Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence

Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. The Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (USD(I)) is a high-ranking official within the United States Department of Defense responsible for overseeing all intelligence, counterintelligence, and security activities across the United States Armed Forces. The position was established by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 in the wake of the September 11 attacks to centralize and strengthen defense intelligence leadership. The USD(I) serves as the principal advisor to the United States Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense on all intelligence-related matters and represents the Department on bodies like the National Security Council.

History

The position was formally created by legislation championed by Senators like Pat Roberts and Dianne Feinstein, responding to critical findings from the Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities before and after the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001 and the later 9/11 Commission. Prior to its establishment, oversight of defense intelligence was fragmented among several officials, including the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence. The first confirmed official, Stephen A. Cambone, was sworn in on March 21, 2003, during the tenure of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The role's authority was further solidified by subsequent reforms, including recommendations from the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.

Responsibilities

The USD(I) exercises authority, direction, and control over the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, and the three principal military intelligence agencies: the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). Key duties include establishing major intelligence policy, overseeing the Military Intelligence Program (MIP) budget, and ensuring the integration of intelligence capabilities across the Combatant Commands like United States Central Command and United States Indo-Pacific Command. The USD(I) also chairs the Military Intelligence Board and coordinates closely with the Director of National Intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency on national-level intelligence priorities.

Organization

The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (OUSD(I)) is headquartered in the Pentagon and comprises several subordinate directorates and offices. These include the Director for Defense Intelligence (Intelligence and Security), the Director for Intelligence Programs and Resources, and the Director for Defense Intelligence (Intelligence and Security). The office directly oversees the Defense Intelligence Agency, which serves as the primary producer of foreign military intelligence, and provides policy guidance to the service-specific intelligence organizations such as the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command, Office of Naval Intelligence, and Twenty-Fifth Air Force. The OUSD(I) also maintains liaison with allied intelligence services through entities like the Five Eyes alliance.

List of officials

{| class="wikitable" |- ! No. ! Name ! Term ! Served under President |- | 1 | Stephen A. Cambone | March 21, 2003 – December 31, 2006 | George W. Bush |- | 2 | James R. Clapper | April 12, 2007 – August 5, 2010 | George W. Bush, Barack Obama |- | 3 | Michael G. Vickers | March 16, 2011 – April 30, 2015 | Barack Obama |- | 4 | Marcel Lettre | May 18, 2016 – January 20, 2017 | Barack Obama |- | 5 | Joseph D. Kernan | November 28, 2017 – January 20, 2021 | Donald Trump |- | 6 | Ronald S. Moultrie | June 22, 2021 – present | Joe Biden |}

See also

* United States Intelligence Community * Under Secretary of Defense for Policy * Defense Attaché System * Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System * Project Maven

Category:United States Department of Defense officials Category:United States intelligence officials