Any suspected criminal or terrorist activity should be reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
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Joe Kent
Joseph Kent serves as the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). In this role, Kent leads the U.S. counterterrorism and counternarcotics enterprise and serves as the principal counterterrorism advisor to the President.
Kent is an Oregon native and a graduate of Norwich University in Strategic Defense Analysis. He served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, where he completed 11 combat deployments in the Middle East and other high-threat regions. During his time in the Army, he served with the 75th Ranger Regiment, Army Special Forces and U.S. Army Special Operations Command, and received numerous military commendations, including six bronze stars. After retiring from the Army in 2018, he served as a paramilitary officer in the CIA’s Special Activities Center.
Kent and his family have devoted their lives to counterterrorism and keeping the American people safe. In 2019, his wife, Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent, was killed in a suicide bombing while serving in Syria. It is her legacy and sprit, along with countless other men and women who we have lost in the war on terror that drives the mission at NCTC.
As Director of NCTC, Kent is working to refocus counterterrorism efforts to protect the American people and our servicemembers, at home and abroad, against our most pressing terrorist threats. His experience at the tip of the spear—in some of the world’s most dangerous places—has given him a deep, practical understanding of the threats we face and how to defeat them. Using a whole-of-government approach to carry out President Trump’s border security mandate and protect the safety and security of the American people against new and emerging threats, Kent is leading the next generation in the fight against terrorism.
Currently, he lives with his wife Heather, who is a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and their two sons.
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Mailing Address
National Counterterrorism Center
Washington, DC 20511