Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Business Segments and Customer Information, Major Customers (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Business Segments and Customer Information, Major Customers (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]      
Revenue, by customer $ 424,071us-gaap_Revenues $ 471,638us-gaap_Revenues $ 546,755us-gaap_Revenues
Percentage of revenue by customer (in dollars per share) 100.00%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer 100.00%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer 100.00%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
U.S. Navy [Member]      
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]      
Revenue, by customer 88,007us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USNavyMember
123,307us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USNavyMember
120,867us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USNavyMember
Percentage of revenue by customer (in dollars per share) 20.70%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USNavyMember
26.10%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USNavyMember
22.10%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USNavyMember
U.S. Army/Army Reserve [Member]      
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]      
Revenue, by customer 101,714us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USArmyArmyReserveMember
101,736us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USArmyArmyReserveMember
182,412us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USArmyArmyReserveMember
Percentage of revenue by customer (in dollars per share) 24.00%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USArmyArmyReserveMember
21.60%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USArmyArmyReserveMember
33.40%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USArmyArmyReserveMember
U.S. Air Force [Member]      
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]      
Revenue, by customer 3,323us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USAirForceMember
3,625us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USAirForceMember
6,963us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USAirForceMember
Percentage of revenue by customer (in dollars per share) 0.80%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USAirForceMember
0.80%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USAirForceMember
1.30%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_USAirForceMember
Total Department of Defense [Member]      
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]      
Revenue, by customer 193,044us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_TotalDepartmentOfDefenseMember
228,668us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_TotalDepartmentOfDefenseMember
310,242us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_TotalDepartmentOfDefenseMember
Percentage of revenue by customer (in dollars per share) 45.50%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_TotalDepartmentOfDefenseMember
48.50%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_TotalDepartmentOfDefenseMember
56.80%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_TotalDepartmentOfDefenseMember
U.S. Postal Service [Member]      
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]      
Revenue, by customer 167,268us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_UsPostalServiceMember
142,203us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_UsPostalServiceMember
130,866us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_UsPostalServiceMember
Percentage of revenue by customer (in dollars per share) 39.40%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_UsPostalServiceMember
30.10%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_UsPostalServiceMember
23.90%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_UsPostalServiceMember
Department of U.S. Treasury [Member]      
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]      
Revenue, by customer 10,897us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfTreasuryMember
35,929us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfTreasuryMember
20,898us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfTreasuryMember
Percentage of revenue by customer (in dollars per share) 2.60%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfTreasuryMember
7.60%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfTreasuryMember
3.80%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfTreasuryMember
Department of Energy [Member]      
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]      
Revenue, by customer 19,000us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfEnergyMember
20,124us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfEnergyMember
33,369us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfEnergyMember
Percentage of revenue by customer (in dollars per share) 4.50%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfEnergyMember
4.30%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfEnergyMember
6.10%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfEnergyMember
Department of Interior [Member]      
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]      
Revenue, by customer 1,431us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfInteriorMember
1,545us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfInteriorMember
16,884us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfInteriorMember
Percentage of revenue by customer (in dollars per share) 0.30%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfInteriorMember
0.30%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfInteriorMember
3.10%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_DepartmentOfInteriorMember
Other government [Member]      
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]      
Revenue, by customer 28,751us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= us-gaap_GovernmentMember
40,919us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= us-gaap_GovernmentMember
32,231us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= us-gaap_GovernmentMember
Percentage of revenue by customer (in dollars per share) 6.80%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= us-gaap_GovernmentMember
8.70%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= us-gaap_GovernmentMember
5.90%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= us-gaap_GovernmentMember
Total Federal civilian agencies [Member]      
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]      
Revenue, by customer 227,347us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_TotalFederalCivilAgenciesMember
240,720us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_TotalFederalCivilAgenciesMember
234,248us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_TotalFederalCivilAgenciesMember
Percentage of revenue by customer (in dollars per share) 53.60%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_TotalFederalCivilAgenciesMember
51.00%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_TotalFederalCivilAgenciesMember
42.80%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_TotalFederalCivilAgenciesMember
Commercial [Member]      
Revenue, Major Customer [Line Items]      
Revenue, by customer $ 3,680us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_CommercialMember
$ 2,250us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_CommercialMember
$ 2,265us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_CommercialMember
Percentage of revenue by customer (in dollars per share) 0.90%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_CommercialMember
0.50%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_CommercialMember
0.40%vsec_PercentageOfRevenueByCustomer
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= vsec_CommercialMember