LTC Cooper is a Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer stationed at Fort Leavenworth. In 2006, Cooper deployed to Ramadi, Iraq where she led one of the Army's first Lioness teams. The U.S. Marine Corps developed the practice of using Lioness teams in Iraq and Afghanistan, first to allow U.S. troops to search local women at checkpoints, and later for intelligence gathering on other types of operations. When Cooper, the brigade JAG officer for 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, under the command of the now Retired General Sean MacFarland, arrived in Ramadi and learned of the Marine teams, she asked MacFarland to be allowed to assemble an Army Lioness team. From June 2006 to February 2007, members of Cooper's Lioness team went on 22 missions in Ramadi. Their participation in these missions was entirely voluntary (though frequently requested by commanders) and carried out in addition to the duties associated with their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS).