Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency
Seal of the Defense Intelligence Agency
Incumbent Jeffrey A. Kruse since February 2, 2024
Defense Intelligence Agency
Reports to	Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
Appointer	President of the United States
Formation	October 1961
Website	DIA.mil

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.^[1]

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:

1. Deputy Director
2. Chief of Staff
3. Director for Mission Services
4. Director for Operations
5. Director for Analysis
6. Director for Science and Technology^[2]

List of DIA Directors

No.	Director	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 1996	7 months	U.S. Air Force	Bill Clinton
12		Lieutenant General Patrick M. Hughes	February 1996 – July 1999	3 years, 5 months	U.S. Army	Bill Clinton
13		Vice Admiral Thomas R. Wilson	July 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	50 days	U.S. Air Force	Joe Biden