A BROAD SAMPLING
For Kevin Vanyo, job satisfaction didn’t come solely from any one job or assignment he’s held throughout his decades-long Army career. It was a sampling of all, and in varying capacities—especially the one he was most uncertain about.
KEVIN VANYO
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center
TITLE: Deputy executive director for Ground Vehicle Modernization Technologies
YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 25 YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE: 30
DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Practitioner in engineering and technical management; Advanced in program management; Practi- tioner in test and evaluation
EDUCATION: M.S. in industrial engineer- ing, University of Louisville; MBA, University of Louisville; B.S. in management science, State University of New York at Geneseo.
AWARDS: Legion of Merit; Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Army Meritori- ous Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters; Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters; Army Achievement Medal
“Tere was a time during my career when I felt I might not have been a great fit for an assignment, but I went anyway and I’m very glad that I did,” he said of a time, in 2010, when he was being assigned to Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and he didn’t understand why, since he never worked with the special operations community before. “At the time I was pretty disappointed, but about a month after finding out about the assignment, I received a call from a colonel at SOCOM who told me I was actually being assigned to a different position [at SOCOM] based on my Army vehicle acquisi- tion experience,” said Vanyo. “Tis wound up being one of the greatest assignments of my military career, so I’m extremely happy I didn’t try to get out of the assignment.”
And he’s had many others play out in similar ways. According to Vanyo, some of the best opportunities he’s had in his acquisition career were from a diverse, well-rounded assortment of assignments. “I’ve had assignments in requirements development, program management, science and technology, and test and evaluation. Te defense acquisition life cycle model is extremely complex and broad, and to have been able to work across the entire life cycle has increased my understanding of how the different elements work together to deliver capability to our warfighters,” he said. “I think this provides me with a tremendous advantage in having the ability to have meaningful discussions with numerous stakeholders across the acquisition enterprise.”
“Acquisition sounded like the perfect career path to me.”
Vanyo is the deputy executive director for Ground Vehicle Modernization Technologies, focused on science and technology efforts in ground vehicle survivability and protec- tion, vehicle electronics and architecture, and ground vehicle power and mobility. He and his team accelerate the delivery and sustainment of ground system capabilities to allied partners, while ensuring overmatch for warfighters.
“Te greatest satisfaction I have as a member of the Army Acquisition Workforce is being able to work with dedicated professionals who are committed to ensuring the Army never enters a fair fight,” said Vanyo. “We work extremely hard to ensure our Soldiers have the best equipment possible so they come home to their families after their duties put them in harm’s way.”
Vanyo entered the Army Acquisition Workforce in 1998 as a uniformed officer after eight years as an armor officer. During a deployment to Kuwait in 1995, he had the oppor- tunity to meet an acquisition officer who was doing contracting work, which was of
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Army AL&T Magazine Winter 2024
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