Director of the National Security Agency

Director, National Security Agency
Incumbent: GEN Keith B. Alexander, USA since: 2005
First	MG Ralph Canine, USA
Formation	1952
Website	Official Website

Not to be confused with Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.

The Director of the National Security Agency (acronym:DIRNSA) is the highest-ranking official in 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 Chief of the Central Security Service (CHCSS) and as Commander of U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM). As DIRNSA/CHCSS the officeholder reports through the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, and as CDRUSCYBERCOM through the Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, to the Secretary of Defense.

According to 10 U.S.C. § 201 of the United States Code, the DIRNSA/CHCSS/CDRUSCYBERCOM 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 December 23, 1971, the Director of the NSA must always be a commissioned officer of the military services. Because 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 Deputy Director is always a technically-experienced civilian.^[1]

The current director is General Keith B. Alexander, USA.

AFSA directors

The Armed Forces Security Agency was the predecessor to the National Security Agency and existed from 1949 to 1952.

#	Director	Service	Term	President(s) served under
1	RADM Earle Stone	USN	1949–1951	Harry S. Truman
2	MG Ralph Canine	USA	1951–1952	Harry S. Truman

NSA directors

#	Director	Photo	Service	Term	President(s) served under
1	MG Ralph Canine		USA	1952–1956	Harry S. Truman Dwight D. Eisenhower
2	Lt Gen John Samford		USAF	1956–1960	Dwight D. Eisenhower
3	VADM Laurence Frost		USN	1960–1962	Dwight D. Eisenhower John F. Kennedy
4	Lt Gen Gordon Blake		USAF	1962–1965	John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson
5	LTG Marshall Carter		USA	1965–1969	Lyndon B. Johnson Richard Nixon
6	VADM Noel Gayler		USN	1969–1972	Richard Nixon
7	Lt Gen Samuel C. Phillips		USAF	1972–1973	Richard Nixon
8	Lt Gen Lew Allen		USAF	1973–1977	Richard Nixon Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter
9	VADM Bobby Ray Inman		USN	1977–1981	Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan
10	Lt Gen Lincoln Faurer		USAF	1981–1985	Ronald Reagan
11	LTG William Odom		USA	1985–1988	Ronald Reagan
12	VADM William Studeman		USN	1988–1992	Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush
13	VADM John M. McConnell		USN	1992–1996	George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton
14	Lt Gen Kenneth Minihan		USAF	1996–1999	Bill Clinton
15	Lt Gen Michael Hayden		USAF	1999–2005	Bill Clinton George W. Bush
16	LTG/GEN Keith B. Alexander[2]		USA	2005–present	George W. Bush Barack Obama

References

1. ^ "About NSA". National Security Agency. Archived from the original on 2008-08-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20080802093150/http://www.nsa.gov/about/about00018.cfm. Retrieved 2008-12-21. 
2. ^ Originally a lieutenant general when he first assumed office on August 1, 2005. Alexander was promoted to general when he assumed the additional assignment as Commander, U.S. Cyber Command on May 21, 2010.

External links

• NSA official website
• List of former NSA directors
• About the NSA