Cedric T. Wins
{{short description|United States Army general}}
{{infobox officeholder
|image=Cedric T. Wins (3).jpg
|office=15th Superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute
|term_start=November 13, 2020
Interim: November 13, 2020 – April 15, 2021
|term_end=
|preceded=J. H. Binford Peay III
|succeeded=
|birth_name=Cedric Terry Wins
|birth_place=Hyattsville, Maryland, U.S.
|education=Virginia Military Institute (B.S.)
National War College (M.S.)
Florida Tech (M.S.)
|allegiance=United States
|branch=United States Army
|serviceyears=1985–2019
|rank=Major general
}}
Cedric Terry Wins{{cite book |title=Bomb Yearbook |date=1985 |page=292 |publisher=Virginia Military Institute |location=Lexington, Virginia|url=https://archive.org/details/bomb1985virg/page/292/mode/2up|via=Internet Archive|accessdate=January 13, 2022}} is a retired United States Army general officer. Major General Wins was the last commander of RDECOM, in the U.S. Army Materiel Command, and the first commanding general (CG) of Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), in the combat development element of U.S. Army Futures Command. In all, some 13,000 people work in some Science and Technology (S&T), or (RDT&E— research, development, test, and evaluation) capacity for DEVCOM.[https://www.army.mil/article/226920/ccdcs_road_map_to_modernizing_the_army_air_and_missile_defense MAJ GEN Cedric T. Wins, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (September 10, 2019) DEVCOM'S road map to modernizing the Army: air and missile defense]
- [https://www.army.mil/article/224792/ccdcs_road_map_to_modernizing_the_army_the_network Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (Jul 22, 2019) DEVCOM'S road map to modernizing the Army: Network]
- [https://www.army.mil/article/217783/ccdcs_road_map_to_modernizing_the_army_future_vertical_lift Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins, (Mar 6, 2019 ) DEVCOM's Roadmap to modernizing the Army: Future Vertical Lift (FVL)]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20191025195910/https://asc.army.mil/web/news-alt-jfm19-rdecoms-road-map-to-modernizing-the-army-next-generation-combat-vehicle/ MAJ GEN Cedric T. Wins, (December 5, 2018) RDECOM's Roadmap to modernizing the Army: Ground Combat Vehicles]
- [https://www.army.mil/article/211569/rdecoms_road_map_to_modernizing_the_army_long_range_precision_fire MAJ GEN Cedric T. Wins, (September 25, 2018) RDECOM's road map to modernizing the Army: Long-range precision fires]
Wins was the first Black superintendent of Virginia Military Institute (VMI), a position he held until February 2025.{{Cite news |last=Saul |first=Stephanie |date=2025-02-28 |title=The First Black Leader of Virginia Military Institute Is Ousted |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/28/us/politics/virginia-military-institute-cedric-wins.html |access-date=2025-03-01 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
Education
File:Cedric Wins, Virginia Military Institute 1985.jpg
Wins is a 1985 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) with a bachelor's degree in economics. At VMI, he played on the basketball team. He was named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman team in 1982,[https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/awards/men/southern-all-frosh.html Men's Southern Conference All-Freshman Winners: Cedric Wins, 1981-1982.] Sports Reference. and Second Team All Southern Conference in 1985.
[https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/awards/men/all-southern.html Men's All-Southern Conference, 2nd Team: Cedric Wins, 1984-1985.] Sports Reference. He finished his college career as one of the five top scorers in VMI history.[https://www.vmialumni.org/wins-85-always-be-humble/ Wins ’85: Always be Humble.] VMI Alumni Agencies.
Wins was commissioned a Field Artillery officer in July 1985. After his Field Artillery Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Wins continued with the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Wins earned an M.S. in national security and strategic studies from the National War College, and an M.S. in management from the Florida Institute of Technology.{{cite web |title=Biography - Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins |url=https://www.army.mil/article/216635/biography_maj_gen_cedric_t_wins |publisher=U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command |accessdate=19 April 2019 |language=en |date=3 February 2019}} {{PD-notice}}[https://www.army.mil/article/217783/ccdcs_road_map_to_modernizing_the_army_future_vertical_lift CCDC's Roadmap to modernizing the Army: Future Vertical Lift (FVL)]
Assignments
Before his assignment as RDECOM commander, Wins served as Director, Force Development in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8. During his 30 years of service, Wins has held leadership and staff assignments in the 7th Infantry Division (Light), Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8. Additionally, Wins has been stationed at Fort Ord, California; the 2nd Infantry Division, Eighth United States Army, Korea; Headquarters Department of the Army and the Joint Staff, The Pentagon; the 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; Strategic Planning, J-8, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; and the Requirement Integration Directorate, Army Capabilities Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.
His deployments include:
- Task Force Sinai, Multinational Force and Observers, Egypt
- Operations Officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 21st Infantry (Light)
- Program Executive Officer, Joint Program Executive Office – Afghanistan Public Protection Force
- Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom
- Deputy Commander, Police, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Training Mission – Afghanistan/Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom
Wins retired from the Army on November 6, 2019, after 34 years of service.[https://www.army.mil/article/229464/soldier_for_life_wins_retires_after_34_years_in_the_army Megan Paice, CCDC (November 5, 2019) Soldier for life: Wins retires after 34 years in the Army]
- [https://www.army.mil/article/229386/ccdc_leadership_changes_hands Amanda Ligon, CCDC (1 November 2019) CCDC leadership changes hands]
Awards and decorations
His awards and badges include:
- Distinguished Service Medal
- Defense Superior Service Medal
- Legion of Merit (with One Oak Leaf Cluster)
- Bronze Star Medal
- Defense Meritorious Service Medal
- Meritorious Service Medal (with One Oak Leaf Cluster)
- Joint Service Commendation Medal
- Army Commendation Medal (with Two Oak Leaf Clusters)
- Joint Service Achievement Medal
- Army Achievement Medal (with One Oak Leaf Cluster)
- Parachutist Badge
- Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
- Army Staff Identification Badge[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNfljnSSdAk Message from RDECOM Commander Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins -- October 2016][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMT-jg1MKJ0 Innovators Corner #18: Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins of RDECOM]
Virginia Military Institute
On November 13, 2020, Wins was appointed interim superintendent of Virginia Military Institute (VMI),{{Cite web|title=2020-2021 - News - Virginia Military Institute|url=https://www.vmi.edu/news/headlines/2020-2021/maj-gen-cedric-t-wins-85-to-serve-as-interim-vmi-superintendent.php|access-date=2020-11-13|website=www.vmi.edu}} succeeding J. H. Binford Peay III, who resigned as superintendent after a state investigation into allegations of racism at VMI.{{Cite web|date=2020-10-27|title=VMI superintendent resigns, school officials deny assertion of cultural racism|url=https://www.wric.com/news/virginia-news/vmi-superintendent-resigns-school-officials-deny-assertion-of-cultural-racism/|access-date=2021-07-30|website=8News|language=en-US}}
On April 15, 2021, the VMI Board of Visitors voted unanimously to appoint Wins as the Institute's 15th superintendent, the first African American to hold the position in the Institute’s 181-year old history.{{Cite web|title=2020-2021 - News - Virginia Military Institute|url=https://www.vmi.edu/news/headlines/2020-2021/maj-gen-cedric-wins-85-to-lead-virginia-military-institute.php|access-date=2021-04-15|website=www.vmi.edu}} In February 2025, the board voted not to renew Wins' contract.{{Cite news |last=Saul |first=Stephanie |date=2025-02-28 |title=The First Black Leader of Virginia Military Institute Is Ousted |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/28/us/politics/virginia-military-institute-cedric-wins.html |access-date=2025-03-01 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
References
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Virginia Military Institute alumni
Category:Florida Institute of Technology alumni
Category:National War College alumni
Category:United States Army generals
Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)