FORT GEORGE G. MEADE –
Joint Force Headquarters - Department of Defense Information Network and the Defense Information Systems Agency and are entering a new era of leadership, one that will aim to shape the future of cybersecurity and information technology across the United States Department of Defense.
In a ceremonial passing of the flags on Friday, Oct. 4, U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Paul T. Stanton assumed command and directorship, vowing to carry forward the momentum established by his predecessor, U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert J. Skinner.
Presided over by some of the department’s highest-ranking leaders – U.S. Air Force Gen. Timothy D. Haugh, commander of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency/chief of Central Security Service, and Leslie A. Beavers, acting DoD chief information officer – the ceremony marked a significant transition for both the command and agency.
“I leave this agency and command with a deep sense of humility, optimism, confidence and, most importantly, honor,” said Skinner in his farewell remarks. “I have truly been privileged to lead and be among our nation’s finest, working the most difficult problems, making the impossible possible. It is my hope today as I relinquish leadership of these two organizations, that I too have given more than I have received.”
Skinner, who served as the JFHQ-DODIN commander and DISA director since 2021, was recognized for his role in advancing the department’s digital transformation efforts, securing critical infrastructure, and fostering a culture of innovation.
Stanton, previously serving as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence at Fort Eisenhower, brings extensive experience in cyber operations and information warfare. He acknowledged Skinner’s substantial contributions and expressed his eagerness to build upon the strong foundation he established.
“Lt. Gen. Skinner has been a mentor of mine for years, providing valuable counsel and sage advice,” said Stanton. “I’m honored for the opportunity to join the amazing team in stride as we remain trusted to connect, protect and serve.”
Haugh emphasized the strategic importance of the leadership change, underscoring the critical roles DISA and JFHQ-DODIN have in defending the nation’s networks and ensuring freedom of action in cyberspace.
“This team, all of you, are engaged with our adversaries and our competitors on a daily basis, 24/7, and the very definition of success is nothing short of mission assurance for the joint force and for serving our nation’s decisive advantages,” said Haugh. “The mission has been accomplished by all of you over the past three years, enabled by Bob Skinner’s leadership. It is a fantastic way to wrap up a career of dedication serving our nation. JFHQ-DODIN and DISA will be in terrific and very capable hands with Lt. Gen. Paul Stanton at the helm and all of you working missions. Paul was built for this job.”
Beavers also highlighted the alignment of DISA and JFHQ-DODIN with the department’s overarching priorities for IT and cybersecurity, focusing on recent successes and the expectation moving forward.
“This transition means not only a change in leadership, but also a change in perspective,” said Beavers. “I can tell you [Skinner] was the right leader to take on the challenges that DISA faced coming out of COVID and setting a path for the future. It is going to take a warrior-scholar to take the handoff from Bob and move those and many other initiatives down range, and we found one. [Stanton] is the perfect person to take on this challenge.”
As Stanton assumed leadership, he laid out his vision for the future of the organizations, emphasizing the need to stay ahead of adversaries and continue providing exceptional support to the warfighter.
“We are in an unprecedented period of significant change in an unsettled world that has an insatiable appetite for data,” Stanton said. “At the core of our responsibilities, we must securely and reliably get the right data to the right place at the right time to make a better and faster decision than our enemies, period. This is our business. This is warfighting as it has been, it is today and will be in the future. This agency and command are critical to our nation’s warfighting success. Failure is not an option, and excellence is our standard.”
Joint Force Headquarters – Department of Defense information Network is the U.S. Cyber Command component that leads DoD’s unified force approach to network operations, security, and defense across the Department of Defense Information Network, commonly known as the DODIN. This global command and control responsibility underpinning all DoD missions works to ensure mission assurance and bolster DoD’s competitive advantage. The Command’s mission covers a broad range of activities on behalf of U.S. Cyber Command including proactive, threat-informed steps to reduce cyber risk across the DODIN, and leading response to attacks against the DODIN to ensure network operations remain agile and resilient. The JFHQ-DODIN commander, Lt. Gen Robert Skinner, is dual-hatted as the director of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).