Michael G. Vickers
Michael Vickers | |
|---|---|
| Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence | |
| In office March 16, 2011 – April 30, 2015 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Jim Clapper |
| Succeeded by | Marcel Lettre |
| Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict | |
| In office July 23, 2007 – March 16, 2011 | |
| President | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Thomas O'Connell |
| Succeeded by | Michael Lumpkin (Acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael George Vickers April 27, 1953 Burbank, California, U.S. |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 5 |
| Education | University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa (BA) University of Pennsylvania (MBA) Johns Hopkins University (PhD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1973–1983 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 10th Special Forces Group 7th Special Forces Group Classified counterterrorism unit |
Michael George Vickers (born April 27, 1953) is an American defense official who served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (USD-I). As USD-I, Vickers, who was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010, was the Defense Department's top civilian military intelligence official. Before becoming USD-I, Vickers served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict.
Prior to joining the Defense Department, Vickers served in the U.S. Army Special Forces as both a non-commissioned officer and commissioned officer, as well as a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) paramilitary operations officer from the elite Special Activities Division. While in the CIA, he played a key role in the arming of the Islamic mujahideen against the communist government in the service of America's proxy war against Soviet Union influence in Afghanistan. Parts of mujahideen groups armed by Vickers later rose to power as the Taliban and Al-Queda, other parts would become the opposition as Northern Alliance.