"Many people have asked me over the years how I became a general. My response is usually reluctantly.' Never genuinely believed it might be possible." In the first few chapters of this autobiography, Cooper recalls events from his childhood, growing up on the farm with his maternal grandparents. The next chapters follow his high school life, and finally, his entrance into the military. Follow Cooper's audacious encounters from being a Training Officer, to 1st Battalion, 22d Artillery, to Field Artillery Staff Officer, to Senior Operations Officer, to Deputy Commanding General US Army Recruiting Command, taking him across the United States to Vietnam, Germany and the Persian Gulf. Alternating stories about his exciting encounters in the field, his own insights and his experiences that will benefit the readers, The Reluctant General proves that what many others may think is a will-of-the-wisp can turn into something real.