Leadership of the National Reconnaissance Office

The Director of the National Reconnaissance Office (DNRO) of the United States is responsible to the Secretary of Defense (through the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence) and the Director of National Intelligence for all national space and assigned airborne reconnaissance activities. The DNRO provides top-level management direction to the NRO in response to Secretary of Defense and Director of National Intelligence requirements.

Chronological list of National Reconnaissance Office directors[]

This is a list of directors of the NRO, and the terms in office.

Photo	Name	Term of Office	Presidential Administration(s)	Significant events
	Dr. Richard M. Bissell, Jr.	September 1961 – February 1962[1]	Kennedy	Co-director with Dr. Charyk
	Dr. Joseph V. Charyk	September 1961 – March 1963	Kennedy	First NRO co-director
	Dr. Brockway McMillan	March 1963 – October 1965	Kennedy/Johnson
	Dr. Alexander H. Flax	October 1965 – March 1969	Johnson
	Dr. John L. McLucas	March 1969 – December 1973	Nixon
	Mr. James W. Plummer	December 1973 – June 1976	Nixon/Ford
	Mr. Thomas C. Reed	August 1976 – April 1977	Ford/Carter
	Dr. Hans Mark	August 1977 – October 1979	Carter
	Dr. Robert J. Hermann	October 1979 – August 1981	Carter/Reagan
	Mr. Edward (Pete) C. Aldridge, Jr.	August 1981 – December 1988	Reagan
	Mr. Martin C. Faga	September 1989 – March 1993	Bush/Clinton	Declassification of NRO
	Mr. Jeffrey K. Harris	May 1994 – February 1996	Clinton	Declassification of CORONA/ARGON/LANYARD
	Mr. Keith R. Hall	March 1997 to December 2001	Clinton/Bush	September 11, 2001 attacks
	Mr. Peter B. Teets	December 2001 – March 2005	Bush
	Dr. Donald M. Kerr	July 2005 – October 2007	Bush
	Mr. Scott F. Large	October 2007 – April 2009[2]	Bush/Obama
	General Bruce Carlson, USAF (Ret.)	June 2009 – July 2012[3]	Obama
	Ms. Betty J. Sapp	July 2012 – April 2019	Obama/Trump	First woman NRO Director
	Dr. Christopher Scolese	August 2019 – present	Trump/Biden	First presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed NRO Director[4]

List of Deputy Directors of National Reconnaissance Office[]

This list is incomplete; you can help by . (July 2021)

• Maj Gen John T. Sheridan
• Maj Gen Ellen M. Pawlikowski
• Maj Gen Susan K. Mashiko
• Maj Gen Anthony J. Cotton
• Maj Gen Stephen Denker
• Maj Gen Mark Baird
• Maj Gen Michael Guetlein
• Maj Gen Donna D. Shipton

See also[]

• Under Secretary of the Air Force

References[]