Photo By Maj. Alun Thomas | Cooper Schwartz (right), joins other Officer School Candidates for a commanders brief,...... read more read more
PHOENIX – At the age of 23, Cooper Schwartz has amassed a level of international experience that would be considered impressive for a person twice his age.
From attaining his Masters of Arts at the prestigious Kings College London, to becoming Junior Political Counselor at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, also in London, Schwartz has excelled in setting himself up for a promising future.
This success inspired Schwartz to apply for Officer Candidate School and pursue a career as an Army officer, the final steps of which involved an appearance before the OCS board at the Phoenix Recruiting Battalion headquarters, Nov. 20.
For Schwartz it was an ambition that began over two decades ago, when his family moved from the brisk climate of Denver, to Cave Creek, Ariz., where he quickly adapted to the warm climate and became a self-professed “desert rat.”
But Schwartz always had loftier goals in sight, which involved the unknown and overseas travel.
“Throughout my childhood I always looked outside the confines of my hometown to shape my future. I would always read books about adventures,” Schwartz said. “I have a world map in my room ... I’ve had it since I was a child, always looking to places I might want to go.”
Before he could do this however, Schwartz had to pursue his college degree, which he did so in as expedient a manner as possible.
“I graduated from ASU with my bachelor’s degree in 2018. I did the quick route. I had a lot of credits going in already and I tried to get it done as quickly as possible by doing 20 credits a semester,” he explained. “I just wanted to get it out of the way. It was a heavy workload, but I enjoyed most of the classes and I had a good relationship with my professors.”
Schwartz had developed an interest in Afghanistan during his high school years, one that would influence the next few years of his life.
“My passion for Afghanistan started in high school. I guess it was shaped by the mysticism in a way and naturally the war,” Schwartz explained. “I read Thomas Barfield’s ‘Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History’ in a week and I was hooked. It started this whole journey from writing my dissertation about Afghanistan, to working at the Embassy of Afghanistan in London.”
Schwartz said the opportunity to work at the Afghan embassy came when he was in London completing his Masters of Arts in Conflict, Security and Development in 2018.
“The opportunity arose for an internship at the embassy and I started as a public relations intern, before being promoted to head of interns,” he said. “I eventually became junior political counselor, which entailed writing reports for all the diplomats there and advising them what was happening with U.K. budgetary law to Afghanistan”
The opportunity to work at the embassy and live in London for two years, is something Schwartz relished on a daily basis.
“The whole embassy experience taught me how to work with other cultures, especially with such cultural divides that Afghans typically have. I enjoyed every single day working there,” Schwartz added. “I missed my mountains and the sun, but I was able to travel to several countries in the region and had a great time overall.”
Schwartz returned home to the U.S. and decided his future lay in military service, something he had long aspired to.
“I’ve always had an interest in the Army … it’s a branch of the military, but an institution that upholds its values and I believe has the best capacity to affect some change,” Schwartz said. “Special Operations is what I eventually want to do, it’s always been my dream.”
Schwartz is confident about his future and said being mentally prepared is something he is well-adapted to, as he faces life as an infantry officer.
“Mental preparation comes easily to me, I enjoy reading as much as possible and enjoy a good fight through mixed martial arts,” Schwartz stated. “My resume makes me look like an academic, but I love to fight and I’m ready to face the challenges ahead.”
| Date Taken: | 11.24.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 11.24.2020 14:23 |
| Story ID: | 383697 |
| Location: | PHOENIX, AZ, US |
| Web Views: | 123 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Afghan embassy counselor looks to future as Army officer, by MAJ Alun Thomas, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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