 Ladies and gentlemen, the spouses of the official party, Mrs. Annie Berrier and Dr. Susie Cruz are now being escorted to their seats. Good morning. Welcome to today's ceremony. Please stand for the arrival of the official party, honors, and the presentation of the colors. Please remain standing for the singing of the National Anthem by Mrs. Maria Gordon, Mrs. Wanda Lawson, and Mr. David Lawson, followed by the invocation. Ladies and gentlemen, Lieutenant Colonel Joe Cornike, chaplain of the Defense Intelligence Agency, will now give the invocation. Please join me in prayer. Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for this gathering today as we witness this historic event, the change of directorship of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Lord, we acknowledge your faithful provision of intelligence professionals serving tirelessly around the world, committed to excellence in defense of the nation. Surrounded in this hall by decades of our rich history, we are thankful for our unique role in preventing, and when necessary, decisively winning our nation's wars. Today, surrounded by our past, we look to the future in a new chapter in our mission, and we humbly invite your presence. Lord, we give you thanks this day for the faithful and sacrificial service of Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, our 22nd director. For the last three and a half years, General Berrier has stood the watch and answered our nation's call for a heliotropic leader to give vision and empowerment to our civilian and military personnel. He modeled the principle of leading with love, taking an active interest in the lives and careers of those he led, setting an example for leaders at every level to do the same. Most notably, on this point, he invited the physical well-being of those of us blessed to embrace the pain in Team 22's morning workouts. He had the courage to constantly move to friction, knowing that problems don't simply go away by ignoring them, but must be addressed head-on. We are thankful, Lord, for this example that you have given us, and I pray that all of us will embody these principles as a legacy to General Berrier. We stand thankful as well for the sacrifices that Annie, Cole, Connor, Micah, Amanda, Jack, and Maeve have had to make. The long hours, the extensive worldwide travel, and the burden of leadership often meant delays, detours, and even cancellations of those things that are most important to the family. We invite your richest blessings on General Berrier and Annie and the entire family as they move to the next chapter in their mission. And Lord, we welcome Lieutenant General Jeffrey Cruz, along with his wife, Susie, to the DIA family. Lord, he is no stranger to the mission that we provide our nation's leaders, and we are honored to have him as our 23rd director. And I pray you give General Cruz divine wisdom, strengthen his mind and his body, and protect his home. May he take to heart the words of the prophet Isaiah, who said they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Lord, in all that we say and do today, may you be honored and glorified, and in your holy and matchless name we pray. Thank you, Chaplain Cornie. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. Our host for today's ceremony is the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Kathleen H. Hicks. We extend a warm welcome to Lieutenant General Berrier's wife, Annie, their sons, Cole and Connor, their daughters-in-law, Micah and Amanda, as well as their grandchildren, Jack and Maeve. Also in intense day are Lieutenant General Berrier's brothers, Mark and Matt. A very special welcome to Lieutenant General Cruz's wife, Susie. And representing his extended family, his sister and brother-in-law, Joe and Fred, their children, Justin, Toby, Brady and each of their families, as well as their plethora of friends, family, neighbors and mentors, both here in person and joining virtually. This morning you'll witness Lieutenant General Scott D. Berrier relinquish the directorship of the Defense Intelligence Agency to Lieutenant General Jeffrey A. Cruz. Today's event is rooted in military history, dating back to the 18th century when organizational flags were developed with colors and symbols unique to each unit. The passing of the colors from one director to another is significant in many ways. The history, traditions and accomplishments of a unit are embodied in the colors you will see past before you today. The colors record the glories of the past. They stand guard in the present and ensure inspiration for the future. At this time, Miss Annie Berrier is being presented with a bouquet of red flowers symbolic of the loving support she has shown her husband in his commitment to excellence as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. At this time, Dr. Susie Cruz is being presented with a bouquet of yellow flowers to welcome her into the DIA family. Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the director of National Intelligence, the Honorable Avril Haynes. Thank you so much and really just it is an honor to have an opportunity to say a few words at this ceremony. It's so wonderful to see so many among other things of our past and our current distinguished leaders of the intelligence community. But General Berrier, Annie, I feel compelled to use first names because I feel as if this is part of our family, Jeff and Susie. And of course, Kath, you know, Ron, Chris, the Chris Colise is here I heard as well, like Christy and Stacey is here. There's so many people and I think it's part of just all of us coming together, honestly, to celebrate and to support in this moment, in the history of DIA, but also in the history of the intelligence community. And there are also a number of very special international partners here, which I think has been characteristic of DIA's work, including the Ambassador of Ukraine, as you saw. And with them, the family, the friends, colleagues of Scotty and Jeff, who are here to celebrate this transition. It's truly a privilege to have the opportunity to be here and to really thank Scotty sincerely for his extraordinary service to our country for over nearly four decades. Both as an Army Intelligence Officer and as the leader of the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. To Scotty's family, Annie, Cole, Mika, Connor and Amanda, and also the grandkids, Jack and Maeve, who are clearly the stars of this entire show. Thank you so much for sharing Scotty with us. We know how important you all are to Scotty and by extension to us. And none of us would be able to do our jobs without the love and support, sacrifices, understanding of those closest to us. And I know Scotty is no exception to that role. And Scotty, it's been a gift to call you a friend and a valued colleague since I came back into government a little over three years ago into this position. And I don't know if you're going to remember this, but our first call was in my first week on the job. You remember this, right? Yeah. It was one evening. I got out of a meeting late one night at the White House. And when I made it back to my car, guys told me I've received two secure calls. One was from the chairman and one was from the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. So I thought, okay, I should call the chairman back first, right? So I called him first. I couldn't reach him. And then I called Scotty. And after we introduced ourselves for a moment, you warned me that I'd probably be getting a call from the chairman. And he said, he's a great man, carefully explained, but he's very upset and he's not good at hiding it. I call that good intel. You then proceeded to tell me what had gone wrong and prepared me for the moment and we fixed the problem. But I knew right then I was going to be calling you first the next time that happened. But truly, your extraordinary warmth, your passion for the workforce, for the mission, your commitment to solving problems, really to strengthening our partnerships, our alliances just make you exceptional. And you wear your heart on your sleeve and I love that about you. And I could not be prouder to have worked with you and I'm so grateful for all that you've taught me during the time that we've had to work together. This is clearly a period of great challenges for our country. And honestly, what gives me optimism for the future was what I think of as sort of our secret weapon, is the institutions that we've built made up of such remarkable people who are guided by our common values and our fundamental belief in self-governance. But to work as intended, all of it has to be grounded in an ethical culture. And leaders like you safeguard our country by safeguarding our institutions and inculcating that ethical culture, which enables us to pursue the American dream, a country that is governed by the people, for the people, pursuant to the values that we were founded on. And you've done this during times of crisis and turmoil from the COVID-19 pandemic to Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine to the crisis in Gaza and the surrounding region to the ever-present strategic challenges posed by China to the widening scope of our mission sets that now address non-traditional national security threats such as climate change, global health security, and the challenges presented by new and emerging technologies, navigating the shifting landscape together, has depended greatly on our ability to remain flexible, to learn and to adapt quickly and all while focused on what is actually best for the nation, our partners, and our future. And through it all, you've ensured DIA and its more than 16,000 officers worldwide were well-positioned to not only tackle the challenges of today but to stay ahead of those for tomorrow. And on a personal note, whether in excoms or during our regular check-in calls or in prep for hill briefings, I've always counted on you for your frank, insightful, trusted advice and perspectives. And as you depart, rest assured, you leave a stronger, more responsive, more capable DIA than before. Leaders are in many ways defined and remembered by their legacies and after an exceptional career in public service, Scotty, your legacy is cemented. As DIA director, you stood up to the China mission group to help America better respond to our strategic competition. With the PRC, you also expanded DIA's footprint in the Indo-Pacific, building the systems, knowledge, relationships that were required in that region. And under your leadership, DIA has prioritized investing and modernizing its systems capabilities by fostering a culture of innovation through tools such as AI and machine learning. And you promoted diversity in your workforce, pulling down barriers, setting new standards for the rest of the community. And your efforts, DIA's efforts, have helped to ensure the best insights are delivered to the warfighter and that our analysis in the IC benefited from the warfighter's own insights so as to inform our products and policymakers. And Scotty, put simply, across your exceptional career, you've embodied the core values that define so much of what we do in the intelligence community. DIA's own values, teamwork, initiative, integrity, accountability, and of course excellence. And you deserve all that life has to offer in retirement and I hope you actually take it. And on behalf of the entire intelligence community, I want to sincerely thank you for all you've done. You will be missed. I also just want to say a few words about General Cruz. Scotty, I cannot think of a better person to carry forth the work that you've done here than Jeff, who is one of those truly rare leaders who is capable of dealing with intense detail and still thinking strategically. As you move to lead us in other arenas, you're leaving DIA in truly good hands under the direction of Lieutenant General Cruz. And Jeff, I want to extend the warmest welcome to you and your family as you take on the helm of DIA today. And Scotty, you have my highest respect and admiration and my full support. And while I've been so grateful for the opportunity to serve with you at ODNI, honestly, I'm so excited for the opportunity that you have before us. As you well know, DIA is an absolutely extraordinary institution with some of the most exceptionally talented, innovative and patriotic people in the country. And I cannot imagine anyone more uniquely qualified than you to build on Scotty's work into the future. And to the DIA workforce, Jeff embodies everything this agency represents, and you will quickly learn that he has a steady hand in times of crisis, is a kind but action-oriented leader with integrity who will be a source of empathy, of optimism, and of laughter when you need it most. And Jeff, I cannot wait to see what you will accomplish in your new role and how you will inspire DIA's current and future workforces. And I look forward to our continued partnership across the defense and intelligence communities and with our officers and partners worldwide. And Scotty, I also can't wait to see what the next phase of your piece looks like. Thank you so much. Thank you, Honorable Haynes. Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Kathleen H. Hicks. Good morning, everyone. Good morning to Director Haynes, Lieutenant General Barrier, Lieutenant General Cruz, the many distinguished guests, members of the diplomatic community, family, and friends of DIA. And finally to the people of the Defense Intelligence Agency, thank you all for joining us. It's great for me to be back at DIA. As I said last time, I was here. The intelligence that you collect, analyze, and disseminate is indispensable and a vital tool that Secretary Austin and I use every single day. The Defense Department is smarter and stronger thanks to the hard work of DIA's professionals, military and civilian, who work day and night around the world. And please join me in a round of applause for this workforce. We rely on DIA and the entire Defense Intelligence Enterprise for insights on all the challenges we face. From the People's Republic of China, which is today America's most consequential strategic competitor on the global stage. From Russia, which presents an acute threat to the international system, as illustrated by its ongoing cruel war of choice against Ukraine. From persistent regional threats like North Korea, Iran, and violent extremist organizations, and from borderless threats like pandemics and climate change. Most of these are areas DIA has focused on for a long time, but over the last three plus years, this entire agency and its leadership has made a concerted effort to better posture DIA for enduring strategic competition with the PRC. That's been a good thing because it's what the nation and our military need. And I know it isn't easy to reorient an agency like DIA with its over 16,000 personnel. There are many obstacles to overcome, operational and organizational. For example, our competitors have increasingly shut off their own people and the world from the free flow of information, making them what you in the Intel community would call denied territory. That requires shifting our approach and mindset. Even as we shouldn't forget the lessons learned over the last 20 plus years, it's also true that collection and analytic techniques for understanding a closed society like the Soviet Union was are becoming more applicable again. There's also the workforce dynamic of combining old hands with new blood, the challenge of learning from long time subject matter experts while benefiting from new perspectives. Bringing the two together can be transformational, but it requires active management, mutual respect and leadership at all levels. In many ways, adapting to confront a decade's long strategic competition with the PRC as our pacing challenge, requires deliberate disruption and discomfort, not unlike the pendulum swing toward counterterrorism that the national security community experienced after 9-11. It requires doubling down with confidence and urgency, recognizing that we're in a persistent generational competition for advantage and we have no time to waste doing more of the same. It also requires sharing more and partnering more, as DIA has done to great effect in recent years, operationalizing intelligence to provide crisis support for Ukraine since Russia began its latest invasion two years ago this month. And as you know, we can't surge trust, which makes it so important to strengthen collaboration with all of our allies and partners early and often. For over three years, the DIA team has done just this under the leadership of one of our most experienced military intelligence professionals, Lieutenant General Scottie Barrier. Before I go on, I want to share a few words about Scottie from Secretary Austin. Here's what he had to say. Through every assignment and deployment, your analytical expertise protected American and allied warfighters and defended our national security interests. Your vision and measured leadership under pressure provided our country's leaders with decision advantage and made America safer. The Secretary of Defense is speaking from the heart here, based on years of working with Scottie, going back more than two decades from the 10th Mountain Division to U.S. Central Command to here at DIA, and notably as his former CO. Scottie's career began during our nation's last period of strategic competition, and he rose through the ranks amid the transformation and turmoil of the post-Cold War and post-911 eras. Those experiences gave him a unique perspective that shaped his leadership of DIA in this new era of strategic competition. It's a perspective we must maintain, knowing that even as we focus on the pacing challenge, there are many threats out there. We need strong I&W in every region of the world. We can and will leave no stone unturned as we defend America and her interests. Scottie, your time leading DIA caps off almost 40 years of outstanding service in the U.S. Army, during which you commanded intel formations from the company size to this agency. You served as the two at all levels, Battalion and Brigade S-2, Division Corps and Army G-2, and J-2 for U.S. and Allied Forces in Korea, Afghanistan, and at SEDNCOM. And through it all, you've had the support of your wife, Annie. Over 25-plus moves and eight deployments since your Army journey began together up at Alaska's Fort Richardson so many years ago. I'm told that Annie, a dedicated equestrian, even joined in the soldiering at times, like at Fort Wachuka, where she rode with B-Trupe, 4th U.S. Calvary Regiment Memorial, a ceremonial unit that keeps alive the 150-year-old heritage of the U.S. Army in the Southwest. Together, you've raised two sons who continue your commitment to public service, Cole, who served on Capitol Hill in the office of Senator Brian Schatz and Connor, or as the Defense Department calls him, Lieutenant Commander Barrier, who is an active-duty naval officer. Like all military spouses, Annie has served and sacrificed, so have Cole and Connor and their wives, Micah and Amanda. To them, to Scotty's grandkids, Jack, who is really enjoying that lollipop, I have to say, excellent, and made, and to the whole Barrier family that supported him throughout his career, America thanks you. And Scotty, we're also grateful to you and Annie that you delayed your well-deserved retirement until your relief could get in place. The fact is, last year's unnecessary hold on general and flag officer confirmations had a real impact on leaders and their families, and DOD continues to repair the damage caused by its cascading effects. While we hope the worst is now behind us, make no mistake, that must never happen again. The good news is today, even though it is Groundhog Day, Scotty's relief is here. And as DIA's colors pass to Lieutenant General Jeff Cruz, we know he'll keep up the great work. Like Scotty, Jeff was an intelligence officer from his first assignment after commissioning out of Roxy. After his junior year in college, he stayed on campus to recruit new freshmen into Roxy. It's unclear how many he recruited, though, because that was also when Jeff met Susie and ended up engaged. A truly great summer, he later recalled, and we are grateful to Susie for her service and sacrifice ever since. Spanning nearly three and a half decades, Jeff's career has well prepared him for this moment. From being the Indo-Paycom J2, he deeply understands, pardon me, what it will take to continue deterring PRC aggression, and also why we can't take our eye off regional threats like North Korea or Iran, because we're a global force with global responsibilities, we must always be ready for anything. From being the Pentagon's Director of Defense Intelligence for Worthfighter support, and the first year-long embedded J2 of the Counter ISIS campaign, he knows what it means to get your clients the actionable intelligence they need to accomplish their missions. From his nearly 10 years long serving in continuous joint assignments since 2014, his entire time as a general officer, leading DIA will be his sixth joint assignment in a row. Jeff knows the value of bringing together intelligence from across the services, across domains, across the ints, to meet the strategic and operational needs of America's joint force. And as Director Haynes noted, he knows from serving at ODNI why it's so vital that DOD and the IC keep working well together. Now I will assess with more than moderate confidence that today that partnership is pretty great thanks to the many leaders in this room. But if anyone thinks that they can take our collaboration to even higher heights, chances are it's an Air Force general. Jeff is more than ready to continue strengthening the DOD-IC relationship. He'll be served well by the steady hand and the sense of humor that Director Haynes mentioned, and all of DIA will be too. Jeff, as you and your fellow intel professionals know well, even if it's not said nearly enough, intelligence isn't just a product, it's a relationship. You've got to be proactive on behalf of your clients, trust your people, and inspire them to meet the moment. And I have high confidence that you will. So to Jeff and Susie, welcome to an exciting new adventure. And to Scotty and Annie, thank you for everything you've done for DIA, for the Army, and for America. We wish you both and your family the best. Thank you. Thank you, Honorable Hicks. Ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable Kathleen Hicks will now officiate the change of directorship ceremony. Lieutenant General Berrier and Lieutenant General Cruz, please join Honorable Hicks in a stage for the Defense Intelligence Agency change of directorship. Sergeant Major Perry, POST! By direction of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Kathleen H. Hicks, Lieutenant General Scott D. Berrier, will relinquish the directorship of the Defense Intelligence Agency effective to February 2024. Lieutenant General Jeffrey A. Cruz is hereby appointed Director of Defense Intelligence Agency effective to February 2024. Ladies and gentlemen, Lieutenant General Scott D. Berrier. Wowzie. Hi, Mom. You're not here with us. We love you. Jack and Maeve are being very well-behaved, as are Colin Connor. Well, good morning, and thank you for attending today's change of directorship ceremony. Many of you have traveled a long way to be here at great cost and inconvenience. Alaska, that's right, Alaska. California, Wisconsin, Arizona, Florida, and other places within the National Capital Region. And we are oh, so grateful that you made it. Thank you. Madam Secretary, thank you for presiding this morning and thank you for your support. When you visited DIA last, you challenged us to stretch the limits of intelligence support to strategic competition. The team responded to your rally, and I'm proud to report that the team is well-postured to support the Department of Defense and the nation. Under Secretary Moultrie, thank you for your leadership and guidance. Our Defense Intelligence Enterprise is stronger than ever and more coordinated than it's ever been. You gave us what we needed. You vectored us on target when it was required. You allowed us to explore risk and you let us run. Thanks much, sir. Really appreciate it. D. and I, Haines, I often tell my colleagues if the intelligence community were a syndicate and we were all gangsters, you'd be the best Mafia boss ever. Thank you. Thank you. For both Avril and Ron, the U.S. intelligence community is perhaps our greatest national asset because you both encourage dialogue, you both listen, you both move to friction to solve problems. It's been especially fun and rewarding to have been in the arena with you both these last three years. To my fellow intelligence community leaders, a special thank you for attending and for the camaraderie. Director Ray and Director Burns, thank you for helping me perfect and patent my trusted congressional testimony technique. I call it Pouty Masculine. Pouty Masculine. Pouty Masculine is where you truthfully, of course, answer the questions with as few words as possible. Preferably yes or no. But the trick is no smiling and to look irritated with the members for even asking the question. That generally deflects follow-on questions to you guys and to Avril. Jeff, you might want to consider Pouty Masculine as you get ready to go in a couple weeks. Seriously, Jeff, to you and your family, congratulations. I'm really excited for you. You know better than most what a unique and special organization the D.I. truly is. There will be days when D.I.A.'s reach and complexity brings chaos. But more often, days when the clarity of our analysis exposes truth and clears the pathway for senior leaders to make decisions. I recommend you spend 10% of your time dealing with chaos and 90% of your time leading the team to clarity. They will thrive under your leadership and I'm anxious to see the progress in the coming weeks and months as you settle back into the D.I. family. Congratulations, my friend. I'm going to come back to this D.I.A. family in a moment. But before I do that, a refresher for those who may not know what makes D.I.A. so special. What is D.I.A.? It's awesome, Jack. Keep it up, buddy. What is D.I.A.? It's not only the beautiful building we're in today. It's not simply the foundational military intelligence we provide or the situational awareness and trust that we build. It's not solely strategic competition or even our 60-plus year history. D.I.A. is an organization comprised of consummate professionals, the people who work around the clock to deliver intelligence and insights to the Department of Defense and beyond. We are about using authorities granted under Title 50 to support the department's most perplexing Title 10 problems. Using those authorities to conduct clandestine activities, collection, and all-source analysis to help understand what's happening in every warfighting domain. On the collection side, D.I.A.'s robust human intelligence program runs full-spectrum operations every day. These highly trained professionals carefully and persistently engage for truly unique insights worldwide every day. On the technical side, D.I.A.'s vast sensor network covers everything from seabed to space. Our technical officers, scientists, and engineers work around the clock to improve our collection posture and ensure the right people get the right information on time. Our analysts, thousands of them, no matter where they are assigned, fuse all that collection and other all-source intelligence 24-7 to ensure our customers and leaders have what they need to understand and make decisions. All those collectors, technical officers, and analysts need care and feeding. I'd be remiss not to mention D.I.A.'s enabling force. All those who run the organization from behind the scenes, making sure that we are paid, trained, secured, supplied, talent managed, legally protected, and ready. We must also communicate securely, and we did, and we do. We are modernizing our top-secret network, expanding it and making it the most reliable communications platform for almost every federal agency. Likewise, we are enhancing our signature foundational military intelligence database. Formally known as MIDB, the MARS program of record is profoundly changing the way we do our business and how the entire department will receive and digest military intelligence. So how do we pull all that together to gain clarity? Here's how. We recognize the posture for strategic competition, and we prioritize China as our number one and our only number one. We double down on partnerships to ensure that we are making the most of opportunities, and we focus on operationalizing intelligence. The days of collection, analysis, and delivering bad news to senior leaders are gone. We must do more with our capabilities and authorities to help deliver the right effects. And that's exactly what we're doing every day and every theater. Now let me come back to this DI family to reflect on the fabulous professionals that make up this unique and global organization, civilians, military service members, and our contractors. From our newest officers who just arrived many fresh out of college, to our most seasoned and experienced leaders who've been at it since well before 9-11, DI's diverse workforce is committed to excellence and defense of our nation. You saw those words boldly imprinted on the portico when you walked past our, and then you walked past our DIA creed in the hallway. That creed is our guidepost, why we are here and what we are for. It speaks to commitment, integrity, accountability, and excellence in all that we do. We are here to defend the nation. We are for all-source foundational military intelligence. You ask and demand us to be the master sense makers of the strategic, operational, and tactical military environments, and we are. You need not look far to find excellence here. We are sitting in the middle of the Lieutenant General Vince Stewart Museum. Our history is all around us and our historians have created this space for you to learn about DIA's past. From the earliest days back during the Cuban Missile Crisis to the Cold War to the Vietnam War to the global war on terror and to this current era of great complexity. DIA has been the middle of it and quite frankly on top of it. Beyond DIA's history, the real story is about the people who made it happen. Those DIA officers caught in the gears of history who did the right thing in difficult circumstances, in some cases making the ultimate sacrifice. In all cases, doing so excellence committed to the nation. As I reflect on the last three years, every component of this agency has excelled. Through the pandemic, during the crisis of the Afghanistan withdrawal, through the horrendous Russian invasion of Ukraine, and now the conflict between Hamas and Israel. Our collection and all-source reporting significantly contributed to the understanding and decision-making for our government. We also learned a few things. We learned that even though we are right most of the time, occasionally we aren't. After action reviews and self-assessments are the hallmarks of great organizations. I've sat in those AARs and we've come out much better on the other side. Our posture today in two major regional conflicts is well-informed by lessons of the past. We also learned that partnerships are key and must be nourished every single day. A study of my calendar in the next three years and a study of Jeff's calendar in the next three years will reflect our high priority that we place on conversations with key partners. It's the only way we win and where DIA has an exceptionally high stature. Finally, we learned hard lessons about doing less with less. In a budget-constrained environment with surging inflation, you can't do it all. It seems easy, right? Stop doing those things that don't matter anymore. The reality is those things do matter to some and that's when cards and letters will flow in. Jeff, you'll be making some of those decisions soon. Give me a call. Happy to talk about it. I am proud and grateful to have had the opportunity to serve alongside all of you and thankful to the many leaders and officers who have touched me over my tenure here. To my DD4s, to my DD4s, the most senior leaders in the agency, you are a lively and wonderful bunch. You put up with my antics, you laughed at my slam poetry renditions, you tolerated Team 22 and glorious stories of burpees and barbell thrusters. You never locked the gate and the stallion never had to jump the fence. You never told me what I wanted to hear. I'll say that again, you never told me what I wanted to hear, but you always told me what I needed to hear. Thank you for your advice and support. For all of DIA, remember why we are here, what we are for and whom we serve. I know that you will remain committed to excellence and defense of our nation. And finally, to my bride and best friend of 37 years, Annie, thank you for your strength of character, your daily support. Don't, don't, don't. Your daily support. Thank you for your behavioral health counseling and testimony feedback. Testimony feedback is always critical when you get home from the hill, you'll hear about it. Sometimes those are very hard conversations. You raised our amazing sons to be better, you raised our amazing sons to be men of character and you make me a better man, husband, father, grandfather, and general. For everyone, Team Barrier has a date in a few hours over at the bowling club where the director of the Army staff, Lieutenant General Laura Potter, will retire us. All of you are invited. I might just do some slam poetry, but you'll have to, you'll have to attend to find out. Jeff, I wish you the best. Thank you, everybody. Thank you, General Barrier. The 23rd Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant General Jeffrey Cruz. All right. Well, good morning, everybody. Let me start simply by conveying to the incredible professionals of the Defense Intelligence Agency, it is so good to be home. I acknowledge you will not see in my biography anywhere an assignment to DIA. But like many things in the intelligence business, there's often more than meets DIA. A few of you know, I spent my first tour in the Air Force, actually attached to the Army, and the 18th Airborne Corps went off to an F-16 squadron and an Air Operations Center. At that point in my career, I thought I was the most tactically and operationally proficient Joint Intelligence Officer there was out there. And then I walked through the doors of this campus. Over 12 months, I literally received a graduate level education in Joint National Intelligence. At that time, DIA ran the Joint Military Intelligence College. It developed a curriculum. It provided all of the faculty. And in that one year, DIA exposed me to a much larger intelligence world. It gave me the skills and the networks and the accesses to apply that vast intelligence capability to directly support combat operations and national level policy makers for the entire rest of my career. And while over many years, I have been dependent upon or actually interdependent with DIA, particularly when deployed, or when in combat and command of J2 assignments, I always go back to my formative days here. And again, after 28 years walking out the door, it is truly good to be home. Secretary Hicks and Director Haynes, former directors, current heads of the intelligence community, congressional representatives, diplomats, fellow flag general officers, family friends and international partners, thanks for joining us today. As Lieutenant General Barrier has already mentioned, many of you have traveled a long way to be here, and many of you are taking time away from just your vast responsibilities here in the nation's capital. We are both, both of our families, are extraordinarily grateful and humbled by your presence. Madam Secretary, thank you for your kind remarks today, and thank you for your and Secretary Austin's and Chairman Brown's trust in me to take the helm of this great organization. More importantly, thank you for your leadership at the Department during this important complex and defining moment in our history. The world is in the throes of several concurrent challenges, geopolitical, technological, military, economics, and increasingly in the information space. And your insightful, steady and proactive leadership continues to be instrumental to the nation. My pledge is to ensure DIA remains an irreplaceable source of those insights and a tailored action arm for you in securing the nation's future. Director Haynes, I am not sure I'm quite ready to equate you to a mafia bust. A little too early. Bold moves, Scotty. Retirement must be liberating. But I am ready to echo Scotty's sentiments of your impact and just how professionally rewarding it has been to be on your staff and be on your team these last several years. The intelligence community has absolutely thrived under your leadership. You've built a sense of trust and confidence with the American people and drove national security outcomes that are repeatedly determinative of this nation's future. And you do it with a grace and a sense of humor and an energy that actually knows no bounds. So thank you, ma'am. To the partner in crime for both the Secretary and the Director, my thanks to the Honorable Ron Moultrie, who has been an indispensable partner and a trusted advisor across both the DOD and the intelligence communities. Sir, I look forward to continuing the relationship in this new role, and I look forward to your leadership as we renew our collective focus to integrate and synchronize the entirety of the Defense Intelligence Security Enterprise. I know that many of you know former Director Vince Stewart, who lends his name to this great museum. He used to say, if you recall, that we are able to stand where we are because of those that stood before us, those that stood with us, and those that stood by us, and I cannot agree more. To those that came before me, the former directors of DIA, several of you are here today, thanks for advancing DIA and its mission during your watch and making it the world-class organization that it is today. I am humbled to take the baton and carry on your work. To those that stood with me over many years of service, mentors, supervisors, peers and subordinates, thanks for your guidance and your friendship and your education. Well, I can't mention them all. A few probably truly stand out after 33 years. Brigadier General Calcopic and Lieutenant General Bob Otto, Mr. Brian Fishpaw and Mr. Mike McGee, Chief Gary Smith in Master Guns, Joe DeVila, Admiral's, Harry Harris and Joe Ellis, and General's Fingers Goldfein and Phil Breedlove. You'll notice that really does span the officer, the enlisted in the civilian corps, as well as multiple services. I think that is illuminating, and for the mining team that I'm joining today, perhaps in sight, into how I am wired, and how I think. These are those that stood by me every step of the way, family, friends, neighbors from all across the globe, and in particular the fabulous Susie Cruz, who's been with me since day one. I'm not sure if I'm a general officer because of her, or if she is a doctor because of me. Okay, we all know what the answer to that one is. But we seem to be a great team, and I cannot wait to continue the journey. So looking forward, I want to build on what Lieutenant General Stewart's philosophy is by adding that we will only be able to stand where we are as a nation if we choose to stand together. So to those with whom I get to stand together going forward, let me say how committed I am to our deep partnership. Just in our midst today, as you heard during the introductions, we have IC and defense partners representing the military services, the combatant commands, OSD, the joint staff, world-class agencies like NGA and the NRO. We have the directors of FBI in the National Counterterrorism Center, representatives from CIA, the IC elements of the State Department, and Homeland Security. We have congressional representatives. We have Ambassador, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S., Ambassador Mark Robe, and we have foreign counterparts in defense attache. Our success will be a collective success, and you will have no better partner than the Defense Intelligence Agency. So let me circle back to where I started, the DIA team. The nation calls at a uniquely challenging time. We face a set of adversaries who are committed to seeing the U.S. in decline and their own star ascend. The national security environment will only get more complex, more technical, and more difficult to predict and to navigate than just a few years ago. To add to the challenge, the portfolio we are accountable for, as General Barrier has walked through, is large, it's diverse, and it's never finished. There's always more to know and there's always more to do. It spans the globe on every continent, and it's in every domain, land, sea, airspace, cyberspace. It supports and drives every aspect of operations and planning and strategy and policy and warfighting. It requires partnership and innovation, risk-taking, and a strong bias for action. Most of all, it takes respected, trusted, and world-class professionals at every level and in every function in every corner of DIA. So fortunately, DIA has an unbroken record of defending the nation and the nation's defenders from day one in 1961 to today, thanks to that unbroken string of professionals that I first followed and now I get to lead. It's really a privilege to join this team. And one DIA warrior in particular, Lieutenant General Barrier Scotty, you have led this organization through one of its most challenging transitions and during some of its most impactful work, actually. You were trusted to simultaneously operate and remodel an agency in the Air Force. We would call that building, maintaining and flying the airplane all at the same time, which, by the way, you never want to do. But it's one that you did, and you should walk out of here knowing that you were a leader of consequence, at an agency of consequence, during a time of consequence, delivering outcomes of consequence. Your legacy will also be not just living but ingraining a value system that actually values the people in the system. Susie and I just wish you and Annie the very, very best. So let me close with one final thought. Robert F. Kennedy once said, few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. And in the sum total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation. I am thrilled and honored to be the 23rd Director of DIA, and to those I joined today, I remind you, you hold the pen, and I cannot wait to join you in writing the next chapter of this agency's and the nation's history. May God bless each and every one of you, and may God continue to bless this great nation. Thank you, General Cruz. Ladies and gentlemen, please stand as Chapter Lieutenant Colonel Joel A. Cornicky gives the benediction and remains standing for the playing of the Armed Forces Medley and the departure of the official party. The word benediction is a combination of two Latin words that essentially mean to speak well of or to wish someone well. So let us all receive the well-wishing words in the blessing of Aaron in the Hebrew Scriptures Numbers Chapter 6, Verses 24 to 26. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen. The defense and service agency workforce is proud to have served with Lieutenant General Scott DeBurrier and thanks him for his service. We wish him well and his family Godspeed in their future endeavors. This concludes today's ceremony. A welcome reception will be held in the James R. Clapper Leadership Hall. Thank you for attending.