U.S. Army Col. Kecia Troy G’12 poses for her official portrait in the Army portrait studio at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo courtesy of Leonard Fitzgerald)
A key component of the U.S. military’s success is the vast equipment procurement and logistics system operating behind the scenes supporting the Department of Defense’s (DOD) global operations. U.S. Army Col. Kecia Troy G’12, with 25 years of service, knows just how difficult it is to maintain that support successfully.
Outfitting a modern military with state-of-the-art equipment requires experienced individuals like Troy, who manages the complex process of developing, procuring, and distributing critical capabilities and systems. Troy, who serves as a defense acquisition program manager, says one of the reasons the Army can meet the challenges of delivering these vital capabilities is through its solid partnership with the defense industrial base.
“The systems acquisition community works closely with the defense industry, ensuring they understand our emerging mission requirements and the capabilities that we will need to maintain the technological edge over our peer and near-peer adversaries,” says Troy, who earned a master’s degree in supply chain management from the Whitman School of Management. “This partnership lets us leverage businesses who foster innovative ideas and develop cutting-edge technological solutions.”
Kecia Troy G’12 with her husband, Milton
While Troy has managed a variety of military system programs, including tactical radio equipment and armored vehicle components, her primary focus has been supporting the needs of the intelligence community. During the early days of her career, she served as an intelligence officer, a position she says introduced her to the realities of military service.
“I was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army at 22 years old. At that time, I didn’t truly appreciate or understand the commitment I had made to selfless service or to this nation,” Troy says. “After my initial officer training, I was stationed in Hawaii and thought it would be ‘life on the beach.’ However, the Army and world events had a different plan.”
In 1999, less than six months after arriving in Hawaii, Troy deployed to the Balkans amidst one of the most complex periods of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) peacekeeping operations in modern history. Although the four-year Bosnian War had already ended, U.S. forces were supporting NATO’s mission to enforce the war’s peace treaty and establish stability in the former Yugoslav region.
“This was the first time I had been face-to-face with the aftermath of war. Our team would sometimes visit orphanages or refugee resettlement camps, it was heartbreaking to see how much they all had lost,” recalls Troy. “We visited the site of the Srebrenica massacre and saw the building’s walls covered with bullet holes from when Bosnian Serbs murdered thousands of the town’s Muslim men and boys as a part of their ethnic cleansing efforts. Again—I experienced all of this before 9/11, so this deployment really opened my eyes to the realities of war and my service to this nation.”
Throughout her career, Troy shifted her specialty from the intelligence community to managing system acquisition programs. That shift ultimately led her to Syracuse University’s campus for the DOD’s logistics and technology master of science degree program.
U.S. Army Col. Kecia Troy G’12 (third from the left), who has 25 years of military service, earned a master’s degree in supply chain management from the Whitman School of Management.
“I enjoyed the program and definitely got a lot out of it. The program was primarily virtual and offered me the opportunity to earn a master’s degree from Syracuse, while I remained at work full-time in Washington, DC. Back then, not many top-tier schools had this type of fully-funded program available to service members. The Syracuse professors and staff were top-notch and were always accessible to our cohort. We did have some in-person instruction, and I really liked the times we were on campus and at the Whitman School. The campus and the facilities were beautiful. My favorite part of campus would have to be the Ernie Davis statue, near Hendricks Chapel. It’s great to see the university honor him and his legacy in such a way. His life had such an impact, not only on college and professional sports but race relations and integration within our nation,” Troy says.
After completing her master’s degree, Troy’s military career advanced well beyond her initial plan to serve only four years. Her career assignments included tours in the Republic of Korea, Arizona, Alabama and in the National Capital Region, where she worked at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and served two tours in the Pentagon on the Department of the Army staff.
Kecia Troy G’12 with her son, Micah
More than two decades later, as Troy reflects on her commitment to service, she can see success across the force in the opportunities that are now afforded to women. Many of these opportunities were not available when Troy was first commissioned.
“We are seeing female soldiers excel in combat-specific military occupations and successfully leading units that were once off-limits to them. As of a year ago, 100 women had graduated from Ranger School. That’s remarkable progress,” Troy says. “I think there has been more awareness of the unique issues that women face, that parents face, and that minority groups in the military face. These issues differ from what many senior leaders deal with or even realize exist.”
Troy says one of her biggest concerns today is that women in the military must get a fair opportunity to excel, regardless of the specialty they choose, as well as when or if they decide to have a family.
According to the 2021 Demographics Profile of the Military Community, approximately 5,000 women serve in the U.S. Army as field grade officers on active duty. That is roughly 17.3 percent of all majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels serving full-time in the nation’s largest military branch.
Each year, more women join the military compared to when Troy first earned her commission in the late 1990’s. Despite their increasing percentage of the military population, however, women in the service today are 28 percent more likely than men to leave the military early. According to a Government Accountability Office study, women left the military primarily for family-related and cultural issues.
Kecia Troy G’12 (far left) poses with her son, Micah, and husband, Milton.
“Balancing a career in the military with motherhood is extremely tough, much tougher than even I had given it credit for,” says Troy, who with her husband, Milton, a U.S. Navy captain, are raising a son, Micah. “The Department of Defense is moving in the right direction with the recent policies. It will take a commitment by leaders at all levels to ensure those policies are properly implemented and effective in easing some of the stress for these Soldiers and their families.”
Troy will retire from the U.S. Army later this year, and she’s currently working through the transition process, weighing the different opportunities she has available. For now, she’s looking forward to spending some time with her family.
“The key component of my military career has been the undeniable support system I have had from my family, extended family, and a slew of lifelong friends. They’ve sacrificed and served, as well, to ensure that I was able to focus and complete the Army’s mission,” Troy says. “My success is grounded in my strong foundation from my parents and the support network of relatives and friends. As a community, they have all been my rocks, my cheering squad, and sometimes, my much-needed critics, no matter the situation. Too often, family members do not get acknowledged or recognized, but I know that had it not been for their support, I would not be here today.”
