Chris Vanek

Gold Star Program Director

Chris Vanek serves as the Three Rangers Foundation Director for the Gold Star Program.  As a career United States Special Operations Officer in the U.S. Army, he brings decades of experience in National Security and senior leadership of our Nation’s most specialized Special Operations Forces. Of greatest significance, his command of our Nation’s Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Civilian assigned personnel in over 2,300 days of combat provides him personal experience and insight into the responsibility of our Nation to never forget her fallen and to honor this solemn obligation by caring for surviving Gold Star Family members. 

Chris had the privilege of commanding at every echelon in the 75th Ranger Regiment to include Deputy Commanding Officer twice, and ultimately served as the 18th Colonel of the Regiment.  He deployed to combat in Afghanistan with the 1st Ranger Battalion in 2001 and finished his career deploying as the Regimental Commander in 2015 in Afghanistan. During his 16 years of service with the 75th Ranger Regiment, he was exposed to the benefit of having a Gold Star Mother assist in responding to the tragedy of losing a Ranger by comforting the surviving Next of Kin (NOK) and subsequently observed Special Mission Units establish comprehensive programs that maintained contact with Gold Star Families and continued the care for these family members after the loss of their service member.  

While Chris currently owns and operates two companies, cKv Consulting, LLC and Mission First, LLC, while serving as a partner at Gothams Emergency Management. But his passion in life after active duty service, is the care and welfare of service members and their families.

The Three Rangers Foundation honors fallen Rangers by caring for their Gold Star survivors with relevant support and services to continue the Ranger mission and ensure no Ranger is ever forgotten.