Office of Public Affairs, Department of Defense, Release No. 777-61, "Department of Defense Announces New Defense Intelligence Agency," August 2, 1961. Unclassified.

NEWS RELEASE
PLEASE NOTE DATE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Washington 25, D.C.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 2, 1961
NO. 777-61
OXford 53201

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ANNOUNCES
NEW DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell L. Gilpatric today announced the
establishment of a new military intelligence organization, the Defense
Intelligence Agency (DIA). This new Defense Agency will report through the
Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense and will combine a number
of intelligence functions heretofore carried out independently by the
separate military departments. Consolidation of certain intelligence
functions under the Joint Chiefs of Staff is in full consonance with the
concepts embodied in the National Security Act of 1947, as amended, and
particularly the provisions of the Defense Reorganization Act of 1958.

Mr. Gilpatric emphasized that this significant change in the organization and
management of Defense intelligence functions has been made with the approval
of President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board.

Mr. Gilpatric characterized the principal objectives in establishing the DIA
as obtaining greater unity of effort among all components of the Department
of Defense in developing military intelligence and as strengthening the over-
all capacity of the Department for collection, production and dissemination
of Defense intelligence information.

Mr. Gilpatric also stated that Secretary of Defense McNamara and he expected
that this new Defense Agency would result in more efficient allocation of
critical intelligence resources, more effective management of all Department
of Defense intelligence activities, and the elimination of duplicating
facilities, organizations and tasks.

The establishment of the Defense Intelligence Agency was based primarily on a
concept and plan developed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the request of
Secretary McNamara. It represents the culmination of intensive studies on
Defense intelligence activities conducted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and
other components of the DoD over the last six months.

Mr. Gilpatric said that the new Defense Intelligence Agency will follow a
carefully planned, time-phased schedule of implementation, and that it would
take a period of time to become fully operational. He emphasized that the
implementation schedule will be carefully arranged so that there will be no
disruption of vital DoD intelligence activities or capabilities during the
activation period.

It is anticipated that the Director of the new agency will be a three star
general or flag officer on active duty. His term of office will be for four
years and his appointment will be announced shortly.

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