Whereas, the Defense Intelligence Agency was created in 1961 as the United States lead military intelligence organization, approved by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara on July 5, 1961, and activated on October 1, 1961;
Whereas, with military and civilian employees worldwide, the Defense Intelligence Agency produces military intelligence to warfighters and policymakers in the Department of Defense and the intelligence community, to support United States military planning, operations, and weapon systems acquisition;
Whereas the Defense Intelligence Agency possesses a diverse and expeditionary workforce that conducts all-source analysis, intelligence collection, and information technology infrastructure support around the world;
Whereas the Defense Intelligence Agency plays a critical role within the Department of Defense, the combatant commands, the intelligence community, and the Defense Intelligence Enterprise through the Defense Attache System, Defense Counterintelligence and HUMINT Center, National Defense Intelligence College, National Media Exploitation Center, and National Center for Credibility Assessment;
Whereas the Defense Intelligence Agency leads the defense all-source analytic community including the Directorate for Analysis and four specialized centers known as the Underground Facility Analysis Center, the National Center for Medical Intelligence, the Joint Intelligence Task Force-Combating Terrorism, and the Missile and Space Intelligence Center, as well as synchronizes the analytic efforts of the Army National Ground Intelligence Center, Office of Naval Intelligence, Air Force National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Marine Corps Intelligence Activity, and ten United States combatant command intelligence centers;
Whereas the Defense Intelligence Agency has throughout its history provided intelligence support to United States policy makers and military commanders in both war and peacetime during significant national security events including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam conflict, the Cold War and its aftermath, operations against state-sponsored terrorist organizations, Operation Desert Storm, and in support of United States military and coalition operations in Somalia, the former Yugoslavia, and Haiti;
Whereas, since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the men and women of the Defense Intelligence Agency have worked diligently to deter, detect, and prevent acts of terror by providing intelligence support to United States and coalition forces in support of the Global War on Terror, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and Operation Iraqi Freedom; and
Whereas the Defense Intelligence Agency and subordinate organizations within the Agency have been awarded seven Joint Meritorious Unit Awards reflecting the distinctive accomplishments of the personnel assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency: Now, therefore, be it
- Resolved, That the Senate--
- (1) congratulates the men and women of the Defense Intelligence Agency on the occasion of the Agency's 50th Anniversary;
- (2) honors the heroic sacrifice of the employees of the Defense Intelligence Agency who have given their lives, or have been wounded or injured, in the service of the United States during the past 50 years; and
- (3) expresses gratitude to all the men and women of the Defense Intelligence Agency for their past and continued efforts to provide timely and accurate intelligence support to deliver overwhelming advantage to our warfighters, defense planners, and defense and national security policymakers in the defense and security of the United States.
