VADM Frank Whitworth III

Director

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)

Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth is the eighth Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. He leads and directs NGA under the authorities of the Secretary of Defense and Director of National Intelligence. He became NGA’s director on June 3, 2022.

Whitworth is a 1989 graduate of Duke University Durham, North Carolina, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He holds a Master of Arts in National Security Studies from Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, as well as a diploma from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

Whitworth’s command tours included commander, Joint Intelligence Center Central; commanding officer, Navy Element of U.S. Central Command; and commanding officer, Kennedy Irregular Warfare Center.

Whitworth’s operational tours included director of Intelligence for The Joint Staff, director of Intelligence for U.S. Africa Command, director of Intelligence for Joint Special Operations Command, director of Intelligence and deputy director of Maritime Operations Center for Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. Fifth Fleet; director of Intelligence for a Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan during three deployments supporting Operation Enduring Freedom; director of Intelligence for Naval Special Warfare Development Group; special assistant for Political-Military Affairs at U.S. Sixth Fleet during Operation Allied Force; indications and warning officer at U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. Fifth Fleet, in support of Operation Desert Storm; and intelligence officer for Fighter squadron 31 during USS Forrestal’s deployment in support of Operation Provide Comfort.

Whitworth’s shore-based tours included the National Security Agency, chief of targets for the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility; Navy federal executive fellow to American Enterprise Institute; senior duty officer at the White House Situation Room; intelligence briefer for the Chief of Naval Operations and Secretary of the Navy; and intelligence watch analyst at the Office of Naval Intelligence and the National Military Joint Intelligence Center.

Whitworth is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. His decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal (three awards), Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (four awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal (four awards), as well as the Edwin T. Layton Leadership Award, Vice Admiral Rufus L. Taylor Leadership Award, the Army’s Knowlton Award for excellence in intelligence, the Republic of France’s Médaille de la Défense nationale (Gold), and the Defense Intelligence Agency Director's Award.

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