Introduction to DIA

The Defense Intelligence Agency is a Department of Defense combat support agency and an important member of the United States Intelligence Community. With more than 16,500 military and civilian employees worldwide, DIA is a major producer and manager of foreign military intelligence. We provide military intelligence to warfighters, defense policymakers and force planners, in the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community, in support of U.S. military planning and operations and weapon systems acquisition.

The Director of DIA is a three-star military officer who serves as principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense and to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on matters of military intelligence. The Director also chairs the Military Intelligence Board, which coordinates activities of the defense intelligence community.

DIA is headquartered at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., with major operational activities at the Defense Intelligence Analysis Center (DIAC), Washington, D.C., the National Center for Medical Intelligence (NCMI), Frederick, Maryland, and the Missile and Space Intelligence Center (MSIC), Huntsville, Alabama.

Our workforce is as diverse as our missions.  We possess a workforce skilled in the areas of military history and doctrine, economics, physics, chemistry, world history, political science, bio-sciences, and computer sciences, to name a few.

Our mission is to satisfy the military and military-related intelligence requirements of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the DNI, and provide the military intelligence contribution to national foreign intelligence and counterintelligence. We plan, manage, and execute intelligence operations during peacetime, crisis, and war. We serve as the DoD lead for coordinating intelligence support to meet COCOM requirements; lead efforts to align analysis, collection, and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) activities with all operations; and link and synchronize Military, Defense, and National Intelligence capabilities.

Our employees travel the world, and meet and work closely with other professionals from foreign countries. We offer our employees personal development through many education and training programs. We provide our employees with state-of-the-art computers and technical equipment needed to perform our mission. We offer worldwide assignments within DIA, to other U. S. agencies and to military centers of excellence.

Mission Statement

MISSION

DIA is first in all-source defense intelligence to prevent strategic surprise and deliver a decision advantage to warfighters, defense planners, and policymakers. We deploy globally alongside warfighters and interagency partners to defend America's national security interests.

VISION

One Defense Intelligence Team of highly skilled, agile, and accountable professionals, equipped with leading-edge training and technology, strengthened by partnerships, and able to adapt operationally to provide all-source defense intelligence, whenever and wherever required, in support of the warfighter and the Nation.

VALUES

We are committed to:

Teamwork: Partnering at all levels and across organizational boundaries for mission accomplishment.
Integrity: Adherence to the highest legal and ethical principles in our responsibilities.
Excellence: Unrivaled defense intelligence expertise.
Service: Putting the welfare of the Nation and commitment to our mission before oneself.

Locations

Most of DIA's activities are performed at the Defense Intelligence Analysis Center at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, DC.  The Agency's headquarters are located at the Pentagon.

There are additional locations in Arlington, Virginia, Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland, and Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.

Metropolitan Washington, DC

When you work at DIA, you'll share the excitement of one of the world's most important cities.  Metropolitan Washington offers an array of cultural, educational, and recreational possibilities that no other area in the country can equal.  At your doorstep are national monuments and memorials; the Smithsonian museums; the Kennedy Center; internationally renowned universities and learning centers; endless parks and wooded areas; and you'll be within an easy drive of the Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis, Baltimore, and a host of other attractions.

U.S. Defense Attaché Offices, Worldwide

DIA employs a limited number of secretaries and bilingual research technicians in U.S. Defense Attaché Offices located at U.S. embassies worldwide.  For the adventurous few, these assignments (some requiring language proficiency) offer a unique opportunity to live and work in exciting overseas locations primarily in Europe and Latin America.

U.S. Combatant Commands (COCOMS), Worldwide

DIA employs a number of staff within each of the 8 different Combatant Commands: These commands are organized along geographical basis or on a functional basis.

• US Central Command(CENTCOM)
• US European Command(EUCOM)
• US Pacific Command(PACOM)
• US Special Operations Command(SOCOMM)
• US Strategic Command(STRATCOM)
• US Southern Command(SOUTHCOM)
• US Northern Command(NORAD/NORTHCOM)
• US Transportation Command(TRANSCOM)

These exciting assignments help support the various military branches with their continuing broad and global missions.

Fort Detrick - Frederick, Maryland

DIA also employs a limited number of medical intelligence analysts, support professionals, and support assistants at the Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center, located at Ft. Detrick in Frederick, Maryland.

Maryland's largest county, Frederick County is located in the backyards of Washington, D.C. and Baltimore and serves as the gateway to the mountains of Western Maryland.  The city of Frederick boasts a thriving business district with a wide array of specialty stores, art galleries and antique shops, as well as a delectable assortment of restaurants.  The county offers miles of open farmland, four wineries, several state and national parks, a Civil War battlefield, and 13 towns.

Redstone Arsenal - Huntsville, Alabama

DIA employs a variety of engineering analysts, support professionals, and support assistants at the Missile & Space Intelligence Center at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.  Huntsville, with over 190,000 residents, is the fourth largest city in Alabama. Founded in 1805, Huntsville today is a diversified community supporting a wide range of high technology, industrial, and international trade activities.  It is the home of NASA's Space and Rocket Center.