BASE CAMP NORTH OF BAGHDAD RENAMED IN HONOR OF RESPECTED V CORPS SENIOR ENLISTED LEADER
V Corps Release
Release Date: 3/25/2004
By Cpl. Benjamin Cossell 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
TAJI, Iraq -- V Corps' 1st Armored Division has ensured that the service and sacrifice of one of its most respected senior enlisted leaders will live on at one of the Army's enduring base camps here.
The former Iraqi air force base in Taji was officially renamed Camp Cooke March 23 during a dedication ceremony in honor of Command Sgt. Maj. Eric F. Cooke of the division's 1st Brigade Combat Team. Cooke was killed Dec. 24 during a combat patrol in Baghdad when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. Cooke was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.
Camp Cooke, located in northern outskirts of Baghdad, is one of several enduring forward operating bases. Most U.S. military personnel serving in Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom will live on one of these bases.
"It is because he left such a permanent mark on those he came in contact with, that it was decided to name this permanent facility after him," said Col. Peter R. Mansoor, the brigade's commander.
Born in Phoenix, Ariz. Sept. 23, 1960, Cooke attended basic and advanced individual training at Fort Knox, Ky., after enlisting in the Army in April 1978.
"He was the type of NCO that set the example for all those around him," said 1st Armored Division Commander Maj. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey during the keynote address at the dedication.
While known as a consummate NCO, it was Cooke's compassion and ability to mentor that endeared him to so many Soldiers, he said.
"He was the type of person that cared about all Soldiers, not just those in his brigade," said Cooke's former driver, Sgt. Dustin J. Tomecko, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st BCT. "We would go out to the Ministry of Oil just to visit Soldiers standing guard."
The guard posts were spread throughout the building, each requiring a 14-story climb up stairs to see the Soldiers, Tomecko said.
"He climbed each of those stairs and talked with each of the Soldiers as long as they needed him to," he said. "That was the type of person he was. He always had time for his Soldiers. Everybody loved him."
"He would be honored that this base camp will play a central role in Operation Iraqi Freedom," said division operations Sgt. Maj. David Davenport, who served with Cooke in the division's 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment. "But he would say to you that, 'I was just doing my job. I was out with my Soldiers.' He would prefer that others be recognized for their contributions."
Davenport said Cooke cared for all of his Soldiers, no matter their rank. He knew all their names, jobs and nicknames, and when they sought him out just to talk, he always had time for them.
"Soldiers loved him and he thought the world of them. He was one of those leaders who truly loved his Soldiers and always demanded the very best for his Soldiers."
"Command Sgt. Maj. Cooke and his wife never had children," Mansoor said. "You would ask him why and invariably the answer was always something along the lines of, 'All of my kids are right here,' referring to his Soldiers."
"He will be deeply missed by all those whose lives he touched."
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