Retired as Brigadier General in the United States Army. Some of his military awards include the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star.

Became the first Major General appointed in the history of the Virgin Islands National Guard. He also headed the ROTC programs at Prairie View A&M University and at Alabama A&M University.

Major General Leo Brooks, Sr. ‘54

As a Reserve Office Training Corps (ROTC) graduate of VSU, Major General Leo Brooks, Sr. rose to the rank of major general. His two sons also rose to the ranks of General. His oldest son, Brigadier General Leo A. Brooks, Jr. was among the first African-Americans to graduate from West Point with the rank of regimental commander, supervising one of four regiments at the academy. A year later, his youngest son, Vincent Brooks was the first African American to graduate as first captain, the highest possible student rank.

LT General Alonzo Short ‘62

Retired as a three-star lieutenant general, and was the highest ranking African-American on active duty in the Army after Gen. Colin Powell's retirement. While in the service, he was in charge of a communications system that kept the White House and all the branches of the military linked around the world.

Brigadier General Montague Winfield ‘77

Held numerous command and staff positions throughout his Army career. In 1992, he assumed command of the 1st Battalion, 10th Cavalry, 194th SAB, XVIII Airborne Corps, a combined arms task force consisting of armor, infantry and field artillery units - the only one of its kind in the Army. The 10th Cavalry is widely known by its nickname, the "Buffalo Soldiers." He also served as the Deputy Director for Operations, J3, in the National Military Command Center and served as the General Officer in Charge during the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

Brigadier General Bert Holmes, Jr. ’62 & ‘70

Is a urological surgeon in civilian life and is a 13-year veteran of the Virginia Army National Guard. Throughout his distinguished National Guard career, he served as Commander of the Guard's medical detachment in Richmond, and as the Guard's Flight Surgeon. In his regular Army career, he served as a company Commander with the Fourth Infantry Division. As Brigadier General he served as the Assistant Adjutant General, Virginia Department of Military Affairs, which commands the Army and Air National Guard in the Commonwealth.

After a distinguished 30-year military career, Brigadier General Shelia Baxter retired as the first-female general officer appointed to the Army Medical Service Corps. In 2005,  was named as one of Newsweek magazine’s “20 of America’s Most Powerful Women. While at Virginia State she was a stand-out basketball player and was the first Virginia State player to score 1,000 points.  Because of her great skills on the hard wood, in 2007, she was inducted into the CIAA Hall of Fame.   

Armed with a degree in Industrial Arts from Virginia State in 1980, Lt. General Dennis L. Via began his Army career as a platoon leader and, later, battalion maintenance officer and commander at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Prior to his current assignment, he served as Commanding General, United States Army Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management Command and Fort Monmouth, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. In August 2009, he was appointed to the rank of Lieutenant General and assigned to be the Director for Command, Control, Communications and Computer (C4) Systems, J-6, in  Washington, DC.