Major General Victor Joseph Hugo, Jr. was born in Beverly, Massachusetts on 28 May 1931. He was commissioned a second lieutenant and awarded a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy in 1954. He also holds 2 Masters of Science degrees: one in International Affairs from George Washington University and the other in Systems Management from the University of Southern California. His military education includes completion of the Basic Officer Courses from both the Infantry and Air Defense Schools, Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course, Command and Staff Course at the Naval War College, and the National War College.
He has held a wide variety of important command and staff positions culminating with his assignment as Commanding General, 32nd Army Air Defense Command in Germany. Other key assignments include Director of Management, Office of the Chief of Staff, Army; command of the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade in Korea; command of the New York-Philadelphia Air Defense (16th Air Defense Artillery Group); command of the 1st Battalion, 44th Artillery in his 4th and final tour in Vietnam; and command of a Special Forces A Detachment in Vietnam.
General Hugo served in a variety of important career building assignments prior to his last command. He served as a Military Leadership Instructor with the Continental Army Command Leadership Board at Fort Bragg. He was Assistant Secretary of the Army General Staff; Deputy Director of the Army Staff; Executive Officer and Senior Aide to the Chief of Staff; Chief of the Coordination, Analysis, and Reports Division in the Office of the Chief of Staff; and staff officer in the Joint Staff, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
After his retirement from the Army in 1987, General Hugo worked for a year as the Vice President, Atlantic Systems, interfacing with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), other foreign governments, and industry in the areas of Field Army Air Defense, Theater Missile Defense, and Ballistic Missile Defense.
In 1988, General Hugo accepted the position of Program General Manager with Vinnell Corporation, directing the corporations contract with the Department of the Army in supporting the Saudi Arabian National Guard Modernization Program. He occupied the position for 8 years, returning to the United States in 1996. In addition to this commercial effort, he also served as the President of the American Businessmans Group in Riyadh.
Since 1996, General Hugo has been an independent consultant in defense and management. Among his clients are MPRI, Raytheon, and Northrup Grumman.
Awards and decorations which General Hugo has received during his military career include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Meritorious Service Medal, three Air Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Purple Heart, and foreign decorations from the Republic of Korea, the Federal Republic of Germany, Republic of Vietnam, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He is also authorized to wear the Combat Infantryman Badge, Senior Parachutist Badges from the US, The Republic of Vietnam, and the Federal Republic of Germany, Ranger Tab, and Special Forces Tab.
He is married to the former Dam Thuy Nguyen, formerly the Director of Community Services for the YMCA and a Washingtonian of the Year in 1989.
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