NGA announces new director of operations

Major General Linda Urritia-Varhall Bio PhotoU.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Linda R. Urrutia-Varhall has been selected to serve as director of operations at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, responsible for NGA’s worldwide operational support and the execution of the agency’s mission across the intelligence community and Department of Defense, NGA announced June 10.

Urrutia-Varhall will transition to NGA from her position as the assistant deputy chief of staff, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, at the Pentagon.

“I’m eager to add UV [Urrutia-Varhall] to NGA’s leadership team,” said NGA Director Robert Cardillo in a message to the workforce. “I have worked with UV before and know she brings remarkable skill and experience to this important position. She knows the intelligence community and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations from the flight line to the Pentagon.”

Earlier in her career, she served at key intelligence positions to include the director of intelligence at U.S. Southern Command, the senior executive officer to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and earlier, as Director Clapper’s senior military assistant when he served as the undersecretary of defense, intelligence. She also served in Air Force command and staff positions in Korea and Europe.

Urrutia-Varhall graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a bachelor’s of science degree in civil engineering and was a distinguished graduate from the Defense Intelligence College. She also spent a year as a defense fellow at Georgetown University.​

​Source: NGA