General Dennis Via (Ret.) is one of only twelve U.S. Army African-American four-star generals in the U.S. Army’s 248-year history, and the first and only commissioned Signal Corps officer to achieve the rank of four-star general. On May 24, the Booz Allen executive vice president added yet another milestone to his exceptional career: induction into the 82nd Airborne Division Hall of Fame.
“This is our hallowed area where we put names up that had an impact not only on our division but on our country,” said Maj. Gen. Christopher LaNeve, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, at the honorees’ induction ceremony.
During his 36-year military career, Dennis commanded at all levels. He began his career at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, serving as a platoon leader in the XVIII Airborne Corps Signal Brigade. He served in the All-American Division in four positions over the course of seven years, including as assistant division signal officer in the division headquarters and operations and executive officer for the 82nd Signal Battalion. He returned to the division to command the 82nd Signal Battalion. He later served as commanding general of the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC), the largest logistics command within the Department of Defense, which develops and delivers readiness solutions for global land force capabilities.