Maj. Gen. Vincent Stewart, who heads the Marine Forces Cyber Command, will be promoted to director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) later this month.
Stewart will assume his new responsibilities on Jan. 23, making him the first African-American, and the first Marine, to head the DIA. The agency is known as a top military spy organization for the U.S., and according to DIA's site, “provides military intelligence to warfighters, defense policymakers and force planners in the Department of Defense and intelligence community.”
In an announcement, the DIA said that Stewart will become the 20th director of the agency.
Stewart, a Marine three-star general, will take the DIA post following the August 2014 retirement of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the agency's former chief. David Shedd has served as DIA's interim director.