Huan Nguyen

Huan Nguyen
Born	1950s Huế, South Vietnam
Occupation(s)	Engineer, United States Navy rear admiral (retired)
Known for	First Vietnamese-American promoted to rear admiral in the United States Navy

Huan Nguyen (born ) is a Vietnamese-American engineer and a retired rear admiral of the United States Navy.

Personal life

Born in in Huế, South Vietnam, Nguyen is the son of Lieutenant Colonel Nguyễn Tuân of the South Vietnamese military. During the 1968 Tet Offensive, Nguyen’s family home near Saigon was attacked by suspected Viet Cong guerrillas, resulting in the deaths of his parents and six siblings. Despite sustaining gunshot wounds to his arm, thigh, and head, the nine-year-old remained inside the house for two hours as his mother succumbed to her injuries before escaping under the cover of darkness. Reports from the 2020s have identified one assailant as Viet Cong officer Nguyễn Văn Lém, whose execution by Nguyễn Ngọc Loan was captured in an iconic photograph by Eddie Adams. However, historian Ed Moise proposed in 2018 that this narrative may have been fabricated as South Vietnamese propaganda after the war.

Following this tragedy, Nguyen lived with his uncle, a colonel in the South Vietnam Air Force, until their evacuation to the United States in 1975 after the Fall of Saigon. They established their new home in Midwest City, Oklahoma, close to Tinker Air Force Base. While his uncle found employment as a Volkswagen auto mechanic, Nguyen earned money working at Shotgun Sam’s Pizza Palace.

Education

Nguyen completed his studies at Midwest City High School in 1977, where he was active in organizations such as the French club, Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program, National Honor Society, and photography club.

He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Oklahoma State University (OSU) in 1981. By 2019, he had earned three master’s degrees: electrical engineering from Southern Methodist University, engineering with a focus on manufacturing from Purdue University, and information technology with highest distinction from Carnegie Mellon University. In recognition of his achievements, Nguyen was inducted into OSU’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Hall of Fame in 2020 and received the Melvin R. Lohmann Medal, the university’s most prestigious award.

US Navy

Motivated by the support provided to his family by sailors and Marines during their migration to America in 1975, Nguyen was commissioned as an Engineering Duty Officer through the Reserve program in 1993.

His naval career included serving as test officer and officer-in-charge of Detachment 113 at the Ship Repair Facility within United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka. He also held positions as executive officer and chief engineer for the Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (CREW) field office at Camp Victory, aiding Multi-National Corps – Iraq. Nguyen contributed significantly to forming Joint CREW Composite Squadron One at the Fleet Electronic Warfare Center and supported Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan as a CREW engineer with Task Force Paladin.

Nguyen’s assignments spanned multiple commands including Naval Sea Systems Command, United States Pacific Fleet, and the Office of Naval Research. In October 2019, he made history as the first Vietnamese-American to be promoted to rear admiral during a ceremony at the United States Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. Subsequently, he served as Deputy Commander for Cyber Engineering at Naval Sea Systems Command located at the Washington Navy Yard.

He retired on October 7, 2022, with a formal ceremony held at the Washington Navy Yard. Among his decorations are three Legion of Merit awards, a Bronze Star Medal, a Meritorious Service Medal, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, along with various other honors.

After retiring from active duty, Nguyen took on the role of senior advisor to Naval Sea Systems Command focusing on cybersecurity and digital transformation initiatives. In August 2023, he was appointed to the board of directors for the National Bureau of Asian Research.

Civilian engineering

Nguyen began his tenure at General Motors (GM) in August 1994, where he led the team responsible for the design and integration of the powertrain control module across various GM vehicle platforms. In 2006, he advanced to the role of senior vice president at Bank of America, where he developed and implemented comprehensive computer security protocols and procedures. Upon joining Exelis Inc. in 2009, Nguyen oversaw a substantial portfolio of independent research and development initiatives, concentrating on ground electronic warfare countermeasures, counter-remote improvised explosive device technologies, and systems designed to reduce interference.