From VMI to Government Defense: Kevin Dougherty ’25

This article is part of The Next Step series. While the four years at VMI are designed for cadets to push themselves academically, physically, and mentally to tackle the demands of life at a premiere military college, they also prepare cadets for life after graduation. Whether that life be one in the military or one in the private sector, VMI faculty and staff provide guidance to cadets along their journeys. One department specifically dedicated to that endeavor of post-Institute success is the Office of Career Services. In The Next Step series, we highlight cadets preparing to enter the workforce after graduation, as well as those still in the midst of their cadetship preparing for internships over the summer. 

Dreams of commissioning may have been eliminated over a year ago for Kevin Dougherty ’25, but his call to duty did not diminish.  

The applied mathematics major from Virginia Beach, Virginia, had an original plan to commission in the U.S. Navy as an explosive ordnance disposal officer, but he was medically removed from the Naval ROTC unit over a year ago. Instead, he has accepted a job with Lockheed Martin. 

“I still wanted to contribute to defense capabilities in as much of a capacity as I could and I thought of no better way to move forward in my life than work for the top defense contracting organization in the United States,” he explained.  

He will be a guidance, navigation, and control modeling and simulation engineer in which he will be working within the missiles and fire control sector of the company. He will help develop, analyze, and test algorithms that govern the aspects of missile systems and other defense platforms. 

“I think the skills I have learned here at VMI, both technical and nontechnical, have prepared me for a job in an industry like defense contracting,” he said. “Going through classes with both a military basis and a non-military basis, I believe that I have a step up from individuals who go to a ‘normal’ college and want to get into defense contracting. I also believe that the alumni pipeline is huge with defense contracting and understood that with using the alumni network I would have a shot at getting into such a massive organization like Lockheed Martin.” 

He credits the help of friends, family, and some alumni in getting the opportunity to work for Lockheed Martin.  

“I think having VMI on my resume doesn’t necessarily give an advantage, but I think if that same resume crosses the right person’s desk at the right time, it can lead to something big for sure,” he admitted. “I believe VMI has had an impact on much of my non-technical skills. It teaches you so many soft skills that make someone successful like time management, public speaking, self-discipline, and my personal favorite, resilience. Life is difficult, but I think these skills can take you very far in both the military world and the civilian world because at the end of the day they all develop you as a leader in today’s society.” 

Dougherty said he’s not sure what the future holds, but he’s focused on the today — knowing if he can focus on that, success will come on its own.  

“I think what really inspired me to embark on this career path is the possibilities of where it will take me and where it will lead in the future.” he commented. “I am super excited to move somewhere I have never lived and work with new individuals in a new environment.”