Mike Vining

American soldier (born 1950)

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Mike Roger Vining (born August 12, 1950) is a retired sergeant major in the United States Army, who was one of the first members of Delta Force. He joined the Army in 1968, and served until 1999.

Early life

Mike Vining was born on August 12, 1950 in Greenville, Michigan, to Roger Earl (1927–2020) and Dolores Arlene Vining (née Croff, originally Rector; 1930–2003). Vining had an interest in serving in the military since childhood and developed a hobby of crafting small-scale explosives after ordering a manual on the subject via an ad in Popular Science. When he was in high school, he saw news of the Tet Offensive, which inspired him to join the military. He graduated from Tri-County High School in 1968 and enlisted in the United States Army the same year.

Military career

Vining completed the Army's explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) program before being sent to Vietnam in 1970. He served in the 99th Ordnance Detachment for a year before being honorably discharged. While in Vietnam, he was awarded the Bronze Star for "meritorious service in ground operations and EOD duties". After completing his tour in Vietnam, Vining left the Army and returned home to Michigan. He got a job at a plant that stamped out automotive body parts for Ford Motor Company and then became the lead employee on the third shift of the largest press in the plant, a 500-ton press.

In 1973, he rejoined the Army, serving as an EOD specialist in the 63rd Ordnance Detachment at Fort Leonard Wood. In 1978, he joined the newly formed Delta Force as the unit's first EOD specialist. Vining served in Delta until 1985, taking part in Operation Eagle Claw and Operation Urgent Fury. From 1985 to 1986, he was assigned to the 176th Ordnance Detachment in Alaska, before being brought back to Delta from 1986 to 1992, taking part in the Gulf War, Operation Uphold Democracy, and serving as a demolitions expert during the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing. He retired from the Army in January 1999.

Later career

Vining has a Bachelor of Science in sociology from Excelsior University, and he has worked as a historian for the National EOD Association and the EOD Warrior Foundation. He has also written articles on naval postal history, for which he received the Joseph M. Hale Award for excellence in research. In 1991, Vining became a member of the Universal Ship Cancellation Society, and served as its director from 2007 to 2009.

In 2018, he was inducted into the United States Army Ordnance Corps Hall of Fame.

Internet meme

In the early 2000s, a photo of Vining in his Army Service uniform has become an internet meme.

Riffing off a similarly popular meme, "do you even lift bro?", it features a photo of Vining in his service uniform with the text "You don't operate, do you son?" superimposed over it. His unassuming demeanor contrasts with the medals, ribbons, and qualifications on his uniform. This meme was often used as a reaction image. Commenting on the trend, Vining said, "I do not know how any of the memes got started. One of my grandchildren saw that someone even did a Pokémon card on me."

Awards and decorations

Vining earned the following throughout his military career:

Personal life

In January 1999, he married Donna Ikenberry on Mauna Kea, in Hawaii. Vining lives with his wife, a freelance photojournalist, in South Fork, Colorado. They have two children, Terri and Lorri.

References

This article incorporates public domain material from Walter T. Ham IV. Retired sergeant major paved way for EOD technicians in elite Special Forces unit. United States Army. Retrieved 2024-03-29.