DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY

The 'Director of the National Security Agency', also known as 'DIRNSA', is the highest-ranking official within the National Security Agency and the Central Security Service. According to Section 201 of Title 10, the Director of the NSA/CSS is recommended by the U.S. Secretary of Defense and approved by the President of the United States. In accordance with Department of Defense Directive 5100.20, dated December 23, 1971, the Director of the NSA and Chief of the CSS must always be a commissioned officer of the military services with at least the grade of a three star lieutenant general or vice admiral during the period of his incumbency. The Deputy Director is always a technically-experienced civilian.
The current director is Lieutenant General Keith B. Alexander, U.S. Army.

Contents

AFSA directors

NSA directors

References

AFSA directors

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

#	Director	Term	President(s) served under
'1'	Earle Stone	1949–1951	Harry S. Truman
'2'	Ralph Canine	1951–1952	Harry S. Truman

NSA directors

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

References

★ List of former NSA directors

★ FAQ: About the NSA