A native of Inglewood, California, Col Cobb was commissioned in 1997 upon graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy. He completed Advanced Jet training in Meridian, Mississippi, in July 2000 and, subsequently, EA-6B training at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, in 2001.
Col Cobb’s operational assignments include tours with:
Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (VMAQ) 2 from 2001-2005; 2d Marine Regiment as the Air Officer from 2008-2010; VMAQ-1 as Operations Officer from 2010-2012; VMAQ-3 as the final Commanding Officer from 2016-2018; 1st Marine Aircraft Wing as the Inspector General from 2019-2020; and as the Commanding Officer of Marine Aircraft Group 49 from 2020-2022. Col Cobb’s deployments during these tours include: Iwakuni, Japan, in support of (ISO) the Unit Deployment Program; Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ISO Operations Southern Watch and Iraqi Freedom (OIF); Tallil Air Base, Iraq, ISO OIF 2; Delaram, Afghanistan, ISO Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) 10.2; Aviano, Italy, ISO Operation Unified Protector; Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, ISO OEF 11.1; Incirlik, Turkey, ISO Operation Inherent Resolve.
Col Cobb’s supporting establishment assignments include: one tour as an instructor pilot at the EA-6B Fleet Replacement Squadron, VAQ-129, from 2005-2008; G-5 Deliberate Plans Branch Head at Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa from 2013- 2016, during which he spearheaded AFRICOM efforts to establish “operationalized” Cooperative Security Locations in Senegal, Ghana, and Gabon to facilitate Crisis Response in North Africa and the Gulf of Guinea; and as a Program Analyst within the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation directorate of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Col Cobb is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, the MAWTS-1 Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course, Marine Corps University’s School of Advanced Warfighting, and the Joint and Combined Warfighting School. He is also a CMC Fellow (Secretary of Defense Executive Fellowship), having spent a year assigned to Johnson and Johnson following squadron command.
Col Cobb has earned virtually every EA-6B flight qualification and instructor designation. He is also a Marine Forward Air Controller/Joint Terminal Attack Controller. Col Cobb has amassed over 2500 flight hours in more than 11 type/model/series aircraft, more than 800 hours of which are combat flight hours.
Col Cobb’s personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (3rd Award), Air Medal (Combat “V” and Strike/Flight Numeral 12), and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2nd Award).