Michael Hayden (general)

Michael Hayden (general)
Name	Michael Hayden
Caption	Official portrait, 2006
Birth date	17 March 1945
Birth place	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Serviceyears	1967–2008
Rank	General
Commands	Air Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, Central Intelligence Agency
Battles	Cold War, War on Terror
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal

Michael Hayden (general) is a retired United States Air Force four-star general who served as the director of both the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). His tenure at these pivotal intelligence organizations spanned the post-September 11 attacks era, during which he oversaw controversial surveillance and interrogation programs. Hayden later became a prominent public commentator on intelligence and national security matters.

Early life and education

Michael Vincent Hayden was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the nearby neighborhood of North Braddock, Pennsylvania. He attended North Catholic High School before earning a Bachelor of Arts in history from Duquesne University. He later received a Master of Arts degree in modern American history from the same institution. His academic foundation in history preceded his commission through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Duquesne University.

Military career

Hayden was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force in 1969. His early career included assignments as a political-military affairs officer at the Pentagon and with the United States European Command in Stuttgart, Germany. He served in various staff intelligence roles, including positions within the National Security Council and as a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. Hayden culminated his military service as the director of the Joint Command and Control Warfare Center and later as the commander of the Air Intelligence Agency at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas.

Director of the National Security Agency

Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1999, Hayden became the director of the National Security Agency, a position he held until 2005. His tenure was defined by the agency's response to the September 11 attacks and the subsequent War on Terror. He was a principal architect and defender of the President's Surveillance Program, which included the controversial Terrorist Surveillance Program authorized by President George W. Bush. This program involved warrantless surveillance of communications between the United States and foreign locations, a subject of intense debate before the United States Congress and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

In 2006, following the tenure of Porter Goss, Hayden was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate to become the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He was the first active-duty military officer to hold the position since Stansfield Turner in the 1970s. As director, he managed the agency's ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and publicly defended the CIA's use of enhanced interrogation techniques on high-value detainees, a program he later stated had been discontinued. He served until the end of the Bush administration in 2009.

Post-government career and public commentary

After retiring from the United States Air Force and government service, Hayden joined the private sector, serving as a principal at the Chertoff Group, a security consultancy co-founded by former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff. He is a distinguished visiting professor at the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government and a national security analyst for CNN. Hayden is a frequent author and speaker, having written books such as Playing to the Edge: American Intelligence in the Age of Terror, and often provides commentary on issues involving cyber warfare, Russia, and China.

Personal life

Michael Hayden is married to Jeanine "Ginger" Hayden. The couple has three children. He is a practicing Roman Catholic and has been involved with various charitable and educational institutions, including his alma mater, Duquesne University. Hayden resides in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Category:1945 births Category:American generals Category:United States Air Force generals Category:Directors of the National Security Agency Category:Directors of the Central Intelligence Agency Category:Living people