faculty

Colonel Joe Vongs
(USA, Retired, USMA 1996)

Expertise:

Effective operations and planning, leadership development, organizational culture, training international partners, leadership coaching

Experience:

Joe started his Army career as a Russian Interrogator in 1990. After three years as an enlisted soldier, he was accepted to West Point, graduating in 1996 as a Military Intelligence Officer. Joe spent his first seven years as a tactical intel officer for infantry, cavalry, and aviation units before leading an Intelligence Company in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Joe has spent significant time in Central and South America as both an intelligence trainer, and as part of a counter-narcotics Task Force as an intel analyst and Aide de Camp to a Coast Guard Admiral. He returned to Iraq in 2007, working as an embedded intel trainer to an Iraqi Army Brigade and Special Purpose unit. Joe taught at the University of Toledo as the Professor of Military Science for two years before being selected to command an Intelligence Battalion at Fort Bragg, NC. He deployed his battalion to Afghanistan in 2014 and provided the entire country’s intelligence support to conventional forces. Upon return, Joe attended the War College as a Military Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the Strategic Studies department while concurrently serving as an advisor at the Lincoln Laboratory at Hanscom AFB focusing on Soldier performance optimization. Joe most recently commanded the 6th ROTC Brigade in Savannah, GA. Joe’s team was charged with producing 800 lieutenants a year from 60 locations across five states and two territories. Joe led a military, DA civilian, and contractor cadre of over 350 persons overseeing a 54-million-dollar budget.

Scholary Work/Publications/Awards:

Joe is a recipient of the Army’s Knowlton Award for his career contributions in the field of Military Intelligence. His military awards include three Bronze Stars for excellence in combat operations and the Legion of Merit for his career achievements in the Army. 

Education:

MA, Management, Webster University, Webster Groves, MO
BS, Human Factors Engineering, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY

Personal:

Joe loves watching college football and wrestling. He plays golf and tennis when he canIf he is not doing puzzles or journaling, he enjoys helping his 14 year- old daughter Gabby with her math homework.