LTG Robert Ashley, USA (ret.)

GEN Ashley participated in our 2021 General and Admirals Program and is a member of our Gaza Assessment Policy Project

Lieutenant General Robert P. Ashley, Jr. retired from the U.S. Army November 2020 after over 36 years of activity duty service as an intelligence officer.   He assumed his last duty position on 3 October 2017 when he became the 21st Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). He formerly served as the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, where he was the senior advisor to the Secretary of the Army and Army Chief of Staff for all aspects of intelligence, counterintelligence and security. He has commanded at the company, battalion, squadron, and brigade levels with six combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as a squadron, brigade commander, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (J-2).  Other key assignments include the Director of Intelligence, United States Joint Special Operations Command; the Director of Intelligence, United States Central Command; the Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, International Security Assistance Force and Director of Intelligence, United States Forces, Afghanistan; and Commanding General and Commandant United States Army Intelligence Center and School Fort Huachuca, AZ. Lieutenant General Ashley has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Appalachian State University, a master’s degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University (formerly known as the Defense Intelligence College) and a master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College.  Lieutenant General Ashley is the CEO of Ashley Global Leadership and Security (LLC).  He and his spouse, Barbara, have two sons – Justin and Sean.  Sean is married to the former Lucy Backer and they have two sons, Arthur and Keaton.