Cody was born in
Montpelier, Vermont, on 2 August 1950. He was commissioned a
second lieutenant upon graduation in 1972 from the
United States Military Academy. His military education includes completion of the
Transportation Corps Officer Basic and Advanced Courses; the Aviation Maintenance Officer Course; the
AH-1,
AH-64,
AH-64D,
UH-60, and MH-60K Aircraft Qualification Courses; the
Command and General Staff College, and the
United States Army War College. Cody is a Master Aviator with over 5,000 hours of flight time, and is an
Air Assault School graduate. Prior to serving as Vice Chief of Staff, Cody spent 32 years in a variety of command and staff assignments, including Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (G-3) on the Headquarters, department of the Army staff. Other key assignments include Commanding General,
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and
Fort Campbell; Director, Operations, Readiness and Mobilization, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, Headquarters, Department of the Army; Deputy Commanding General, Task Force Hawk,
Tirana, Albania; Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver,
4th Infantry Division,
Fort Hood, Texas; Commander,
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment,
Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Commander, 4th Brigade,
1st Cavalry Division; Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding General, Combined Field Army, Korea; and Director,
Flight Concepts Division. Cody served several tours with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) as Commander, 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment (Attack) during
Operation Desert Storm; Aviation Brigade Executive Officer, 101st Aviation Brigade; Battalion Executive Officer and Company Commander in the 229th Attack Helicopter Battalion, and Battalion S-3 in the 55th Attack Helicopter Battalion. He served as a platoon commander in the 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry, A Company (Attack), 24th Aviation Battalion and as Commander, E Company (AVIM),
24th Infantry Division,
Fort Stewart, Georgia. ==Medals and awards==