Lloyd Austin, secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2022 Wash100 Award recipient, has announced the nomination of Air Force Lt. Gen. Mary O’Brien to serve as chief information officer and director for command, control, communications and computers at the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
O’Brien, who serves as deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and cyber effects operations at the U.S. Air Force headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, is also nominated for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
In her current role, O’Brien oversees six directorates and supports the Air Force’s 73,000-person intelligence and cyber operations team.
If confirmed by the Senate, O’Brien will replace Lt. Gen. Dennis Crall, a fellow 2022 Wash100 Award winner, who has held the role since 2020.
The Joint Staff J6 advises the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on advancing cyber defense, interoperability and command and control capabilities to maintain national security.
