REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (May 6, 2021) – Growing up, Maj. Joshua Cobb always wanted to be a Soldier.
But when he went to join after high school, his dream of becoming an infantryman hit a wall: Cobb was colorblind.
It was on to plan B for the Florida native: college at the University of Central Florida. While there, Cobb learned that the university’s ROTC program did not seem to have the same vision requirements.
“I don’t think they realized that honestly,” Cobb said with a laugh. “It was a glitch in the matrix but I was very, very fortunate because I got my dream job.”
Cobb, now the military deputy for the Missile Technology Division at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center, spent 10 years as an infantry officer before transitioning to acquisitions. After 14 years in uniform, he jokingly said that he has "never had a real job” but it does not get more real than deploying to Iraq and serving as a platoon leader in theater.
Moving to the Rocket City for his assignment at DEVCOM AvMC was serendipity for Cobb and his wife, both space enthusiasts who grew up on the Florida coast watching NASA shuttle launches. When not at work, Cobb said that he has picked up competitive shooting as a hobby and competed in a national pistol shooting competition in Talladega in May.
Although infantry was his first love, Cobb said that he enjoys the opportunity in acquisitions to give back to his fellow Soldiers – and that he has been inspired by the commitment of his co-workers in the Thermal Protection System Technical Management Office and their dedication to the mission.
“We don’t have a lot of engineers in the military, we can’t really build our own equipment. If you are a baseball team and someone gives you football equipment -- that is not super helpful,” he said. “The civilian workforce here, they know what they need to provide so when you get off the bus or airplane or tank, wherever and whatever you are dealing with, you have trust that your equipment will do its job.
“A lot of the advantages we have come down to the men and women here working long hours, doing a lot of hard work. It’s great to be a part of it. I love my job.”
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The DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center, headquartered at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the Army’s research and development focal point for advanced technology in aviation and missile systems. It is part of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command. AvMC is responsible for delivering collaborative and innovative aviation and missile capabilities for responsive and cost-effective research, development and life cycle engineering solutions, as required by the Army’s strategic priorities and support to its Cross-Functional Teams.
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