NEWS

New Series Focuses on Defense Intelligence History

10/6/2011

This week the DIA History Office began publishing a new essay series — Defense Intelligence Historical Perspectives. Issue number one, "Legacy of Ashes, Trial by Fire: The Origins of the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Cuban Missile Crisis Crucible," is now available.

"Legacy of Ashes, Trial by Fire" explores the emergence of DIA from the confused state of military intelligence in the early years of the Cold War and examines both its successes and failures during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The issue shows that while DIA officials were able to make sweeping changes to the United States' military intelligence structure with the advent of the new agency, they also suffered from resistance from the military services and from self-inflicted wounds that badly hampered DIA's performance.

Defense Intelligence Historical Perspectives will be an ongoing series of essays examining broadly defined historical defense intelligence issues. The publication's goal is to impart both a better knowledge of DIA and intelligence community history and provide historical lessons learned. Currently, future editions are scheduled through 2012. Issue number two, "The Vietnam Conundrum: Defense Intelligence in the War for Southeast Asia," will be available in December.

Click here to download a PDF of "Legacy of Ashes, Trial by Fire: The Origins of the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Cuban Missile Crisis Crucible" »

DIA is the nation’s premier all-source military intelligence organization.

It provides the nation’s most authoritative assessments of foreign military intentions and capabilities. The agency’s four core competencies -- human intelligence, all-source analysis, counterintelligence and technical intelligence -- enable military operations while also informing policy-makers at the defense and national levels.

DIA’s mission is unique and no other agency matches its military expertise across such a broad range of intelligence disciplines.