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Congressional Research Service
Informing the legislative debate since 1914
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Updated December 30, 2020
Defense Primer: Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and
Security
The Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and
Security (USD(I&S)) is a civilian official, appointed by the
President and confirmed by the Senate, who reports directly
to the Secretary of Defense. The USD(I&S) is the Principal
Staff Assistant and advisor to the Secretary and Deputy
Secretary of Defense on intelligence, counterintelligence
(CI), security, sensitive activities, and other intelligence-
related matters. On behalf of the Secretary, the USD(I&S)
also exercises authority, direction, and control over
Department of Defense (DOD) intelligence and security
agencies, field activities, policy, processes, procedures, and
products.
To give greater emphasis to the importance and scope of the
USD(I&S)'s security responsibilities, including primary
federal government responsibility for conducting
background investigations (consistent with Executive Order
13869), Congress redesignated the position of Under
Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (USD(I)) as the Under
Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security
(USD(I&S)) in the National Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020 (Section 1621 of P.L. 116-
92).
As the head of the defense intelligence and security
enterprise, the USD(I&S) has responsibility for a significant
portion of the personnel and funding supporting the
Intelligence Community (IC) overall. The USD(I&S) and
staff, however, are not themselves statutory elements of the
IC. Title 50 U.S. Code §3003(4) lists the 17 organizational
elements of the IC, two of which are independent-the
Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and
Central Intelligence Agency-and 15 of which are
components of six separate departments of the federal
government. The eight IC elements within the DOD
comprise the defense intelligence and security enterprise
overseen by the USD(I&S). They include the Defense
Intelligence Agency (DIA), National Geospatial
Intelligence Agency (NGA), National Security Agency
(NSA), National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the
intelligence components of the Navy, Marine Corps, Army,
and Air Force. These elements, in turn, provide the Joint
Staff and Combatant Commands with the personnel and
expertise for their component joint intelligence
organizations. The USD(I&S) also oversees the small
intelligence component of the U.S. Space Force that is
currently not a statutory element of the IC.
Origin of the USD() Position
Leadership of intelligence-related functions within the
Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) has been
realigned multiple times over the course of DOD's history.
The most recent development came when Congress
established the USD(I) position in the aftermath of the 9/11
terror attacks.
DOD asserted at the time that in exercising delegated
oversight over intelligence, CI, and security functions, the
position would provide the Secretary of Defense with the
flexibility he requires to respond to heightened demands on
the [DOD] to support the President's efforts to prevent and
respond to acts of terrorism against the United States. The
legislative language establishing the position of USD(I) was
included under Section 901 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (P.L. 107-314),
which was codified as Section 137 of Title 10, United
States Code.
USD(I&S)s to Date
* Stephen A. Cambone (March 2003-December 2006)
James R. Clapper (April 2007-August 20 10)
Michael G. Vickers (March 201 1-April 2015)
Marcel Lettre (December 2015-January 2017)
Todd Lowery (acting) (anuary 2017-June 2017)
Kari Bingen (acting) (June 2017-December 2017)
Joseph D. Kernan (December 2017-November 2020)
Ezra Cohen-Watnick (acting) (November 2020-January
2021)
Origin of Dual-Hatted Role for USD(&S)
In May 2007, the Secretary of Defense and the Director of
National Intelligence (DNI) signed a Memorandum of
Agreement (MOA) to establish a dual role for the USD(I).
In a news release announcing the issuance of the MOA,
then-USD(I) James Clapper indicated that the creation of a
Director of Defense Intelligence (DDI) position was
intended to strengthen the relationship between the DNI
and the DOD ... [and] to facilitate staff interaction and
promote synchronization. Under the dual-hatting
arrangement, the incumbent acts as the USD(I&S) within
the OSD, and acts as the DDI within the ODNI.
The DNI and the USD(I&S) together coordinate a number
of interagency activities designed to facilitate the
integration of national- and tactical-level intelligence
activities. When acting as DDI, the USD(I&S) reports
directly to the DNI and serves as his or her principal
advisor regarding defense intelligence. The USD(I&S)
ensures defense intelligence is coordinated and aligned with
IC programs and priorities, and addresses strategic, tactical,
or operational requirements supporting military strategy and
operations. The USD(I&S) and staff, therefore, provide
strategic direction and oversight of the defense products and
services derived from the collection, processing, evaluation,
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