Michael T . Flynn Michael T . Flynn is a United States Army Lieutenant general and , since July 24 , 2012 , has served as the current Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency , Commander of the Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence , Surveillance and Reconnaissance ( JFCC - ISR ) , and chair of the Military Intelligence Board . Prior to this he served as Assistant Director of National intelligence . He has consistently pushed for greater information and intelligence sharing and has been a leading figure in coalition and special operations intelligence operations . Flynn published an " extraordinary " report in JAN 2010 on " Fixing Intelligence in Afghanistan " , a report that took to task the intelligence community for lacking an understanding of the human - socio context of the battlefield in Afghanistan . Flynn ' s career has been primarily operational serving in numerous combat arms conventional and special operations senior intelligence assignments . Flynn also served as the Senior intelligence officer for JSOC where he was credited with creating innovative techniques for interrogation operations and ops - intel fusion leading to major breakthroughs in counterterrorism operations in Iraq , Afghanistan and elsewhere against Al Qaeda and its Associated Movements . Flynn is widely published author with articles appearing in Infantry Journal , Small Wars Journal , Joint Forces Quarterly , the Center for New American Strategy , and various Military Intelligence publications . Education . Flynn graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a Bachelor of Science degree in management science in 1981 and was commissioned through Army Reserve Officers ' Training Corps . He also holds three masters degrees and an honorary doctorate . Career . Flynn ' s assignments have included multiple tours at Fort Bragg , North Carolina with the 82d Airborne Division , XVIII Airborne Corps , and Joint Special Operations Command , where he deployed for Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada and Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti . He also has served with the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks , Hawaii , the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk , Louisiana , and the Army Intelligence Center at Fort Huachuca , Arizona . Flynn commanded the 111th Military Intelligence Brigade from June 2002 to June 2004 . He served as the Assistant Chief of Staff , G2 , XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg , North Carolina from June 2001 and the Director of Intelligence , Joint Task Force 180 in Afghanistan until July 2002 . Flynn served as the Director of Intelligence , Joint Staff from July 11 , 2008 to June 14 , 2009 , then the Director of Intelligence , International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan from June 2009 to October 2010 . He also served as the Director of Intelligence , United States Central Command from June 2007 to July 2008 , and the Director of Intelligence for Joint Special Operations Command from July 2004 to June 2007 , with service in Afghanistan ( Operation Enduring Freedom ) and Iraq ( Operation Iraqi Freedom ) . Flynn is a graduate of the Military Intelligence Officer Basic Course , Military Intelligence Officer Advanced Course , Army Command and General Staff College , the School of Advanced Military Studies , and Naval War College . He earned a Master of Business Administration in telecommunications from Golden Gate University , a Master of Military Art and Science from the United States Army Command and General Staff College , a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and an honorary doctorate from the Institute of World Politics in Washington , DC . Office of the Director of National Intelligence . In September 2011 , numerous media outlets reported on LTG Flynn ' s promotion to LTG and assignment to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence . His duties include public , private , and international outreach and engagement . Flynn ' s influence throughout the intelligence community is primarily with operational units across all the services , especially in the intelligence , surveillance , and reconnaissance arenas as well as the information technology and organizational design . Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency . On April 17 , 2012 President Barack Obama nominated LTG Flynn to be the 18th Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency . LTG Flynn took command of DIA on July 24 , 2012 . In October 2012 , LTG Flynn announced plans to release his Vision 2020 blueprint , a broad look at everything DIA does and should do in the future . Awards . Flynn has been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal ( with two oak leaf cluster s ) , Legion of Merit ( with oak leaf cluster ) , Bronze Star Medal ( with three oak leaf cluster ) , Meritorious Service Medal ( with five oak leaf cluster ) , Joint Service Commendation Medal , Army Commendation Medal ( with five oak leaf cluster ) , and several service and campaign medals . Flynn has also earned the Ranger Tab , Master Parachutist Badge , and Joint Staff Identification Badge .