‘Get there tough’

Coast Guard Rear Admiral with local ties to receive special award Oct. 10, remember the words of his mother

When Rear Admiral Joseph M. Vojvodich of the U.S. Coast Guard is formally presented the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers Salutes Career Service Award next month, he'll likely think of his mother and how a catalog falling to the floor changed the course of his life.

The Richmond native will receive the "high honor" Oct. 10 at the Westin Convention Center in Pittsburgh during the ceremony held in conjunction with the 2019 SASE National Conference and STEM Career Fair.

The congratulatory letter announcing the presentation notes the awards program is designed to recognize "the dedication and sacrifice of those within the SASE community with military service; support the transition of veterans entering the civilian work force; acknowledge the achievements of Asian Pacific Islander Americans within the U.S. Military; and build awareness about the merits and benefits of a military career within the APIA community."

A recipient is one who is beyond the midpoint of his or her career, approximately 22-plus years in the work force; has made significant achievements in leading large programs and initiatives; has a career history of increasing responsibilities; outstanding leadership; and holding positions of senior management. The candidate additionally is a leader in advocating for advances in STEM and diversity in the workplace.

"It is evident that you embody the very reason SASE created this award, and we are proud to bestow upon you this high honor," notes Khanh Vu, SASE executive director.

The presentation will be occasion for Vojvodich to reflect on his 34-year Coast Guard career, his upbringing and the serendipity of a long-ago visit to the guidance counselor's office during his high school days at Jefferson Union.

"It's a real honor to be recognized by a national support organization such as SASE, a strong advocate for scientists and engineers with Asian heritage," said Vojvodich, who made history in July 2013 when he became the first Korean American to attain the rank of rear admiral in the Coast Guard, the equivalent to a brigadier general ranking in the Army.

"Perhaps more meaningful on a personal level is that I learned that the nomination was not submitted by my supervisor or anyone senior in the Coast Guard, but the recommendation was submitted by a group of hard-working Coast Guard men and women much junior to me," said Vojvodich, a son of the late Joseph and Su Cha Vojvodich.

"The fact that younger members of the Coast Guard would research my background and submit a nomination package is very humbling. I could not be more appreciative of their support and advocacy and, of course, their work in the Coast Guard," he said.

The recognition comes at a "very introspective" time as Vojvodich's mother died Aug. 2.

"My mom gave birth to me in her native country of South Korea, and I know it took great courage for her to leave the familiarity of her upbringing to relocate with my dad, her husband, in order to provide superior opportunities for her sons. I am a true benefactor of her love and courage," Vojvodich said.

His mother had always been a source of inspiration and motivation.

"I shared this memory in a eulogy at her funeral, a recollection etched in my and my brother's memory since we can remember," Vojvodich noted. "She used to tell my brother (Mark) and me, 'Get there tough.' I think she first said it when we were in Little League, and our team kept losing games. In her broken English way, she was telling us to 'suck it up, quit complaining and get to work to make yourself better.' Get... there... tough. Three words that continue to ring in our heads," he said.

Vojvodich -- pronounced VAH-vah-ditch -- currently serves as the Deputy for Materiel Readiness at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in Southwest Washington, D.C. Before that, he served as the U.S. Coast Guard's Assistant Commandant for Acquisition and Chief Acquisition Officer. His other Flag Officer assignment was program executive officer and director of acquisition programs.

"I have spent the past six years, half of that time as a Rear Admiral (lower half) which is Brigadier General equivalent, and the other half as a Rear Admiral (upper half) -- Major General equivalent -- at Coast Guard headquarters, overseeing major system acquisition programs and the mission support enterprise," Vojvodich said.

"In simple terms, I had the privilege of overseeing the re-capitalization of our major assets -- cutters, aircraft and computer systems -- and overseeing all nonoperational support, such as maintenance, repairs, spare parts, computer systems, buildings and facilities, human resources and training," he said.

"It has been an education in managing and sustaining an organization of this magnitude, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to lead and work with some of the finest and most talented and dedicated citizens that this country has to offer. I have one more year in my current assignment and then it will likely be time to retire from active duty service," he said, noting that come 2020, he will reach the 35-year mark for active duty service.

Vojvodich's introduction to the Coast Guard came quite by accident, literally.

As he considered how a military service academy would be his best post high school education option, he visited the guidance counselor's office in search of a catalog for the U.S. Naval Academy.

When he reached up to retrieve the Naval Academy brochure from the shelf, another catalog fell to the floor. The catalog was for the Coast Guard Academy, his introduction to it.

"There is so much serendipity in life ... so many twists and turns in one's existence that happen regardless of the amount of planning or the attempt to control outcomes," Vojvodich reflected. "I can't imagine what would have happened if I didn't discover that catalog."

Vojvodich graduated with honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1985 in New London, Conn., with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering. He earned a master of science degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and has completed the Naval War College nonresidential curriculum. In 2001, he obtained his project manager professional certification. He is a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces where he earned a master of science degree in national resource strategy. He also is a certified Level III Acquisition Professional and holds the Chief Information Officer certificate from the National Defense University.

"I couldn't be prouder of the fact that I've been associated with the Coast Guard since I left Jefferson Union High School in 1981," Vojvodich said. "The Coast Guard often makes the news when there are fantastic rescues at seas or when we seize tons of illegal narcotics from the control of organized criminal organizations. We remove more cocaine at the sea than the total combined effort of all law enforcement organizations within the interior portion of the United States," he said.

"Folks in the Tri-State Area should know that there are tremendous opportunities for young aspiring career-minded adults in the Coast Guard," he continued.

"In total, we are about 3 percent the size of the Department of Defense, yet we are military, we are first responders, we are law enforcement officials, we are regulators, and we are close partners with FEMA, Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement within the Department of Homeland Security," he noted. "If you have the propensity to serve your nation, your community, then the Coast Guard would be a great organization to help you achieve your aspirations as it provides a multitude of opportunities."

Asked what he'd like to get across to readers from his hometown area about the Coast Guard, Vojvodich responded, "I would like to underscore to folks from my hometown the importance of the work ethic integral in the culture of our local communities. That work ethic of our elders and along with an inherent ethos of kindness, caring and respect for other people are very prominent in the Ohio Valley and are the basis of a formula that fuels success in whatever endeavor that people choose," Vojvodich said.

"I am grateful for these types of influences in my formative years, and I believe those impacts set the tone for how I would conduct myself the past four decades. The fact that this recognition will be presented in Pittsburgh, so close to where I was raised, for a career service award, really highlights these points and brings them full circle," Vojvodich said.

In May 2012, Vojvodich was awarded the National Ethnic Coalition Medal of Honor at the 26th-Annual Ellis Island Medal of Honor ceremony on Ellis Island.

He also has been awarded the Legion of Merit, three Coast Guard Meritorious Service medals, three Coast Guard Commendation medals and a Coast Guard Achievement Medal, as well as several unit, team and special operations service awards.

(Kiaski can be contacted at jkiaski@heraldstaronline.com.)