# Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency

The Director of the United States Defense Intelligence Agency is a military officer who, upon nomination by the President of the United States and confirmation by the Senate, serves as the United States' highest-ranking military intelligence officer. As the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Director is the principal intelligence adviser to the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Director also reports to the Director of National Intelligence, via the civilian Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence.
The Director is also the Commander of the Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, a subordinate command of United States Strategic Command. Additionally, the Director chairs the Military Intelligence Board, which coordinates activities of the entire defense intelligence community.
The office of DIA Director is rotated between three-star Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps officers generally every three years.

## Line of succession

In a June 2017 Action Memo, a line of succession was established for the position of Director should the sitting Director become incapacitated by death, resignation, or inability to perform the functions and duties of the office. In descending order the following DIA officials serve in the line of succession:
* Deputy Director
* Chief of Staff
* Director for Mission Services
* Director for Operations
* Director for Analysis
* Director for Science and Technology

## List of DIA Directors

| No. | Photo | Term | Duration | Service | President(s) served under |
| 1 | Lieutenant General Joseph Carroll | October 1961 – September 1969 | 7 years, 11 months | U.S. Air Force | John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson |
| 2 | Lieutenant General Donald V. Bennett | September 1969 – August 1972 | 2 years, 11 months | U.S. Army | Richard Nixon |
| 3 | Vice Admiral Vincent P. de Poix | August 1972 – September 1974 | 2 years, 1 month | U.S. Navy | Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
| 4 | Lieutenant General Daniel O. Graham | September 1974 – December 1975 | 1 year, 3 months | U.S. Army | Gerald Ford |
| 5 | Lieutenant General Samuel V. Wilson | May 1976 – August 1977 | 1 year, 3 months | U.S. Army | Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter |
| 6 | Lieutenant General Eugene F. Tighe | September 1977 – August 1981 | 3 years, 11 months | U.S. Air Force | Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan |
| 7 | Lieutenant General James A. Williams | September 1981 – September 1985 | 4 years | U.S. Army | Ronald Reagan |
| 8 | Lieutenant General Leonard H. Perroots | October 1985 – December 1988 | 3 years, 2 months | U.S. Air Force | Ronald Reagan |
| 9 | Lieutenant General Harry E. Soyster | December 1988 – September 1991 | 2 years, 9 months | U.S. Army | Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush |
| — | Dennis M. Nagy Acting | September 1991 – November 1991 | 2 months | U.S. Senior Executive Service | George H. W. Bush |
| 10 | Lieutenant General James R. Clapper | November 1991 – August 1995 | 3 years, 9 months | U.S. Air Force | George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton |
| 11 | Lieutenant General Kenneth Minihan | August 1995 – February 16, 1996 | 7 months | U.S. Air Force | Bill Clinton |
| 12 | Lieutenant General Patrick M. Hughes | February 16, 1996 – July 27, 1999 | 3 years, 5 months | U.S. Army | Bill Clinton |
| 13 | Vice Admiral Thomas R. Wilson | July 27, 1999 – July 2002 | 3 years | U.S. Navy | Bill Clinton George W. Bush |
| 14 | Vice Admiral Lowell E. Jacoby | July 2002 – November 4, 2005 | 3 years, 4 months | U.S. Navy | George W. Bush |
| 15 | Lieutenant General Michael D. Maples | November 4, 2005 – March 18, 2009 | 3 years, 4 months | U.S. Army | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| 16 | Lieutenant General Ronald Burgess | March 18, 2009 – July 24, 2012 | 3 years, 4 months | U.S. Army | Barack Obama |
| 17 | Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn | July 24, 2012 – August 7, 2014 | 2 years, 1 month | U.S. Army | Barack Obama |
| — | David Shedd Acting | August 7, 2014 – January 23, 2015 | 5 months | U.S. Senior Executive Service | Barack Obama |
| 18 | Lieutenant General Vincent R. Stewart | January 23, 2015 – October 3, 2017 | 2 years, 253 days | U.S. Marine Corps | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| 19 | Lieutenant General Robert P. Ashley Jr. | October 3, 2017 – October 1, 2020 | 2 years, 364 days | U.S. Army | Donald Trump |
| 20 | Lieutenant General Scott D. Berrier | October 1, 2020 – February 2, 2024 | 3 years, 124 days | U.S. Army | Donald Trump Joe Biden |
| 21 | Lieutenant General Jeffrey A. Kruse | February 2, 2024 – present | 356 days | U.S. Air Force | Joe Biden |