Colonel Jacob E. Roper, is the Commander, 733d Mission Support Group (MSG), Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA. He leads 1100+ personnel in four
squadrons that provide installation support, base operations and quality of life programs to the Fort Eustis community consisting of 20,000+ Service Members,
DoD Civilians and Family Members. The 733d MSG supports the wartime readiness of two U.S. Army deployable brigades and one Joint Task Force,
while simultaneously providing peacetime mission support to organizations representing every Major Army Command, three Combatant Commands, the
Joint Staff, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Transportation.
COL Jake Roper was born in DeRidder, Louisiana and commissioned from Furman University ROTC, in Greenville, SC in August 2002. After completing flight school and qualifying in the OH-58D(R) Kiowa Warrior at Fort Rucker, AL, he was assigned to Dagger Troop, 4th Squadron 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division at
Camp Stanton, Korea where he served as a maintenance Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer.
In 2005, COL Roper deployed to Tal Afar, Iraq with Outlaw Troop, 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 05-06. There he served as an Air Cavalry Platoon Leader, Pilot-in-Command, and Air Mission Commander. Upon re-deployment, he served as an assistant Operations Officer for 1st Squadron, 6th Air Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Carson, CO, completing rotations to both the National Training Center and Joint Task Force-North in El Paso, TX. There, he worked closely with US Border Patrol agents to interdict the illegal drug and human trafficking trade on the southern border of the United States.
COL Roper then deployed again in 2007, where he commanded the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Company for the Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), 1st Infantry Division at COB Speicher in Tikrit, Iraq in support of OIF 07-09. The first of its kind, the UAS Company, CAB, 1ID laid the foundation for the transition of UAS operations from
Military Intelligence to full integration into Army Aviation. Following his second deployment to Iraq, LTC Roper served as a Basic Officer Leadership Course (BOLC) instructor, TRADOC Capabilities Manager for Recon/Attack and an Aviation Planner for Third Army, US Army Central.
COL Roper completed key developmental assignments with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas, where he served as the Brigade Aviation Officer (BAO) for 4
th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), the Battalion Executive Officer of 2-1 General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB) and the Brigade Executive Officer for the reardetachment of 1st CAB during their 2016 deployment to Afghanistan. In 2017, COL Roper deployed to Saudi Arabia as an Advisor to the Royal Saudi Land Forces Aviation Institute. Upon completion of his deployment, he moved to Fort Shafter, Hawaii where he served as an exercise planner and Deputy Future Operations Officer for US Army Pacific. In June of 2021, COL Roper assumed Command of the 2nd Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment at Fort Huachuca, AZ. 2-13th Aviation Regiment is the Army’s only Unmanned Aerial Systems Battalion and is charged training UAS operators, maintainers, and technical experts across multiple unmanned platforms. Until June of 2026, COL Roper served as the G37 Training and Exercises Chief for V CORPS at Fort Knox, KY.
COL Roper’s military and civilian education include the US Army War College, the Army Command and General Staff College, Army Aviation Officer Basic and Advanced Course, OH-58D(R) Kiowa Warrior Advanced Qualification Course, US Army SERE School, Unmanned Aerial Systems Leaders Course, Combatives Level I & II, and Airborne School. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Health Sciences from Furman University, a Master of Science in Adult Learning and Leadership from Kansas State University, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the US Army War College.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal (4 OLC), Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal (7 OLC), Army Achievement Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service and Expeditionary Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge, the Senior Aviator Badge and the Parachutist Badge.
COL Roper is married to his wife Jamie of 21 years. They have three boys; Clay (15), Nathan (12), and Jacob (9), and a Brittany Spaniel birddog named Kiowa (2).