John G. Coburn

Biography

General (Ret.) John G. Coburn is Chairman and CEO of Vision Technologies Systems, Inc. (VT Systems). VT Systems provides engineering solutions, products, integrated systems, and services in the Americas across the core business areas of Aerospace, Electronics, Land Systems and Marine. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, VT Systems operates throughout North America and offers a broad range of proven innovative services to both the commercial and government sectors. General Coburn retired from the United States Army in 2001 after 39 years of service. His last assignment was Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC). AMC, with an annual budget of $49.2 billion, is one of the largest commands in the Army with almost 50,000 employees, and activities in 42 states and more than 28 foreign countries. General Coburn was directly responsible for acquisition, contracting, research and development, foreign military sales, industrial base development, ammunition, program management, and sustainment for the U.S. Army. General Coburn is a distinguished military graduate of Eastern Michigan University where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant of Infantry. He has served in various logistics assignments throughout his career, to include Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, U.S. Army, Deputy Commanding General, AMC, and Commanding General, U.S. Army Ordnance Center and School, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. He was also the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany, from 1991 to 1992. Prior to that, he served as the Deputy Commanding General, 22d Theater Army Support Command, Saudi Arabia from April 1991 to July 1991, and as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Procurement, AMC, from 1989 to 1991. Other major command assignments include Commander of Materiel Readiness Support Activity, Lexington, Ky., from 1987 to 1989; Commander, Division Support Command, 2d Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas, from 1984 to 1986; Commander, 124th Maintenance Battalion, 2d Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas, from 1980 to 1982; Commander, Defense Contract Administration Services Management Area, Defense Logistics Agency, South Bend, Ind., from 1978 to 1980; and Plant/Depot Commander, Taiwan Materiel Agency, AMC, Taiwan, from 1971 to 1973. General Coburn's staff assignments include: Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4 (Logistics), 2d Armored Division, from 1982 to 1983; Executive Officer, Battlefield Systems Directorate, Headquarters, U.S. Army Materiel Command, from 1977 to 1978; Procurement Officer, Procurement and Production Directorate, Headquarters, U.S. Army Materiel Command; Senior Advisor, Training and Personnel, U.S. Army Engineer District-Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 1975 to 1977; Executive Officer, Defense Contract Administration Services Region, Defense Supply Agency, New York, NY, from 1968 to 1971; Assistant G-3 (Operations), II Field Force Vietnam, U.S. Army, Vietnam, from 1967 to 1968; and Special Weapons Platoon Leader, Savanna Army Depot, Ill., from 1963 to 1964. After returning from Taiwan, General Coburn attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and then the University of Kansas where he earned a Master of Arts in Political Science. He is a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. General Coburn also has a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Missouri and is licensed to practice law before the Supreme Court, State of Michigan; Supreme Court, State of Kentucky; District of Columbia Court of Appeals; the United States Court of Military Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Research Interest

Engineering