U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michele H. Bredenkamp became the ninth director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Nov. 5 during a ceremony at NGA Washington in Springfield, Virginia.

Bredenkamp replaces U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Frank D. Whitworth III, who became director in June 2022. 

“Today marks both an ending and a beginning — the conclusion of my tenure as NGA’s director and the commencement of a new chapter under Lt. Gen. Bredenkamp's leadership.” Whitworth said. “Lt. Gen. Bredenkamp — Michele — you are inheriting an agency at the height of its capabilities — but there is so much more to do — and I could not be more confident in NGA’s future."  

Under Secretary of War for Intelligence and Security Bradley Hansell presided over the ceremony.

“Our nation’s leaders and uniformed servicemembers rely on NGA to defend the homeland, protect our interests abroad, and defeat our adversaries,” said Hansell. “In conjunction with our global GEOINT partners, we will continue to deliver timely GEOINT advantage to every echelon – from strategic decision makers to those deployed at the tactical edge.”

During the ceremony, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Aaron Lukas presented Whitworth with the George Washington Spymaster Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Director of National Intelligence for exemplary leadership across thirty years of public service. 

Lukas emphasized Whitworth’s dedication to the nation and NGA, as well as the deep experience Bredenkamp brings to the agency.

"As director of NGA, I know Lt. Gen. Bredenkamp will tirelessly build on the agency's enduring legacy of delivering timely, accurate geospatial intelligence to warfighters, policymakers and partners,” Lukas said. “Her proven track record of intelligence integration, across the Department of War and the [intelligence community,] positions her to advance NGA's mission in an era of evolving threats, leveraging emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, data analytics and multi-domain operations.” 

Bredenkamp previously served as the director’s advisor for military affairs at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

“I have experienced firsthand the value of GEOINT from my earliest days while serving in tactical units, while serving along the demilitarized zone near North Korea, in combat conducting targeting operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and most recently while serving as DNI [Tulsi] Gabbard’s advisor for military affairs,” said Bredenkamp. “I've personally observed how GEOINT, delivered by NGA professionals, provides clarity, understanding and increased decision advantage for commanders’ and policymakers. GEOINT is indispensable today and will continue to be an essential dominant intelligence function.”