— Jennifer ministering to soldiers’ spiritual needs and Jeremy ensuring their communications were seamless—the siblings were united in their mission to serve and protect their fellow soldiers.

CH (COL) Jennifer Cooper

CH (COL) Jennifer Cooper had two years of ROTC at OSU, and received a Bachelor of Science in Philosophy from there in 1999. She took her Oath of Office on April 22, 2002, joining the U.S. Army Reserves as a Chaplain Candidate while still attending seminary at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

She graduated from that same institution in May 2004 with a Master of Divinity, before attending Chaplain Officer Basic Course (CH-OBC). She was Ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament on Jan. 2, 2005, and commissioned as an Active Duty Chaplain in the U.S. Army on May 4, 2005, where she began a distinguished career focused on providing spiritual care to soldiers on the front lines.

After completing CH-OBC, she served in several different capacities as a Chaplain Candidate in the U.S. Army Reserves: 18th Aviation Brigade at Fort Bragg, N.C.; as a Clinical Pastoral Education Candidate at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center and the Medical College of Georgia; with 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.; and with 6th Battalion, 101st Aviation, Fort Campbell, Ken.

In May 2005, she received orders to active duty assigning her to 526 Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, (Air Assault). She deployed twice to Iraq with 2 BCT, 101st. She transitioned to 102nd Signal Battalion in Wiesbaden, Germany, in August 2009, and on to the Pentagon Staff. “I spent at total of 35 months in combat between Iraq and Afghanistan,” she said.

Following the Chaplain Captain Career Course in 2012, she remained at the U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School as a Chaplain Basic Officer Leader Course (CH-BOLC) instructor, writer and small group leader. Despite the difficulties, she remained committed to supporting soldiers’ spiritual well-being, guiding them through some of the darkest times of their lives.

In 2014, she returned to the 101st Airborne Division as the 1st Brigade Combat Team Chaplain, and deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, with the Brigade Staff to serve as the Train Advise Assist Command- South Chaplain for 1st Calvary Division.

“We are responsible for training soldiers in the U.S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard, and for validating these same soldiers for missions supporting the Global Force Management Allocation Plan (GFMAP),” CH (COL) Cooper said.

She noted that First Army Division West has the most complex mission set of any division in the US Army.

“We train, validate and deploy more than 30K soldiers annually. Even with reduced missions in the Middle East, soldiers from the National Guard and Reserve deploy to support world-wide contingency missions each month. Our division ensures the readiness of our nation’s reserve component Soldiers as they conduct missions at locations like the southwest border, Kosovo, eastern Europe, and Kuwait,” she said.

As the Division Chaplain, she supervises five subordinate training teams of Brigade Chaplains and Religious Affairs Specialists.

“We work mostly with Unit Ministry Teams stationed west of the Mississippi River, although one of our locations is east of the Mississippi at Fort McCoy Wisconsin,” she said. “The Division, along with two brigades, is located at Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood), Texas. Our other locations include a brigade located at Joint Base Lewis-McCord, and one located at Fort Bliss Texas.”

In 2016, she was assigned as the Contingency Command Post and Future Operations Chaplain for U.S. Army Europe, where she also completed CGSC.

From 2018-22, she served in four different capacities in the Department of the Army, Chief of Chaplains-Personnel (DACH-PER). She is currently the Division Chaplain for 1st Army, Division West, Fort Hood, Texas, and prides herself with 19 years of Active Duty.

CH Cooper is ordained by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and is a member of the Presbytery of Central Carolinas. She resides in Nolanville, Texas, with her husband Adam, and daughters, Caitlin, 8, and Charlotte, 4.

Her promotion is not just a personal milestone, but a celebration of her unwavering faith and her dedication to the men and women who serve alongside her.

“Next summer I have the privilege of attending Senior Staff College which will better prepare me to serve in strategic levels of leadership within the Chaplain Corps and the Army,” CH (COL) Cooper said.

CH (COL) Cooper was promoted to Colonel on Oct. 4, 2024.

Lieutenant Colonel (P) Jeremy J. Rogers Lieutenant Colonel (P) Jeremy J. Rogers will join his older sister in ranking, when he is promoted to Colonel in April 2025.

Just like his sister, his military career was shaped by his education at Oklahoma State University, where he earned his commission into the Army Signal Corps in 2003. From the very start, he displayed a remarkable ability to adapt and lead in the fast-evolving world of military communications and technology.

A graduate of both the Signal Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Rogers’s skillset was further bolstered by an MBA in Acquisition Management from the Naval Postgraduate School. His service has been marked by leadership roles in high-stakes environments, including multiple deployments to Iraq and Korea, as well as an extensive tenure with NATO in Belgium.

He and his sister had two overlapping deployments in Iraq, where they were both in country at the same time. His service time with NATO/SHAPE in Belgium was for four years, during which time his sister was also in Germany.

His work with the Army Acquisition Corps and his service as the Executive Officer to the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASAALT) have placed him at the forefront of the Army’s technological evolution, ensuring that the soldiers of today are equipped for the challenges of tomorrow.

ASAALT manages the lifecycle development of Army acquisition capabilities to ensure the Army is equipped for 21st century threats. It collaborates with Army, Joint, Industry, Academia and international partners to ensure the Army maintains a technological advantage, and is responsible to develop business processes that ensure efficient use of tax payer dollars to achieve Army modernization priorities.

He served as the Product Manager for Command Post Integrated Infrastructure (PdM CPI2) under the Project Manager, Interoperability, Integration and Services (I2S), U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Command, Control, and Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

In this role, LTC Rogers managed the CPI2 program, which integrated approved commercial off-the-shelf systems and developed Program of Record systems onto formationappropriate command post platforms to improve mobility, agility, modularity, scalability and energy efficiency, while reducing physical signature.

LTC Rogers also served as Executive Officer at U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC); Executive Officer of the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (PEO IEW&S); Assistant Project Manager, Distributed Common Ground Systems-Army (DCGS-A); and branch chief/project manager developing capabilities for the National Security Agency.

Before he was assessed into the Army Acquisition Corps, he worked as a software developer in Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE); Battalion Signal Officer in 2-7 Infantry, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Company Executive Office in A Company, 3-3 Brigade Troops Battalion; and Mobile Subscriber Equipment and Joint Network Node platoon leader in 3-3 Brigade Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.

He has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal (with one Oak Leaf Cluster), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (with one Oak Leaf Cluster), the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (with one Oak Leaf Cluster), Parachutist Badge, Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge and Army Staff Identification Badge.

In addition, Jeremy also has a twin sister, Jessica, who spent eight years of Active Duty in SAT-COM with the Air Force, and teaches advanced classes in science at Texas High School in Texarkana, Texas.

A legacy of service

Their story is a testament to the strength of family, service, and the shared commitment to defending the freedoms that Americans hold dear. Jennifer Cooper and Jeremy Rogers are more than just siblings—they are both symbols of the best of what it means to be a soldier, leaders who have dedicated their lives to serving their country and each other.

This Veterans Day, as we honor all those who have worn the uniform, let us also celebrate Jennifer and Jeremy—two siblings who have risen to the highest ranks of military service, side by side. Their story is one of unwavering dedication, extraordinary service, and a reminder that, no matter the branch or the mission, we are all in this together.