Mr. Jonathan H. Cofer was selected as the Principal Deputy Director of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) on July 22, 2007, a Senior Executive Service position within the Office of the Director of Administration and Management.
In this capacity he is responsible for protecting and safeguarding the occupants, visitors, and infrastructure of the Pentagon and other assigned Department of Defense (DoD) facilities. He is the DoD principal liaison with State and local authorities and communicates directly with the DoD Components and other Executive Departments and agencies in carrying out these assigned responsibilities and functions. The Pentagon also serves as the Nation´s military command center providing critical command and control and support functions to the Department of Defense. Mr. Cofer represents the PFPA Director in his absence.
Mr. Cofer served as a Military Police Officer over 30 years in the United States Army from which he retired in 2002 as a Brigadier General. Mr. Cofer comes to PFPA with extensive experience in DoD law enforcement, security and force protection operations, tactical military police support, special weapons security, confinement and investigations. He served on the Joint Staff as the Deputy Director for Operations and Plans for Antiterrorism and Force Protection. In that capacity he advised two Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff on DoD antiterrorism and force protection matters. Mr. Cofer was serving in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and was involved in DOD´s response to the attacks as part of the Joint Staff.
Other previous work experience include: officer-in-charge of five relocation camps for Cuban personnel in the Republic of Panama and responsible for the security and safety of thousands of men, women and children. Commanded a force made up of over 2000 Army, Marine and Air Force security and police forces; Provost Marshal for multiple military installations in the United States and overseas; and performed law enforcement, security, and antiterrorism duties for senior leadership at Unified and Specified Commands.
Before coming to PFPA, Mr. Cofer was Chief, Advanced Concepts and Technology Demonstration Division at the Defense Information Systems Agency. In this capacity Mr. Cofer was responsible for ensuring the development and rapid fielding of information technology to the warfighter.
Mr. Cofer is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and a graduate of LaSalle University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Masters from Central Michigan University in Management and Administration. He is also a graduate of the US Army War College.
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