Robert P. Ashley Jr.

Robert P. Ashley Jr.
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1984–2020
Rank	Lieutenant general
Commands	Defense Intelligence Agency United States Army Intelligence Center 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade (Airborne) 206th Military Intelligence Battalion
Battles / wars	War in Afghanistan Iraq War
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Defense Superior Service Medal (3) Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star Medal (3)

Robert Paul Ashley Jr. is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Army who served as the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency from 2017 to 2020. He previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army G-2.^[1] He received a commission through ROTC as a 1984 graduate of Appalachian State University.^[2] He retired from active duty on October 1, 2020.^[3] He currently serves as Senior Advisor to the Chairman of Arcanum, a global strategic intelligence company.^[4] He is the son of a United States Air Force veteran of the Korean War who later lived in North Carolina and worked a sewing machine mechanic.^[5] Ashley is a commissioner on the Afghanistan War Commission.^[6]

Education

• Bachelor of Science degree in political science, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina.^[1]
• Master of Science degree in strategic intelligence management, National Intelligence University, Bethesda, Maryland.^[1]
• Master of Science degree in strategic studies, US Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.^[1]

Military career

Operational deployments

• Intelligence Analyst, Allied Land Forces Southern Europe, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Izmir, Turkey
• Secretary to the Joint Military Commission, Stabilization Force, Operation Joint Forge, Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Commander, Office of Military Support, Washington, D.C., Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom
• Commander, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade(Airborne), XVIII Airborne Corps Operation Iraqi Freedom
• Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, International Security Assistance Force and Director of Intelligence, United States Forces-Afghanistan

Lieutenant General Ashley

Dates of rank

Rank	Date
Second lieutenant	May 23, 1984
First lieutenant	November 23, 1985
Captain	May 1, 1988
Major	May 1, 1995
Lieutenant colonel	June 1, 1999
Colonel	May 1, 2004
Brigadier general	June 21, 2010
Major general	January 3, 2013
Lieutenant general	March 2, 2016

Awards and decorations

	Basic Army Aircrew Badge
	Basic Parachutist Badge
	Army Staff Identification Badge
	Defense Intelligence Agency Badge
	United States Special Operations Command Combat Service Identification Badge
	UK Parachutist Badge
	Army Military Intelligence Corps Distinctive Unit Insignia
	7 Overseas Service Bars

	Army Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
	Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
	Bronze Star Medal with two oak leaf clusters
	Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
	Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
	Joint Service Commendation Medal
	Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
	Joint Service Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
	Army Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
	Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two bronze oak leaf clusters
	Army Meritorious Unit Commendation
	Army Superior Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
	National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
	Afghanistan Campaign Medal with four service stars
	Iraq Campaign Medal with two service stars
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Korea Defense Service Medal
	Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
	Army Service Ribbon
	Army Overseas Service Ribbon
	NATO Medal for the former Yugoslavia
	Order of the Rising Sun (Japan), 2nd Class, Gold and Silver Star[7]

References

1. "Lieutenant General Robert P. Ashley, Jr., USA > Defense Intelligence Agency > Article View". www.dia.mil.
2. "Lieutenant General Robert P. Ashley, Jr., class of 1984". Lieutenant General Robert P. Ashley, Jr., class of 1984. April 19, 2017.
3. "DIA celebrates retirement of Lt. Gen. Ashley, welcomes 22nd director Lt. Gen. Berrier".
4. "FORMER US DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY CHIEF JOINS ARCANUM". Arcanum Global. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
5. "Sewell speaks to National Security Forum at Miles College". September 4, 2019.
6. "Commissioners". AFGHANISTAN WAR COMMISSION. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
7. "Prestigious Order of the Rising Sun bestowed upon former DIA officers".

Military offices
Preceded by Mary A. Legere	Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence of the United States Army 2016–2017	Succeeded by Scott D. Berrier
Preceded by Vincent R. Stewart	Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency 2017–2020