Updated May 14, 2024
Defense Primer: Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and
Security
The Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and
DOD requested the change, asserting that in exercising
Security (USD(I&S)) is a civilian official, appointed by the
delegated oversight over intelligence, CI, and security
President and confirmed by the Senate, who reports directly
functions, the position would “provide the Secretary of
to the Secretary of Defense. The USD(I&S) is the Principal
Defense with the flexibility ... require[d] to respond to
Staff Assistant and advisor to the Secretary and Deputy
heightened demands on the [DOD] to support the
Secretary of Defense on intelligence, counterintelligence
President’s efforts to prevent and respond to acts of
(CI), security, sensitive activities, and other intelligence-
terrorism against the United States.” The legislative
related matters. On behalf of the Secretary, the USD(I&S)
language establishing the position of USD(I) was included
also exercises authority, direction, and control over
under Section 901 of the National Defense Authorization
Department of Defense (DOD) intelligence and security
Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (P.L. 107-314), which was
agencies, field activities, policy, processes, procedures, and
codified as Section 137 of Title 10 in the U.S. Code.
products.
Under Secretaries of Defense (I&S)
Congress redesignated the position of Under Secretary of
Defense for Intelligence (USD(I)) as the USD(I&S) in the
•
Stephen A. Cambone (March 2003-December 2006)
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020
•
James R. Clapper (April 2007-August 2010)
(P.L. 116-92, §1621). This change increased the emphasis
•
Michael G. Vickers (March 2011-April 2015)
on the importance and scope of the USD(I&S)’s security
•
responsibilities, including primary federal government
Marcel Lettre (December 2015-January 2017)
responsibility for conducting background investigations
•
Todd Lowery (acting) (January 2017-June 2017)
(consistent with Executive Order 13869).
•
Kari Bingen (acting) (June 2017-December 2017)
•
Joseph D. Kernan (December 2017-November 2020)
As the head of the defense intelligence and security
enterprise, the USD(I&S) has responsibility for a significant
•
Ezra Cohen-Watnick (acting) (November 2020-January
portion of the personnel and funding supporting the
2021)
Intelligence Community (IC) overall. The USD(I&S) and
•
David M. Taylor (acting) (January 2021-June 2021)
staff, however, are not statutory elements of the IC. Title
•
Ronald S. Moultrie (June, 2021-February 2024)
50, Section 3003(4), of the U.S. Code lists the 18
•
Milancy D. Harris (acting) (March 2024-present)
organizational elements of the IC, two of which are
independent—the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence (ODNI) and Central Intelligence Agency—and
Origin of “Dual-Hatted” Role for USD(I&S)
16 of which are components of six separate departments of
In May 2007, the Secretary of Defense and the Director of
the federal government. The nine IC elements within DOD
National Intelligence (DNI) signed a memorandum of
comprise the defense intelligence and security enterprise
agreement (MOA) to establish a dual role for the USD(I).
overseen by the USD(I&S). They include the Defense
In a news release announcing the issuance of the MOA,
Intelligence Agency (DIA), National Geospatial-
then-USD(I) James Clapper indicated that the creation of a
Intelligence Agency (NGA), National Security Agency
Director of Defense Intelligence (DDI) position was
(NSA), National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the
intended to “strengthen the relationship between the DNI
intelligence components of the Navy, Marine Corps, Army,
and the DOD … [and] to facilitate staff interaction and
Space Force, and Air Force. These elements, in turn,
promote synchronization.” Under the “dual-hatting”
provide the Joint Staff and Combatant Commands with the
arrangement, the incumbent acts as the USD(I&S) within
personnel and expertise for their component joint
the OSD, and acts as the DDI within the ODNI.
intelligence organizations.
Origin of the USD(I&S) Position
The DNI and the USD(I&S) together coordinate a number
of interagency activities designed to facilitate the
Leadership of intelligence-related functions within the
integration of national- and tactical-level intelligence
Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) has been
realigned multiple times over the course of DOD’s history
activities. When acting as DDI, the USD(I&S) reports
.
directly to the DNI and serves as his or her principal
The most recent development came when Congress
advisor regarding defense intelligence. The USD(I&S)
established the USD(I) position in the aftermath of the
ensures defense intelligence is coordinated and aligned with
September 11, 2001, terror attacks.
IC programs and priorities, and addresses strategic, tactical,
or operational requirements supporting military strategy and
operations. The USD(I&S) and staff, therefore, provide
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Defense Primer: Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security
strategic direction and oversight of the defense products and
Execution (PPBE) process. The USD(I&S) also has
services derived from the collection, processing, evaluation,
acquisition authority for intelligence, CI, and security-
and analysis of information concerning foreign nations,
related technologies, systems, and equipment, and exercises
foreign hostile or potentially hostile forces or elements, or
oversight of personnel and manpower issues for defense
areas of actual or potential military operations.
intelligence positions.
Roles and Responsibilities of the
Program Executive of the MIP
USD(I&S)
IC spending is the sum of two separate budget programs:
DOD Directive 5143.01, updated April 6, 2020, establishes
(1) the National Intelligence Program (NIP), which covers
the responsibilities, functions, relationships, and authorities
IC-wide programs, projects, and activities oriented toward
of the USD(I&S) within DOD, as defined by law, executive
the strategic needs of decisionmakers, and (2) the MIP,
order, and DOD policy, including those responsibilities and
which funds defense intelligence activities intended to
authorities delegated from the Secretary of Defense to the
support tactical military operations and priorities. The DNI
USD(I&S). Per DOD Directive 5143.01, among the
manages the NIP budget through the IC budget process
USD(I&S)’s major responsibilities and functions are
(Intelligence Planning, Programming, Budgeting and
•
Evaluation, or IPPBE). The USD(I&S) manages the MIP
advising the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy
and its accompanying budget separately through the DOD’s
Secretary of Defense regarding defense intelligence, CI,
PPBE process. The DNI and USD(I&S) thus coordinate and
security, sensitive activities, and other intelligence-
integrate the two programs within the constraints of two
related matters;
•
separate budget processes.
serving as DDI and principal advisor to the DNI on
defense intelligence, as well as facilitating the
For FY2025, funding requested for the NIP and MIP totaled
integration of defense intelligence and DOD support
$101.6 billion, including $73.4 billion for NIP and $28.2
with IC activities;
billion for MIP. Compared to FY2024 requested amounts,
• engaging the National Security Council (NSC) staff,
the FY2025 budget requested $1 billion more funding for
other government agencies (OGAs), and DOD
NIP and $1.1 billion less funding for MIP.
components to develop defense intelligence policies,
plans, and programs;
•
Relevant Statutes
serving as DOD senior official for the insider threat
program and providing strategic direction and oversight
Title 10, Section 137, of the U.S. Code
of defense CI programs generally;
• exercising authority, direction, control, and oversight
over the activities of the DIA, the NGA, the NRO, the
NSA/Central Security Service (CSS), and the Defense
CRS Products
Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), on
CRS In Focus IF10524, Defense Primer: Budgeting for National
behalf of the Secretary of Defense;
and Defense Intelligence, by Michael E. DeVine
• establishing strategy, policy, programs, and priorities
CRS In Focus IF10525, Defense Primer: National and Defense
for, and providing oversight of, the Defense Intelligence
Intelligence, by Michael E. DeVine
Enterprise, including all intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance (ISR) manned and unmanned activities
CRS In Focus IF10574, Defense Primer: Intelligence Support to
(including cyberspace activities), human intelligence
Military Operations, by Michael E. DeVine
collection operations, and defense signals intelligence,
CRS Report R45175, Covert Action and Clandestine Activities of
geospatial intelligence, and measurement and signature
the Intelligence Community: Selected Definitions, by Michael E.
intelligence capabilities and performance;
DeVine
• ensuring DOD IC elements are responsive to the
intelligence needs of operational military forces;
• establishing and maintaining defense intelligence and CI
Other Resources
relationships with foreign defense intelligence entities in
coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for
DOD Directive 5143.01, Under Secretary of Defense for
Policy (USD(P)), and in consultation with Combatant
Intelligence, Change 2 effective April 6, 2020.
Commanders, as appropriate; and
Executive Order 12333, United States Intelligence Activities, as
• providing strategic direction and oversight of defense
amended.
security programs and capabilities, including DCSA-led
Michael McConnell, DNI, and Robert Gates, Secretary of
activities to protect the supply chain and conduct
Defense, Memorandum of Agreement, May 2007.
personnel background investigations and security
clearance adjudications.
Other major responsibilities and functions of the USD(I&S)
Michael E. DeVine, Analyst in Intelligence and National
include acting as the Program Executive for the Military
Security
Intelligence Program (MIP) and managing the MIP through
the DOD Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and
IF10523
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Defense Primer: Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10523 · VERSION 16 · UPDATED