Paul M. Nakasone — longest-serving director of the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command

Paul M. Nakasone is a retired United States Army four-star general who served simultaneously as the 18th Director of the National Security Agency, Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, and Chief of the Central Security Service from May 4, 2018, until February 2, 2024. That nearly six-year run made him the longest-serving leader of both organizations. Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on November 19, 1963, he shaped American cyber strategy during a period that included three national elections, a global pandemic, and sustained nation-state threats. Since retiring, he has built an unusually broad post-service portfolio spanning academia, artificial intelligence governance, and private advisory work.

Key facts

Born: 19 November 1963
Birthplace: Saint Paul
Country: United States
Occupation: military officer
Education: University of Southern California; United States Army Command and General Staff College; College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University; United States Army War College
Awards: Distinguished Service Medal; Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal

Origins and Family Background

Nakasone is the son of Edwin M. Nakasone, known as ‘Bud,’ a second-generation Japanese American and retired U.S. Army colonel who served in the Military Intelligence Service during World War II, and Mary Anne Nakasone, née Costello. His grandfather had immigrated from Okinawa, making the family’s military service a three-generation story rooted in the Pacific War era.

Edwin Nakasone served as a Japanese linguist and interpreter with the 168th Language Detachment of the 1st Cavalry Division during and after World War II. Paul Nakasone has said publicly that his father’s career in the Army Reserve and stories of the 442nd Infantry Regiment influenced his decision to enroll in the Army’s ROTC program.

Education and Early Career

Nakasone attended the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University for his undergraduate degree. He later completed graduate-level military education at the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the United States Army War College, and holds a degree from the University of Southern California as well.

Among his overseas assignments, his most recent during active service was as Director of Intelligence, J2, for the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command in Kabul, Afghanistan. He also served as a staff officer for General Keith B. Alexander, and in 2012 joined the Joint Chiefs of Staff as deputy director for trans-regional policy, at which point he was promoted to brigadier general.

Leading NSA and U.S. Cyber Command

From May 4, 2018, to February 2, 2024, Nakasone held three positions at once: 18th Director of the NSA, Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, and Chief of the Central Security Service. No predecessor had held the combined role for as long.

A central idea Nakasone championed was ‘persistent engagement,’ formalized in U.S. Cyber Command’s April 2018 vision document ‘Achieve and Maintain Cyberspace Superiority.’ The doctrine repositioned the command as a continuous ‘persistence force’ rather than a reactive ‘response force,’ reflecting a shift from waiting for attacks to operating forward on an ongoing basis.

In practice, that meant active operations around electoral cycles. Under his leadership, U.S. Cyber Command conducted more than two dozen cyber operations to protect the 2020 presidential election, among them 11 ‘hunt forward’ operations carried out in nine countries. The awards Nakasone received across his career include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star Medal.

Post-Retirement Roles

On June 1, 2024, Nakasone joined Vanderbilt University as the Founding Director of the Institute of National Security and as Distinguished Research Professor of Engineering Science and Management. He also serves as a special adviser to Chancellor Daniel Diermeier.

In June 2024, he was appointed to OpenAI’s Board of Directors as a member of its Safety and Security Committee, bringing a career intelligence perspective to the governance of one of the most prominent artificial intelligence laboratories. In May 2024, he was elected to the Board of Trustees of Saint John’s University, his undergraduate alma mater.

In August 2026, Nakasone launched the Nakasone Group LLC, a boutique national security advisory firm of which he serves as founder and chairman. Former Defense Digital Service director Brett Goldstein joined as chief executive.

Did you know

On September 11, 2001, Nakasone was present at the Pentagon serving as a Joint Chiefs of Staff action officer when the building was struck. His father, Edwin ‘Bud’ Nakasone, had been present during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Father and son each witnessed the defining mass-casualty attack of their respective generations. (pbs.org)
Nakasone’s nearly six-year tenure leading both NSA and USCYBERCOM spanned three national elections, a global pandemic, and sustained escalation in nation-state cyber threats, placing it among the most operationally demanding periods in either organization’s history. (ballisticventures.com)
The Nakasone family’s military tradition runs three generations. His grandfather immigrated from Okinawa; his father served as a Japanese linguist and interpreter in the Military Intelligence Service with the 168th Language Detachment of the 1st Cavalry Division during and after World War II; and Paul Nakasone rose to lead the Army’s foremost cyber and intelligence commands. (staradvertiser.com)

Data sources

Data updated: 2026-10-28