This In Focus provides the names and appointment provisions for selected Intelligence Community (IC) senior officials, as reflected in U.S. Code, public laws, executive orders, and custom. Table 1 also includes the committees involved when Senate confirmation is required. As a general rule, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) has jurisdiction over the confirmation of those nominated to IC leadership positions outside the Department of Defense (DOD, using the Department of War as a "secondary title" under Executive Order (E.O.) 14347, dated September 5, 2025), while the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) has jurisdiction over the confirmation of IC leadership positions inside the DOD. In some cases (e.g., the Directors of the National Security Agency and National Reconnaissance Office), nominations may be referred sequentially to the SSCI and the SASC, with the order of referral depending on the nominee's status as a member of the Armed Forces on active duty. If the nominee is a servicemember on active duty, the nomination begins with the SASC, if not, it begins with the SSCI.
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Element |
Leadership Appointment Date |
Appointment Legal Provisions |
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Non-Department of Defense (DOD) |
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Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) |
Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard (sworn in February 12, 2025) |
50 U.S.C. §3026(c) "Not more than one of [the DNI and the Principal Deputy DNI] may be a commissioned officer of the Armed Forces in active status"; DNI: §3023(a), PDDNI §3026(a)(1): presidentially appointed and Senate confirmed (SSCI). |
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Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) |
Director of the CIA (DCIA) John Ratcliffe (sworn in January 23, 2025) |
50 U.S.C. §3041(a)(2)(B) DNI recommends; then, pursuant to 50 U.S.C. §3036(a), presidentially appointed and Senate confirmed (SSCI). |
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Department of Energy, Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence (DOE/OICI) |
Director, Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence Jay A. Tilden (October 2023) |
50 U.S.C. §3041(b)(2)(E&F) DOE Secretary needs DNI to concur with recommendation; then pursuant to 50 U.S.C. §3041(b)(1), DOE Secretary appoints. |
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Department of Homeland Security, Office of Intelligence and Analysis (DHS/I&A) |
Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis (U/S IA) Matthew A. Kozma (confirmed July 31, 2025). |
For the position of Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis: 50 U.S.C. §3041(b)(2)(I) DHS Secretary needs DNI to concur with recommendation; then pursuant to 6 U.S.C. §121(b)(1), presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed (SSCI). |
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Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, Intelligence Division (USCG/CG-2) |
Assistant Commandant for Intelligence (CG-2) RDML Rebecca Ore, USCG (August 2022) |
50 U.S.C. §3041(c)(2)(B) USCG Commandant appoints, after consulting with the DNI. |
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Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of National Security Intelligence (DEA/ONSI) |
Assistant Administrator and Chief of Intelligence Carrie N. Thompson (appointed October 2022) |
5 U.S.C. §3151 Attorney General appoints the FBI-DEA Senior Executive Service officials. |
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Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Directorate of Intelligence |
Assistant Director for Intelligence Timothy Stone (December 2025) |
50 U.S.C. §3041(b)(2)(G) Attorney General needs DNI to concur with recommendation; then pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §532 note and §2002 of P.L. 108-458, Attorney General appoints. |
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Department of Justice, National Security Division (DOJ/NSD) (NSD is not a statutory element of the IC.) |
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg (confirmed June 5, 2025) |
50 U.S.C. §3041(c)(2)(C) Attorney General recommends, after consulting with the DNI; then pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §506 and S.Res. 470, 113th Congress, presidentially appointed and Senate confirmed (Senate Judiciary Committee and SSCI). |
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Department of State, Bureau of Intelligence and Research (DOS/INR) |
Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research Donald Blome (acting February 3, 2025); Michael J. Vance (nominated January 2026) |
50 U.S.C. §3041(b)(2)(D) DOS Secretary needs DNI to concur with recommendation; then pursuant to 22 U.S.C. §2651a (c)(1), presidentially appointed and Senate confirmed (SSCI). |
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Department of the Treasury, Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (Treasury/OTFI) |
Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley (confirmed 07/23/2025). |
Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence: 31 U.S.C. §312(a)(2)(A)-(B), presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed. |
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Department of Defense |
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DOD-Wide |
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Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (OUSD(I&S)) (using Under Secretary of War for Intelligence and Security as a "secondary title" under Executive Order (E.O.) 14347, dated September 5, 2025) |
Under Secretary of Defense (using Under Secretary of War as a "secondary title" under Executive Order (E.O.) 14347, dated September 5, 2025) for Intelligence and Security (USD(I&S)) and the DNI's Director of Defense Intelligence (DDI) Bradley D. Hansell (sworn in July 25, 2025) |
E.O. 12333 §1.3(d)(2) DOD Secretary recommends, after consulting with the DNI; then pursuant to 10 U.S.C. §137(a), presidentially appointed and Senate confirmed (SASC). |
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Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) |
Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (D/DIA)); Lt. Gen. James Adams III, USMC (confirmed January 30, 2026) |
50 U.S.C. §3041(c)(2)(A) DOD Secretary recommends after consulting with DNI; then pursuant to 10 U.S.C. §601(a), as an active duty 3-star general, presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed (SASC). |
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National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) |
Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (D/NGA) LTG Michele H. Bredenkamp, USA (sworn in November 5, 2025) |
50 U.S.C. §3041(b)(2)(C) DOD Secretary needs DNI to concur; then, pursuant to 10 U.S.C. §441(b) and §601(a), if civilian—presidentially appointed, if active duty military—presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed (SASC). |
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National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) |
Director of the National Reconnaissance Office (D/NRO) Christopher J. Scolese (sworn in August 5, 2019) |
50 U.S.C. §3041(b)(2)(B) DOD Secretary needs DNI to concur with the recommendation to the President; and 50 U.S.C. §3602(a)(2), Director is appointment by the President, Senate confirmed; then pursuant to S.Res. 470, 113th Cong., Senate confirmed (SSCI and SASC). |
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National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) |
Commander, U.S. Cyber Command and Director, NSA/Chief, Central Security Service (DIRNSA/CHCSS) LTG William Hartman, USA (acting April 3, 2025); LTG Joshua Rudd, USA (nominated January, 2026) |
50 U.S.C. §3041(b)(2)(A) DOD Secretary needs DNI to concur; then, pursuant to S.Res. 470, 113th Cong., presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed (SSCI and SASC). |
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Service-Level |
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U.S. Air Force Intelligence (AF/A2) |
Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Headquarters USAF (AF/A2) Lt. Gen. Max "Harpo" Pearson, USAF (August 2025) |
E.O. 12333 (as amended) §1.3(d)(2)—"relevant department head" is to consult with the DNI prior to these appointments; then pursuant to 10 U.S.C. §601 "Positions of importance and responsibility," nominees are presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed (SASC). |
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U.S. Army Intelligence (G2) |
Deputy Chief of Staff (G-2), LTG Anthony R. Hale, USA (January 2024) |
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U.S. Marine Corps Intelligence (MCISRE) |
Director of Intelligence, Maj. Gen. Mark A. Cunningham, USMC (June 2025); Assistant Director of Intelligence, Leila Gardner (November 2023). |
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U.S. Space Force Intelligence (S-2) |
Deputy Chief of Space Force Operations for Intelligence, U.S. Space Force (S-2) Maj Gen Brian Sidari, USSF (July 2025) |
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U.S. Navy Intelligence (N2/N6) |
Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance and Director of Naval Intelligence (N-2/N6) Steven L. Parode (acting December 2025) |
Sources: CRS, based on provisions in U.S. Code; E.O. 12333; and S.Res. 470, July 7, 2014.