# Director of the National Security Agency

The director of the National Security Agency (DIRNSA) is the highest-ranking official of the National Security Agency, which is a defense agency within the U.S. Department of Defense. The director of the NSA also concurrently serves as the chief of the Central Security Service (CHCSS) and as the commander of U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM). As the director of the NSA and the chief of the CSC, the officeholder reports to the under secretary of defense for intelligence, and as the commander of U.S. Cyber Command, the officeholder reports directly to the secretary of defense.
According to 10 U.S.C. § 201 of the United States Code, the director of the NSA is recommended by the secretary of defense and nominated for appointment by the president. The nominee must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate. In accordance with Department of Defense Directive 5100.20, dated 23 December 1971, the director of the NSA must always be a commissioned officer of the military services. As the assignment is currently part of a tri-hatted position, the director of the NSA is appointed to the grade of a four-star general or admiral during the period of his incumbency. The director's deputy is always a technically experienced civilian.

## AFSA directors

The Armed Forces Security Agency was the predecessor to the National Security Agency and existed from 1949 to 1952.
| No. | Director | Director | Term | Term | Term | Service branch | President |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | Service branch | President |
| 1 | | Rear Admiral Earl E. Stone | 1949 | 1951 | 2 years | U.S. Navy | Harry S. Truman |
| 2 | | Major General Ralph Canine | 1951 | 1952 | 1 year | U.S. Army | Harry S. Truman |

## NSA directors

| No. | Director | Director | Term | Term | Term | Service branch | President |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | Service branch | President |
| 1 | | Lieutenant General Ralph Canine | 1952 | 1956 | 4 years | U.S. Army | Harry S. Truman Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| 2 | | Lieutenant General John Samford | 1956 | 1960 | 4 years | U.S. Air Force | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| 3 | | Vice Admiral Laurence Frost | 1960 | 1962 | 3 years | U.S. Navy | Dwight D. Eisenhower John F. Kennedy |
| 4 | | Lieutenant General Gordon Blake | 1962 | 1965 | 3 years | U.S. Air Force | John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson |
| 5 | | Lieutenant General Marshall Carter | 1965 | 1969 | 4 years | U.S. Army | Lyndon B. Johnson Richard Nixon |
| 6 | | Vice Admiral Noel Gayler | 1969 | 1972 | 3 years | U.S. Navy | Richard Nixon |
| 7 | | Lieutenant General Samuel C. Phillips | 1972 | 1973 | 1 year | U.S. Air Force | Richard Nixon |
| 8 | | Lieutenant General Lew Allen | 1973 | 1977 | 4 years | U.S. Air Force | Richard Nixon Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter |
| 9 | | Vice Admiral Bobby Ray Inman | 1977 | 1981 | 4 years | U.S. Navy | Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan |
| 10 | | Lieutenant General Lincoln Faurer | 1981 | 1985 | 4 years | U.S. Air Force | Ronald Reagan |
| 11 | | Lieutenant General William Odom | 1985 | 1988 | 3 years | U.S. Army | Ronald Reagan |
| 12 | | Vice Admiral William Studeman | 1988 | 1992 | 4 years | U.S. Navy | Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush |
| 13 | | Vice Admiral John M. McConnell | 1992 | 1996 | 4 years | U.S. Navy | George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton |
| 14 | | Lieutenant General Kenneth A. Minihan | 1996 | 1999 | 3 years | U.S. Air Force | Bill Clinton |
| 15 | | Lieutenant General Michael Hayden | 21 March 1999 | 21 April 2005 | 6 years, 31 days | U.S. Air Force | Bill Clinton George W. Bush |
| 16 | | General Keith B. Alexander | 1 August 2005 | 28 March 2014 | 8 years, 239 days | U.S. Army | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| 17 | | Admiral Michael S. Rogers | 2 April 2014 | 4 May 2018 | 4 years, 32 days | U.S. Navy | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| 18 | | General Paul M. Nakasone | 4 May 2018 | 2 February 2024 | 5 years, 274 days | U.S. Army | Donald Trump Joe Biden |
| 19 | | General Timothy D. Haugh | 2 February 2024 | Present | 1 year, 23 days | U.S. Air Force | Joe Biden Donald Trump |