Lieutenant-General John Cooper was the last Colonel of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, appointed to the post from 2001 until the Regiment was amalgamated with the Royal Scots on 28 March 2006, to become a battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Cooper, born on 17 Feb 1955, was unusual in that he rose from the ranks, having enlisted as a private in the KOSB in 1973 at the age of 18. He served in Germany and Northern Ireland. He was commissioned in 1976 and promoted to lieutenant on 8 March 1977, and on 30 June 1994 was a lieutenant-colonel, appointed commanding officer of the 1st Battalion KOSB. His period of command included tours of duty in Northern Ireland. He was awarded the DSO on 9 May 1995.
In November 1999 Colonel Cooper was in command of 12th Mechanised Brigade, until Jan 2002. They were deployed in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He was promoted to major-general in May 2004 and served in Afghanistan as senior UK officer under Lt-General David Barno of the US Army. By 2006 he was commanding in Iraq and promoted to lieutenant-general. He relinquished command in 2009 and was appointed CB in the 2009 Birthday Honours. On 9 Feb 2001 he was appointed Colonel of his old regiment, the King’s Own Scottish Borderers until its demise in 2006.
