Major General USAF Robert P. Bongiovi (Rob) graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1969 with a BS in Aerospace Engineering. Rob was also commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1969 through the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Notre Dame. Two weeks after graduation and commissioning, Rob was blessed to marry Elizabeth Ann Sejda (Betty) SMC ’69, and they shared 55 wonderful years together. They entered active duty in August 1970 after Rob completed an MS in Aero/Astro Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His AF career included acquisition management assignments at Norton Air Force Base, California; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; and the Pentagon. At Wright-Patterson AFB, he was assigned to the Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC), where he participated in the early development of several key Air Force weapon systems, including the F-117 Stealth fighter. He later served as executive officer to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition while in the Pentagon.
In 1988, Rob was assigned to the Joint Staff in the Pentagon as acquisition adviser to the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he helped establish new acquisition policy and procedures for the Department of Defense. Later, back at ASC, he was responsible for the development and procurement of several major aircraft systems, including the B-1B, F-117, AC-130 Gunship, MC-130H Combat Talon II, and multiple reconnaissance aircraft. He became ASC’s vice commander, where he was selected for his first star (Brigadier General). He subsequently became the director of requirements at headquarters Air Force Material Command (AFMC) where he was promoted to Major General.
In May of 2000, Rob was appointed Deputy Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) – a Defense Agency at Fort Belvoir, Virginia – where he oversaw and managed all DoD activities related to Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) (Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological). He retired in February 2003 after 33 years of active service.
In September 2003, Rob joined a defense contractor as President of its Defense Division, which provided logistical support to all depots across the Department of Defense. In 2007, he joined a consulting firm in Dayton, Ohio, where he worked primarily with the F-35 Multi-National Joint Program Office in Crystal City, VA, helping them develop and implement sustainment strategies for all the services and international partners.
Today, Rob lives in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he enjoys golf, volunteering at Colonial Williamsburg, and participating in activities with his church (St Bede) and social outreach (Williamsburg House of Mercy).