By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, WASHINGTON, D.C., Tues. Dec. 6, 2016: As Donald Trump seems bent on cozying up to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin – he has reportedly had at least two phone conversations with Putin since being elected – Director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, Jamaican-born Lt. General Vincent R. Stewart, was in Amman, Jordan meeting with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lt. General Mahmoud Freihat.
But Stewart’s analysis on Russia, presented earlier this year to the Senate’s Armed Services Committee, is something Trump had better read and read early!
Presenting at the ‘HASC World Wide Threats Hearing’ in March, The Kingston, Jamaica-born immigrant, warned that “Moscow continues to devote major resources to modernizing its military forces, viewing military power as critical to achieving key strategic objectives: acknowledged great power status, dominating smaller regional states and deterring NATO from military action in Eurasia.”
He also said the “Russian leadership considers a capable and survivable nuclear force as the foundation of its strategic deterrent capability, and modernized, agile general purpose forces as vital for Eurasian and limited out-of-area power projection.”
The Lt. General indicated that Russian support of the Syrian government is part of the country’s assertive pursuit of foreign policy and security objectives and expansion of its military capabilities even as Russian leaders declare that their armed forces have anti-satellite weapons and conduct anti-satellite research.
“Russia has sought to use the Syrian intervention as a showcase for its military modernization program and advanced conventional weapons systems,” Lt. General Stewart said. “Moscow has launched land-attack cruise missiles (LACMs) from Caspian Sea naval units and a Kilo-class submarine in the Mediterranean Sea. They have also demonstrated new capabilities with air-launched cruise missiles (ALCMs) from its Tu-160 Blackjack and Tu-95MS Bear H heavy bombers. These operations are meant to demonstrate strategic capabilities and message the West about the manner in which the Russian military could operate in a major conventional conflict.”
ABOUT LIEUTENANT GENERAL STEWART
Lieutenant General Vincent R. Stewart became the 20th Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance on January 23, 2015. He formerly served as the Commander, Marine Forces Cyber.
Lieutenant General Stewart attended Kingston College, Jamaica before immigrating to the United States in the early 1970s. He went on to attend Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL, where he majored in History. He also has master’s degrees in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, Newport, RI and in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Washington, DC.
His military education includes: The Basic School, Quantico, VA, (1981-82); The Armor Officer Basic Course, Fort Knox, KY, (1982); The Basic Communications Officer Course, Quantico, VA, (1985); The Cryptologic Division Officer’s Course, Washington, DC, (1986); The Amphibious Warfare School, Quantico, VA, (1988-1989); The Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College, Newport, RI, (1994-1995); The School of Advanced Warfighting, Quantico, VA, (1995-1996); and The Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Ft. McNair Washington, DC, (2001-2002).
Lieutenant General Stewart’s principal command tours include: Tank Platoon Leader with Company A, 1st Tank (1982-1983) and Executive Officer, Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Tank Battalion (1984-1985) Camp Pendleton, CA; Company Commander with Company I, Marine Support Battalion, Adak, Alaska, (1986-1988); Company Commander with Headquarters and Service Company, 2d Radio Battalion (1989-1990); Company Commander with Company E, Marine Support Battalion, Misawa Japan (1992- 1994); Commanding Officer, 1st Intelligence Battalion, Camp Pendleton, CA, (1999-2001); and Commanding Officer, Headquarters Battalion, 2d Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, NC, (2006-2008).
His principal staff assignments include: Project Officer, Light Armored Vehicle, Anti-Tank, Twenty-Nine Palms, CA, (1983-1984); Assistant Signals Intelligence Officer, 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, (1990-1991); Assistant Operations Officer, 2d Radio Battalion, Camp Lejeune, NC, (1991-1992); Chief, Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence Officer, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force, Experimental, Quantico, VA, (1996-1999); Deputy Director, Intelligence Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, C3I (2001-2002); Deputy G-2, Marine Forces Central Command (2002); Senior Intelligence Planner, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (2002-2005); Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Marine Corps Forces Command, Norfolk, VA, (2005-2006); Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, NC, (2008-2009); and Director of Intelligence, HQMC, Washington, DC, (2009-2013).
Lieutenant General Stewart’s military decorations include: the Defense Superior Service Medal; the Legion of Merit with one gold star; the Bronze Star; the Meritorious Service Medal with one gold star; the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, with two gold stars; the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal; the Combat Action Ribbon; the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal; and various unit awards.
