Key Terrain Cyber is deeply saddened to learn that Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart passed away in his sleep yesterday. LtGen Stewart was a trailblazing Marine who leaves behind a tremendous legacy across the Marine Corps, the Joint Force, and the intelligence community. He was born in 1958 in Kingston, Jamaica and immigrated to the United States at the age of 13. Stewart experienced a lot of racism growing up on the north side of Chicago. As a young man he felt, “separate, and unequal”, with “no future beyond manual, low-skilled labor.” General Stewart was determined to become a senior leader as a young man, and hoped to rise to the highest ranks of the military or become a business executive. He accomplished both in his distinguished career. He graduated from Western Illinois University in 1981 with a degree in history and commissioned into the Marine Corps as an Armor Officer. He began his illustrious career as a tank platoon commander at 1st Tank Battalion at Camp Pendleton, and transitioned into the intelligence field a few years later. He quickly rose through the officer ranks and served in a number of high visibility billets throughout his 38 year career. General Stewart command assignments include 1st Intelligence Battalion from 1999 to 2001, the 2nd Marine Division’s Headquarters Battalion from 2006 to 2008, Marine Forces Cyberspace Command from 2013-2015, the Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance from 2015-2017, and the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency from 2015-2017. He also served as the Director of Intelligence for the Marine Corps from 2009 to 2013, and the Deputy Commander of US Cyber Command from 2017 to 2019.
General Stewart started a consulting company after retirement, Stewart Global Solutions, and served as the Business Intelligence Officer for Ankura Consulting. He also served as a board member for multiple organizations including Goldman Sachs, American Public Education Inc, the Aerospace Corporation, ManTech, and his alma mater Western Illinois University.
General Stewart joked that it didn’t take much to become a General Officer. In his own words, he said that, “I showed up, most of the time, on time and occasionally in the right uniform, and I didn’t implode.” In op-ed for Task & Purpose, however, General Stewart revealed some of the many obstacles that he had to overcome to make his way to the top. He stated that he was never “… the first choice for visible prominent assignments, despite a superior record of performance than [his] peers.” He felt that he had to outperform everyone around him to be noticed and be promoted to the senior ranks of the Marine Corps. General Stewart did his best to ensure that future generations of Marines would not have to battle racially motivated barriers to success like he did. The growing diversity of the Marine Corps General Officer ranks is a visible testament to his leadership. He made everyone around him better through mentorship and counsel. I will never forget the mentorship sessions we had while I was a Major and he was the Deputy Commander of USCYBERCOM. He gave everything to the Marine Corps and was one of the most selfless leaders I have ever met. He continued to mentor me after he retired and helped me wrestle with tough decisions as a Battalion Commander. I will miss his guidance, counsel, and friendship.
LtGen Stewart’s true legacy is in the thousands of people that he impacted throughout his 38-year career. There really was no established pathway for an intelligence officer when General Stewart joined the field in 1986. We owe our current career path, and the Marine Corps Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Enterprise to LtGen Stewart’s vision and leadership. He always challenged us to be the best that we could be, and in turn help our subordinates rise as well. He asked us, “Who are you lifting up and helping to get across the finish line? What are you doing to affect positive change in America? Encouraging words are nice, but this country needs action. If you are in a position of power and privilege, I challenge you to mentor and advocate for people who don’t look like you.” I think the best way to honor LtGen Stewart’s memory is continue his work to educate and mentor the next generation of Marines and service members. I will do my best to live up to his expectations and the personal example he set for all the Marines under his command. Fair winds and Following Seas General, you will be missed.
