Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence

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Under Secretary Stephen Cambone

The Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence is a position within the United States government that acts as the principal advisor to the United States Secretary of Defense on matters relating to intelligence. Stephen Cambone was sworn in as the first and incumbent Under Secretary on March 11, 2003. The Under Secretary is a civilian appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

The position was created by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003. It became second in the line of succession for the Secretary of Defense, after the Deputy Secretary of Defense, after an executive order was made by President George W. Bush on December 22, 2005. When it was created, the legislation described it as taking precedence in the Department behind the Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness.

On November 23, 2005, a Department of Defense Directive was made by Secretary Rumsfeld that stated that the Under Secretary shall serve as the Secretary's primary representative to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. It also stated the Under Secretary shall provide policy and oversight on the training and career development of personnel in Department of Defense's counterterrorism, intelligence, and security components. The Under Secretary has the duty of finding candidates to be nominated to serve as Directors of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the National Security Agency, and overseeing their performance.