December 22, 2008

At a promotion ceremony held this afternoon at CIA Headquarters, Director Mike Hayden presented Air Force Lt. Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, the Agency’s Associate Director for Military Affairs, with his third star. On December 8, the United States Senate confirmed Welsh’s nomination to this rank.

“Mark is a highly talented leader, known throughout the Air Force as an inspiring and dedicated commander,” said Director Hayden. “He is an outstanding warfighter—a command pilot with a distinguished record of multiple combat missions during Operation Desert Storm. And since becoming my principal advisor on military affairs in August of this year, he has already displayed the energy, innovation, and leadership that have defined his years in the Air Force.”

Lt. Gen. Welsh serves as the CIA’s chief liaison with the Department of Defense. He guides the Agency’s efforts to provide America’s Armed Forces with the most accurate and timely intelligence available.

“We work with our partners in uniform across the globe,” Director Hayden noted. “CIA and military officers are working together in ways unheard of only a decade ago. Today—especially in the war zones and the fight against terror—that close cooperation is essential.”

“We at CIA are very happy he’s part of our team,” Hayden said of Welsh. “His natural optimism, keen sense of humor, and compassionate spirit have always made him an invaluable colleague to any organization lucky enough to have him.”

A native of Texas, Lt. Gen. Welsh is a 1976 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. His career includes a number of senior assignments, including Vice Commander, Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base; Deputy Commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, U.S. Strategic Command; Director of Global Power Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force; and Commandant of Cadets, United States Air Force Academy.