Military Intelligence Board (MIB)
Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in an 8 February
1961 letter to the JCS conveyed his decision to establish a Defense
Intelligence Agency (DIA). The planning that ensued in the Spring
of 1961 culminated in a 5 July 1961 memorandum from Deputy Secretary
of Defense Roswell Gilpatric that stated: "After careful consideration
of the issues and problems involved, Mr. McNamara and I have decided
to establish a DIA . . . " and attached ". . . a draft
DoD Directive creating DIA." Furthermore, the memorandum established
the Military Intelligence Board (MIB) to advise and assist the
Director, DIA, in the establishment of the Agency and in the exercise
of his responsibilities:
"The appointment and membership of a Military
Intelligence Board, as outlined in the JCS concept and plan
for a DIA .
. . is approved on an interim basis to act only as an advisory
body
to the Director, DIA. The MIB will meet on the call of the
Director, DIA. When DIA has become fully operational the desirability
and
utility of continuing the MIB will be reconsidered."
The MIB was activated on an ad hoc basis beginning on l5 August
l961 to assist in the development of the DIA "Activation Plan," and
the selection of personnel. During the weeks prior to DIA becoming
operational on 1 October 1961, the OSD Director of Organizational
and Management Planning monitored the planning efforts, and the
Military Intelligence Board made up of the Service intelligence
chiefs provided advice to Lieutenant General Joseph Carroll, Director-designate,
DIA, and the DIA planning staff.
When the "Activation Plan" was approved by OSD and the
JCS for implementation on 29 September 1961, the MIB had demonstrated
its usefulness as a forum for discussion and advice significantly.
Therefore, it remained in existence as a mechanism for coordinating
a Defense position on intelligence issues among the Director of
DIA, the J-2 of the Joint Staff, and the Service intelligence chiefs.
The only membership change subsequent to 1961 was the deletion
of the J-2, whose staff section in the Joint Staff was disestablished
on 28 June l963 and reassigned to DIA. Within DIA, the MIB support
office was placed organizationally within the Command Element.
The MIB met irregularly during the first 30 years of the Agency's
history even though a periodic reemphasis on strengthening the
Agency's external relationships caused renewal in the importance
of the role of the MIB. Notably, however, the role and membership
of the MIB changed significantly in the 1990's.
During DESERT SHIELD/STORM, Lieutenant General Harry Soyster (Director,
DIA) restructured the MIB as an advisory and decisionmaking body
chaired by the Director, DIA, and made up of the Service intelligence
chiefs and the Director, NSA. It also included nonvoting representatives
of the Joint Staff Directorate of Command, Control, and Communications
(J-6) and the Defense Support Program Office. The MIB convened
periodically--sometimes weekly--to coordinate intelligence support
and allocate scarce resources.
MEMORANDUM FOR:
Director for Intelligence, Joint Staff
Asst. Chief of Staff for Intelligence, US Army
Asst. Chief of Naval Operations (Intelligence)
Asst. Chief of Staff for Intelligence, US Air Force
Asst. Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Marine Corps
FROM: Director, Defense Intelligence Agency
SUBJECT: Establishment of Military Intelligence Board (U)
REFERENCES:
a. SecDef Memo of 5 July 1961, Subject: Establishment of the Defense
Intelligence Agency
b. DoD Directive 5105.21 of 1 August 1961
1. In order to advise and assist the Director, Defense Intelligence
Agency (DIA) in the establishment of the Agency and in the exercise
of the
responsibilities and functions specified in reference b, the Military
Intelligence Board (MIB), is hereby established.
2. Membership. The MIB shall be composed as follows:
- Director, Defense Intelligence Agency - Chairman
- Director for Intelligence, Joint Staff - Member
- Asst. Chief of Staff for Intelligence, US Army - Member
- Asst. Chief of Naval Operations (Intelligence) - Member
- Asst. Chief of Staff for Intelligence, US Air Force - Member
- Asst. Chief of Staff for Intelligence, US Marine Corps - Member
3. Meetings. Meetings of the MIB will be called by the Director,
DIA, as he deems
necessary. Any member may request the Director, DIA, to call a
meeting as appropriate.
JOSEPH F. CARROLL, Lt. General, USAF Director, DIA
MILITARY INTELLIGENCE BOARD DURING THE GULF WAR: Interview with
Vice Admiral Mike McConnell, Director, NSA, conducted by DIA
Deputy Historian, Mr. Brian Shellum, September 1995. Admiral
McConnell was DIA J2 during the Gulf War.
My view is the Military Intelligence Board came of age in [the
DESERT SHIELD/STORM] effort. .... The pressure and the heat of
the Gulf War caused the system to become really focused on what
we were going to do. . . . Because the MIB stepped up and became
a dynamic, coordinated, demanding group of people to resolve problems,
I think it came of age. It would have been a big mistake not to
capitalize on that. I think when we went from DESERT SHIELD to
DESERT STORM, we got more utility out of the MIB. General Soyster
[Director, DIA] grabbed hold of it and I think it really established
itself as a viable, useful part of the structure--a useful decisionmaking
body that could get things done. Its future is assured if it keeps
doing what it achieved in DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM.
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