Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Marine Veteran Vincent R. Stewart, a Jamaican American who served as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Vincent R. Stewart was born in Jamaica and immigrated to the U.S. in 1971 at the age of 13. After graduating from Western Illinois University, he joined the Marine Corps in 1981.
In his early career, Stewart became an armor officer and then a tank platoon leader with Company A, 1st Tank Battalion. He eventually pursued a focus in the intelligence field. After Operation Desert Storm, Stewart rose to the forefront of efforts to train and find other intelligence professionals for the Marine Corps. He credits his early experience as a platoon leader with his success in the intelligence field.
In January 2015, Stewart became the first African American, Jamaican American and Marine to serve as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. As the 20th director, he worked under Presidents Obama and Trump, overseeing the defense intelligence community and policy surrounding defense intelligence. Stewart served in this position until October 2017.
For the final years of his military career, Stewart served as deputy commander of the U.S. Cyber Command. In this position, he worked to strengthen and unify cyberspace operations in the Department of Defense. Stewart has noted that cybersecurity is one of his top defense concerns.
After over 38 years of service, Stewart retired at the rank of lieutenant general in 2019.
After his retirement, Stewart continues to work with organizations focusing on defense and cybersecurity.
Thank you for your service!
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Thank you for your service Vincent R. Stewart.
Great job, Vincent.
First-time commenting, but I do enjoy each highlight of our nation veterans.