Brig. Gen. Vance Kuhner received a commission (Distinguished Military Graduate) as a Second Lieutenant in the Armor Branch in 1994 from Fordham University Reserve Officers Training Corps. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Fordham University; a Master of Public Administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice; a Master of Arts in Homeland Security and Defense Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School; a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College; and a Juris Doctor from St. John's School of Law. He was a 2018 National Security Fellow at Syracuse University and is a graduate of the National Security Manager’s Course at George Washington University.
Brig. Gen. Kuhner’s military education includes the Armor Officer's Basic Course; the Military Intelligence Officer's Transition Course; the Imagery Exploitation Officer's Course; the Counterintelligence Officer's Course; the Military Intelligence Officer's Advanced Course; the Military Police Officer's Course; Combined Arms Services Staff School; Command and General Staff College; Advanced Joint Professional Military Education; and the U.S. Army War College (DE).
Brig. Gen. Kuhner’s principal staff assignments have been as Aerial Reconnaissance Liaison Officer, 24th Military Intelligence Battalion (Imagery Analysis), Fort Wadsworth, NY; Counterintelligence Officer, 800th Military Police Brigade (Internment/Resettlement), OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM and Uniondale, NY; Military Police Operations Officer, 42d Infantry Division, Staten Island, NY; Deputy Provost Marshal, 42d Infantry Division, Troy, NY; Military Police Operations Officer, 302d Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Westover Air Force Base, MA; Executive Officer, 382d Military Police Battalion (Combat Support), Westover Air Force Base, MA; Deputy Commander, 333d Military Police Brigade, Farmingdale, NY; Chief of Staff, 78th Training Division, Joint Base Dix/Maguire/Lakehurst, NJ; and Chief of Staff, 200th Military Police Command, Fort George G. Meade, MD.
Brig. Gen. Kuhner commanded Detachment D, 24th Military Intelligence Battalion (Imagery Analysis), Fort Wadsworth, NY; the 812th Military Police Company (Combat Support), Orangeburg, NY and OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM; the 382d Military Police Battalion (Combat Support), Westover Air Reserve Base, MA, and the 3100th Strategic Intelligence Group at the Defense Intelligence Agency, VA.
Brig. Gen. Kuhner’s military awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with Valor and two oak leaf clusters, the Joint Services Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Combat Action Badge, the Joint Meritorious Unit Citation and the Valorous Unit Award. He is a recipient of the Military Police Regimental Association's Order of the Marechaussee (Bronze), and the Military Intelligence Corps Association Knowlton Award.
In his civilian capacity, Brig. Gen. Kuhner is a former New York City prosecutor and is currently the Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Professional Responsibility, New York, NY. Brig. Gen. Kuhner is married to the former Ellen Sheehan, and has four children, Ian, Anna, Aurora and Mairead.