Vuono was born on October 18, 1934, in Monongahela, Pennsylvania. He is of Italian ancestry. He began his career as a field artillery officer after graduating from the United States Military Academy, in West Point, New York. After graduating with the class of 1957, he served three tours in South Vietnam as an artillery battalion executive officer with the 1st Infantry Division in 1966–67; executive officer of Division Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in 1970; and as commander, 1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment in 1970–1971, and then as commanding officer (Colonel) of Division Artillery, 82d Airborne Division. Vuono rose through the ranks quickly, serving several times in the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, in which he eventually became its commander in 1986.

After his retirement from the army, Vuono joined Military Professional Resources Inc. (MPRI), a private military company, in 1993.^[1] Since 1999 he has served as the CEO of MPRI. L-3 Communications acquired MPRI in June 2000 at which point Vuono was offered a senior management position at L-3 Communications.^[2]

In 2003, Vuono was awarded the Distinguished Graduate Award by the West Point Association of Graduates. He holds an Honorary Doctorate in Public Administration from Shippensburg University.

• U.S. Army biography