Dennis L. Via
{{short description|United States Army general}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}{{Use American English|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Dennis L. Via
| image = General Dennis L. Via, USA.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Official portrait, 2012
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|55|2013|4|17}}
| birth_place = Martinsville, Virginia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| placeofburial =
| allegiance = United States
| branch = United States Army
| serviceyears = 1980–2016
| rank = General
| servicenumber =
| unit =
| commands = United States Army Materiel Command
5th Signal Command
3rd Signal Brigade
82nd Signal Battalion
| battles =
| awards = Defense Distinguished Service Medal
{{nowrap|Army Distinguished Service Medal (2)}}
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (2)
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}
File:General Via with Jay Leno.jpg describing the Army's fuel efficient demonstration vehicle FED Alpha]]
Dennis L. Via (born {{Birth based on age as of date|55|2013|4|17|noage=y}}) is a retired United States Army four-star general who last served as the 18th commanding general of the United States Army Materiel Command{{cite web | url=http://www.uncfsp.org/networking/via-bio.pdf | title=Official Bio | publisher=US Army Materiel Command | accessdate=July 11, 2013}} from 7 August 2012 to 30 September 2016. He is the first Signal Corps officer since General Henry H. Arnold to achieve four-star rank. He retired from the army on 30 September 2016 after over 36 years of service.[http://whnt.com/2016/09/27/general-via-to-retire-after-leaving-army-materiel-command-friday/ General Via to retire after leaving Army Materiel Command Friday]
Military career
A native of Martinsville, Virginia, Via was commissioned on 18 May 1980, in the Signal Corps after graduating as a Distinguished Military Graduate from Virginia State University. He holds a master's degree from Boston University, and is a graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College (class of 1991) and the United States Army War College (class of 1999).
Via began his career with the 35th Signal Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg.{{Cite web|url=https://www.army.mil/article/55900/lt-gen-dennis-via-assumes-duties-as-us-army-materiel-command-deputy-commanding-general/|title = Lt. Gen. Dennis Via assumes duties as U.S. Army Materiel Command Deputy Commanding General| date=3 May 2011 }}
Via's prior assignment was as AMC's Deputy Commanding General. He deployed to Southwest Asia in October 2011 as the Commander, AMC Responsible Reset Task Force with the mission of leading the strategic integration of the Materiel Enterprise for the Retrograde of equipment and materiel out of Iraq at the conclusion of Operation New Dawn. Prior to that, he served as Director for Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems, J-6, The Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
Via's command assignments include the 82nd Signal Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; 3rd Signal Brigade, III Armored Corps, Fort Hood, Texas; 5th Signal Command, United States Army Europe and 7th Army, Mannheim, Germany; and the United States Army Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management Command and Fort Monmouth, Fort Monmouth, N.J. His key staff assignments include Aide-de-Camp to the Chief of Staff, Allied Forces Southern Europe, Naples, Italy; Operations Officer, J-6, Armed Forces Inaugural Committee, Washington, DC; Division Chief, Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC), Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8, United States Army, Washington, DC; Principal Director for Operations, Defense Information Systems Agency/Deputy Commander, Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations, United States Strategic Command, Arlington, Va.
Awards and decorations
| 100px |
| 100px |
| 90px |
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|Honduran Parachutist Badge |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Defense Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|Army Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=US Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|Legion of Merit with one bronze oak leaf cluster |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Defense Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}14px14px14px14px
|Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|Army Commendation Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Us_jointservachiev_rib.svg|width=60}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Achievement Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Joint Meritorious Unit Award ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Global War on Terrorism Service ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Service Ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Overseas Service Ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
{{Commons category|Dennis L. Via}}
References
{{US Army|article=Lt. Gen. Dennis L. Via, U.S. Army Materiel Command Deputy Commanding General|url=http://www.army.mil/article/56573/}}
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef | before = Ann E. Dunwoody}}
{{s-ttl | title = Commander, United States Army Materiel Command | years = 2012–2016}}
{{s-aft | after = Gustave F. Perna}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Via, Dennis L.}}
Category:United States Army generals
Category:Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
Category:Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal
Category:Boston University alumni
Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Category:Virginia State University alumni
Category:United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni
Category:United States Army War College alumni
Category:People from Martinsville, Virginia