General Sconyers was a career military officer in the U.S. Air Force. He has an undergraduate degree in International Affairs from the USAF Academy and a Master's Degree in Communications from St. Louis University. He was also a Fellow in Foreign Politics, International Relations and the National Interest, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is a Senior Fellow with the Center for Risk Communications, New York City.

While on active duty, he served in a number of command and staff positions, culminating as the Director of Public Affairs for the Secretary of the Air Force. His experience put him literally on the frontline of international crises, serving as the spokesman for the 1989 invasion of Panama and the 1991 liberation of Kuwait. He was also the Pentagon spokesman for such crises as the terrorist bombing of Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia and the tragic death of Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown.

As a civilian, he founded a nationally-recognized non-profit. K.I.D.S.- Kids in a Drug-Free Society, which taught working parents how to communicate with their pre-teen children about the risks of alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

He is accredited in public relations and a member of the elite Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) College of Fellows. He has earned a number of prestigious awards, including four Silver Anvils, the highest award in the public relations industry. He was inducted as a charter member to the PRSA National Capital Chapter Hall of Fame.

He is active on a number of boards, which include: Newport News Educational Foundation; the Virginia Air and Space Center Foundation; the Virginia Peninsula Volunteer Center; and the USO of Hampton Roads.