SONG: Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glor
SONG: Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory
Peter M. Vangjel was born in Laconia, New Hampshire, to parents Lorraine and Peter H. Vangjel, in 1955. His brother Andrew came along in 1958. Growing up in a small town, nestled among four lakes, the brothers attended the local Catholic elementary school and public high school and enjoyed getting the children of the neighborhood together for pick-up baseball, football and basketball games. Pete also began dance lessons with a local teacher and continued learning, competing and choreographing through high school. While in High School, Pete participated in the Summer Advanced Studies Program at St. Paul’s School, a five-week honors intensive program that prepared him for college. He graduated high school in 1973 and went on to the University of New Hampshire (UNH) with an ROTC scholarship. In the spring of 1977, he graduated from UNH with a degree in Business Administration and was commissioned as a 2LT in the Field Artillery. He then attended the ROTC Advanced Summer Camp as an assistant instructor before completing the Field Artillery Officer Basic Courses. Immediately after graduation from Ft. Sill, Pete returned to Laconia in December of 1977 to marry his high school sweetheart and dance partner, Joanne, who had just graduated Summa Cum Laude from Plymouth State College. Their life together began with a cross-country drive to the Defense Language School in Monterey, CA to where Pete learned Turkish.
SONG: 82d Airborne Division Song
As a 2LT, Vangjel served in Cakmakli, Turkey, a 1-year unaccompanied assignment. He returned to CONUS to Ft. Bragg, NC where he commanded both a Headquarters and Service Battery and a firing battery and served as a Bn FSO and Bn Fire Direction Officer in the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery. This was an eventful tour for the Vangjel family as both sons, Peter C. and Matthew, were born at Ft Bragg. CPT Vangjel then departed for the Infantry Captains Course at Fort Benning, GA in 1983 and upon completion was selected to command a US Army Recruiting Company in Canton, Ohio. Daughter, Jen, was born in Canton, Ohio in 1985 to complete the Vangjel family. Vangjel was then selected to command and field one of the first MLRS batteries in Europe and deployed to Babenhausen, Germany with the 41st FA Brigade in 1986 with Joanne and the kids. The projected three-year Germany assignment turned into five years. Following battery command, MAJ Vangjel served as a Bn S-3, the deputy Brigade S-3 and as a Bn XO for 1-27 FA, deploying the battalion in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Joanne kept the family stable during that chaotic period, while also volunteering in multiple organizations and serving as a DoDDS elementary school teacher.
SONG: In the Mood
Upon his return to the States in 1991, Pete attended the CGSC at Fort Leavenworth and was then selected to serve as an Executive Assistant to the Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy (J5) on the Joint Staff working for then LTG Barry McCaffrey. Following selection for command, he spent two fabulous years as Battalion Commander of the 5th- 3rd FA, here at Fort Sill. In 1996, after being selected for the Senior Service College, the Vangjels again returned to Washington D.C., where Pete served as the Colonels Assignment Officer at PERSCOM for then Commanding General, MG Leo Baxter. A year later, Pete attended the National War College.
SONG: 1st Infantry Division Song
In 1997, COL Vangjel returned to Fort Bragg, where he served as Chief of Plans, 1st BCD awaiting assignment to Brigade Command. That summer, son Peter graduated high school and joined the Corps of Cadets at Virginia Tech as an ROTC Scholarship winner. The summer of 1999 was also memorable because COL Vangjel assumed command of the 18th FA Brigade and supported numerous CONUS and OCONUS deployments. Matthew stayed behind with close friends in Virginia to serve as Drum Major with the Woodbridge High School band and graduated from high school in 2000 before attending James Madison University for a degree in Music. From 2001 to 2003, Vangjel served as Chief of Staff of the 1st Infantry Division in Wurzburg, Germany, deploying the division headquarters to Turkey to open-up the North Corridor in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom I. During that time, Jen graduated from Wurzburg High School as Valedictorian and followed brother Matthew to James Madison University to pursue a degree in Social Work. This same year, son Peter was commissioned as an Infantry 2LT and earned his Airborne and Ranger tabs. During that time, Joanne kept the family in check and helped spouses and families in Pete’s units.
SONG: XVIII Airborne Corps Song
With selection to Brigadier General, Pete returned stateside to serve as the Deputy Commanding General, US Army Recruiting Command, Fort Knox. In 2004, the Vangjels returned to Fort Bragg where BG Vangjel was selected to command the XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery. While there, Pete deployed to Baghdad for Operation Iraqi Freedom III as the Effects Coordinator, Multi-National Corps, Iraq. Upon returning stateside, he served as the Army's Director for Strategy, Plans and Policy at the Pentagon and earned his second star. The Vangel’s were on the move again, this time into the Sherman House at Fort Sill as he became the Commanding General in September of 2007. The command tour was most rewarding as the importance of the Field Artillery was resurrected and supported by Department of the Army. Joanne was a phenomenal First Lady, not only very involved in the organizations on post , but she also influenced policies for local area schools, advocating for children of deployed parents and educating local school leaders on the challenges military children face. Upon completion of command, MG Vangjel was selected as the Deputy Commanding General of Third Army/US Army Central, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait from 2009 until September of 2011. Pete spent nearly all of the next two years deployed in Afghanistan supporting the Surge directed by President Obama and then retrograding unneeded equipment as well as standing up the Integrated Air Defense training center in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. During his tenure with ARCENT, his teams ultimately saved the Army over $11 billion. As a result, he was hand-selected by the Secretary of the Army to serve as the Army’s Inspector General.
SONG: The Army Song
After returning to the US in 2011, LTG Vangjel was confirmed and promoted to LTG to serve as the 64th Inspector General of the US Army. The Vangjels’ first grandchild, Hailey, was born in 2012, followed by her brother, Nathan, born in 2014. Pete returned to his alma mater in 2013, where he served as the keynote speaker for the Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony and was inducted into the UNH ROTC Hall of Fame. As the Army IG, he served with distinction discovering and resolving several challenges to the Army, among them the complete restoration of effective management for Arlington National Cemetery and Training Readiness awareness. At the request of the Secretary, LTG Vangjel remained in the position until his retirement. LTG Peter M. Vangjel retired on February 1, 2015, after more than 37 years of selfless service to the Field Artillery, the Army, and our Nation.
SONG: Awesome God
After retirement from the Military, Pete and Joanne settled in the Orlando area, where Pete was first hired by Raytheon as a VP and Program Manager for the Army’s largest training contract in history, generating $1B in revenue a year. He also joined the board at USFAA. Matthew married fellow musician Jenna in 2016 and now have provided Pete and Joanne with two more beautiful grandchildren, Isla and Archer. In 2018, Pete founded V3 Strategies and Solutions, LLC, providing consulting and business development for both government and private-sector companies. Son Matthew earned a doctorate and now teaches at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Jen married her husband Matt in 2022 and grandchild number 5 is expected in September 2026. Son, Peter, now an LTC, is building a successful army career of his own. He relinquished Command of 4th-3rd Infantry Regiment “The Old Guard” in 2025, was selected as an Andrew Goodpaster Scholar and is completing his Doctorate at Exeter College in England. Pete and Joanne have continued to ballroom dance over the years and hope to maintain that hobby for as long as they are able, although Pete will be the first to say that Joanne is far more talented and accomplished. After nearly 49 years of marriage, she remains the love of his life – his best friend, his lover and his wife! Throughout LTG Peter Vangjel’s career, both in uniform and beyond, he has been held in high esteem by his fellow Redlegs. The Field Artillery branch will always be his home, and he continues to support it with enthusiasm.