West Point Professor Takes Command in Army Reserves

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Academy professor Dr. Vikram Mittal, a U.S. Army veteran, recently assumed command of the 2nd Battalion, 417th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 94th Training Division in the U.S. Army Reserve.  

Mittal joined the Department of Systems Engineering at the U.S. Military Academy as an Assistant Professor in July 2015 and was promoted to Associate Professor August 2021. He currently serves as Program Director for the Systems Engineering program, overseeing curriculum development, assessment, and ABET accreditation activities. 

"Congratulations to Lt. Col. (Dr.) Vikram Mittal on assuming battalion command,” said Dean of the Academic Board, Brig. Gen. Nicholas Gist. “As a Soldier, combat veteran, leader, and Associate Professor in USMA's Department of Systems Engineering, he embodies the warrior-scholar tradition. His commitment to developing future Army leaders while serving the Nation in uniform is commendable.”

Lt. Col. Mittal enlisted in the Massachusetts Army National Guard in 2006 and commissioned as an Engineer Officer through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ROTC program in 2009.  

In 2011, he deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan, with the 26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. During the deployment, he served as the design engineer and construction officer for the Kabul region, overseeing construction projects across 12 coalition bases in support of U.S. and coalition forces.

Mittal holds a B.S. in Aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology, an M.S. in Engineering Sciences from the University of Oxford, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

His military awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, five Army Commendation Medals, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, four Army Achievement Medals, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, and the NATO Medal.

About West Point  
The U. S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year, co-educational, federal service academy located 50 miles north of New York City. It was founded in 1802 as America's first college of engineering and continues today as the world’s premier leader-development institution, consistently ranked among top colleges in the country. Its mission is to build, educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets to be commissioned leaders of character committed to the Army Values and ready for a lifetime of service to the Army and Nation. For more information, go to www.westpoint.edu.