Walt Cooper is an operations research analyst in the Cost Analysis Improvement Group in the Office, Secretary of Defense. Walt leads the CAIG’s independent cost estimating of the Army’s Future Combat Systems, the second largest acquisition program in the Department of Defense. He has also led estimating efforts for the Army’s Multiple Launch Rocket System, the reconstruction and renovation of the Pentagon, the operating and support costs of the Navy’s Future Aircraft Carrier and the Marine Corps’ V-22 OSPREY tilt-rotor aircraft. In 2004, he served as the United States exchange officer with the Australian Department of Defence in Canberra, Australia Capital Territory. He developed independent cost estimates of new howitzers, ground combat vehicles, modernized munitions facilities, and diesel-electric submarines. He also formulated alternatives for the collection of program descriptive information and work breakdown structures. In addition to his work in estimating the costs of new systems, Walt oversees the Department’s program to collect operating and support costs for hundreds of Army, Navy and Air Force weapon systems, providing oversight and policy recommendations to the CAIG chairman. He also prepares the Department’s annual report to Congress on expenditures for force and infrastructure activities.

Previously, from 1989 to 2001, he was a Research Fellow with LMI in McLean, VA, where he managed LMI’s resource analysis research program. Prior to his work with LMI, Walt served in a variety of leadership and resource analysis assignments in a 21-year career with the United States Army. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in mathematics from the University of Vermont, an MBA in operations research from Tulane University, and a master of science degree in finance from The American University.