DIA welcomes 2nd Deputy Director for Commonwealth Integration
By Loren Blinde
January 21, 2018
On January 19, the Defense Intelligence Agency announced the appointment of Maj. Gen. John Howard, New Zealand Defence Forces, as the agency’s second deputy director for commonwealth integration.
Howard takes over for Air Vice Marshal Sean Corbett, U.K. Royal Air Force, who served as the first-ever DDCI from October 2015 to January 2018.
The DDCI is the DIA Director’s senior advisor on all Five Eyes (FVEY) defense and intelligence issues and works to increase collaboration and intelligence sharing between allies. FVEY is an intelligence alliance between the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
Corbett was the first foreign national deputy director of any U.S. intelligence agency. During his tenure, DIA more than doubled the amount of intelligence products made available to its FVEY partners, increased training opportunities, interoperability and developed various common intelligence practices.
“It’s been an immense privilege, and I am extremely honored to have served at DIA and within the U.S. intelligence community,” Corbett said. “Partner integration is an important and enduring effort and I am proud of what we’ve achieved.”
Howard comes to DIA after nearly three years as the New Zealand Chief of Defence Intelligence. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College and served for 18 months at U.S. Central Command in Tampa, FL.
Source: DIA
