Hey, DIA, where have you been all my life?

[No Elephants]

Seems as though I was born knowing about the FBI. Then I learned about the CIA. Then the Secret Service. Then, BushCo gave us Homeland Security.

Then I found out the job description of at least some people in every federal agency requires them to be armed, just in case, all the other armed people in the federal government turn on their particular agency.

Then came the chase of the Boston Marathon bombers and I found out state and local police had an urban version of tanks and could shut down 7 towns for an entire business day, hunting for one wounded 19 year old.

And if I remembered when the existence of the NSA penetrated my consciousness, I couldn't tell you or I might have to kill you take up residence in the Moscow airport (which apparently isn't even in Moscow).

But, until I started reading the wiki of the NSA this very morning, I had never heard about the DIA.

The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is the central producer and manager of foreign military intelligence for the United States, specializing primarily in human intelligence, as well as measurement and signature intelligence. As one of the principal members of the U.S. Intelligence Community, the agency works to answer national-level defense objectives for the President, the Secretary of Defense, and senior U.S. military and civilian policymakers, as well as the warfighter through the Unified Combatant Commands.<3> Its work encompasses all aspects of military intelligence requirements, including defense-related foreign political, economic, industrial, geographic, and medical and health intelligence.<4>

Although the DIA is designated a Department of Defense combat support agency, the majority of its 16,500 employees (65%) are civilian<5><6> and its intelligence operations in support of U.S. national strategic planning extend far beyond the zones of combat. The agency has its own Clandestine Service, which conducts espionage activities around the world, particularly in countries where the DoD has better access or more specialized military experts than the overextended Central Intelligence Agency.<7>

The agency was established in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy by Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. The Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency - who is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate - chairs the Military Intelligence Board, which coordinates activities of the entire defense intelligence community.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIA

Ah, Johnny, we hardly knew ye?


Am I the only one? Did everyone else know about the DIA?

[No Elephants]

1. Which brings me to my next question: why do federal agencies have heraldic coats of arms?

Didn't we once try to end that whole royalty thing?

[Enthusiast]

2. What does the existence of the DIA tell us?

I think it tells us that the mission and scope of the US intelligence apparatus has grown far too large. It has become unnecessary and unaccountable. The scope and mission size of these agencies should be dramatically reduced. These are the parts of the government that should be drowned in a bathtub.

[No Elephants]

3. Just curious: had you heard of the DIA before?

[Enthusiast]

4. In consulting the memory banks

it seems that I had heard of the DIA before. But I could well be wrong. It could be a sort of false memory.