Chambliss-Nelson Introduce Military Intelligence Reorganization Act

CHAMBLISS-NELSON INTRODUCE MILITARY INTELLIGENCE REORGANIZATION ACT

Measure would provide the new DNI one point of contact for military intelligence

U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss, R-GA., and Ben Nelson, D-NE have introduced intelligence reform legislation that would create, for the first time, a unified intelligence command (INTCOM) to bring a majority of the military intelligence capabilities within the Department of Defense (DoD) under a single commander.

The Military Reorganization Act of 2005 would provide the new Director of National Intelligence (DNI), the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with one primary advisor regarding military intelligence, and help ensure our combatant commanders and our troops on the ground have a military intelligence structure that is streamlined, inclusive, easy to use, and provides them access to the most timely and accurate intelligence available.

The United States military is the largest user and collector of intelligence, including tens of thousands of people and multibillion dollar budgets. DoD has eight of the fifteen members that make up the U.S. intelligence community and they each have their own bureaucratic structure. This means the new DNI and our combatant commanders must coordinate with a vast, multi-faceted military intelligence apparatus.

"Chambliss-Nelson creates one point of contact for military intelligence for the new DNI and creates a more efficient, responsive, and simpler military intelligence structure," said Chambliss. "To be successful, the new DNI will need a structure in place that is manageable and our combatant commanders need a military officer to articulate their intelligence requirements to the DNI."

"INTCOM will bridge an important gap between the DNI and the array of military intelligence entities and streamline information sharing, analysis and gathering," said Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson.

http://bennelson.senate.gov/intcom.htm