U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Paul Stanton on Oct. 4 took command as director of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and Joint Force Headquarters – Department of Defense Information Network (JHQ-DoDIN), ushering in a new era of leadership.
In a ceremonial “passing of the flags” Stanton assumed leadership and 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. “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,” he added.
Stanton, who most recently was the commander of the Army’s Cyber Center of Excellence at Fort Eisenhower, succeeds Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner.
“Lt. Gen. Skinner has been a mentor of mine for years, providing valuable counsel and sage advice,” said Stanton, recognizing Skinner’s significant contributions and expressing his “eagerness to build on the strong foundation he established.”
Skinner, who led both organizations for the past three-and-a-half years, will retire after a 40-year career in service.
During his time in uniform Skinner helped stand up JFHQ-DoDIN as its first deputy commander and has overseen many transformative efforts within DISA. Most recently, he introduced the agency’s five-year strategic plan that outlines priorities in response to the Pentagon’s evolving threats and needs.
“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.”
