FORT BELVOIR, Va. – On Friday, June 5, 2026, Maj. Gen. Rhett R. Cox took command of U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM), relieving Maj. Gen. Timothy D. Brown.
The ceremony, presided over by Lt. Gen. Michelle A. Schmidt, U.S. Army deputy chief of staff, G-2, brought together senior Army leaders and previous INSCOM commanding generals. Brown served as INSCOM’s commanding general from Dec. 10, 2023, to June 5, 2026. He retired from the U.S. Army after more than 35 years of service.
“Brown led operations that ensured that INSCOM delivered intelligence to drive decision advantage,” Schmidt said. “He optimized the force, strengthened the workforce, and delivered intelligence that protected the force and enabled targeting. You made INSCOM a more agile and responsive command.”
Brown led INSCOM’s 18,000 personnel across 40 countries and 180 locations and orchestrated a historical organizational transformation by consolidating 17 major subordinate commands into 15, significantly enhancing operational efficiency and agility across the global enterprise.
During his tenure, INSCOM and its units stationed around the globe made advancements in critical intelligence capabilities, such as the retirement of legacy aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (AISR) aircraft while transitioning to modern air frames, such as the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) and the Army Theater-Level High-Altitude Expeditionary Airborne (ATHENA) airframes, that allow the service to see and sense farther than any prior AISR asset.
Brown provided foundational intelligence support for National Defense Strategy priorities and major operations, including rapid surge support during crises such as Operation EPIC FURY where INSCOM enabled critical communications and multi-discipline intelligence support in contested environments. Among his other notable accomplishments, he strengthened global partnerships, enhanced intelligence production and information sharing, and developed and executed data literacy and AI training for over 10,000 Soldiers and civilians, upskilling the workforce to meet future intelligence challenges.
His vision for INSCOM has been to fight and win in contested spaces with his focus on the Soldier outside the wire and in harm’s way.
“Leadership is not about the person at the top. It’s our 18-year-olds that are guarding freedom’s frontier,” said Brown. “They are a national treasure. It’s the reason we serve at INSCOM – to give them intelligence before making contact with the enemy. Intelligence drives our strategy to fight and win, and those Soldiers are the key to defending the nation. They are the best of us, and they inspire me every day.”
Cox, INSCOM’s incoming commander, comes to INSCOM from his previous assignment as Schmidt’s senior military advisor. Before that assignment, he served at one of INSCOM’s major subordinate commands (MSC) as commanding general of U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command at Fort Meade, Maryland for three years.
“Rhett has operational, tactical, and strategic levels of service,” said Schmidt. “He understands operational challenges and INSCOM’s critical role to make sure the Army wins anytime, anywhere.”
In his final farewell to the command, Brown warmly welcomed Cox to the INSCOM team.
“The army built a weapon system in the form of Rhett Cox. There is probably no better prepared MI corps leader having the right job at right time performing the right way,” said Brown. “He’s my friend. My battle buddy. This is the moment to transition to up gun INSCOM and that’s with Rhett Cox.”
A graduate of Virginia Military Institute, Cox commissioned into the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps in 1993. Cox has served within INSCOM in other positions, such as the commander of the 704th Military Intelligence Brigade (MIB), deputy all-source collection element chief, 297th Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th MIB Theater (MIB-T), and INSCOM deputy commander. His other previous assignments include deputy chief for counterintelligence integration in the Strategic Competition Group at the Defense Intelligence Agency, director of the Joint Intelligence Training Center at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, and the G-2 for NATO Allied Land Command in Turkey.
“I’m extremely honored to be the 21st commanding general of INSCOM,” said Cox. “All of us at INSCOM should never forget our duty to deliver intelligence. It’s been awesome to see this team rally around its commands to support them during recent conflicts, rapid technical change and strategic competition. We will do our best to ensure our enemies cannot operate uncontested in our area of responsibility. INSCOM has your back, and we will ensure you have what you need to meet your adversaries.”
By Erin Rohn
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