5 Things to Know About Gina Haspel

Gina Haspel, a career intelligence officer, was elevated to CIA director Tuesday after serving under former CIA director Mike Pompeo as a deputy director.

Haspel, who has worked at the CIA since 1985, was named deputy director in February 2017 and is noted to have extensive overseas experience and served as chief of station in several of her agency assignments.

Haspel, who still must be confirmed, issued a statement on her historic appointment Tuesday, which was posted by USA Today on Twitter.

In her statement, Gina Haspel says "If confirmed, I look forward to providing President Trump the outstanding intelligence support he has grown to expect during his first year in office." https://t.co/RhlqKNgC7i pic.twitter.com/PPiZcWZwKM

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) March 13, 2018

Here are five things to know about Haspel.

1. The First — Haspel is the first woman to lead the CIA in its history. The seasoned CIA operative was only the second woman to hold the deputy director's position after President Barack Obama named Avril Haines to that post in 2013, noted Newsweek.

2. Veteran Leader in CIA — Haspel has served as deputy director of the National Clandestine Service, deputy director of the National Clandestine Service for Foreign Intelligence and Covert Action, chief of staff for the Director of the National Clandestine Service, and in the Counterterrorist Center, according to a statement.

3. Acting Head — In 2013, CIA director John Brennan had named Haspel the acting head of the agency's clandestine service, but she did not get the job full time after U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, protested, according to the New Yorker.

4. Honored for Service — Haspel has received numerous awards for her intelligence work, including the George H. W. Bush Award for excellence in counterterrorism; the Donovan Award; the Intelligence Medal of Merit; and the Presidential Rank Award, the most prestigious award in the federal civil service.

5. Held in High Regard — Mike Morrell, a former deputy director and former acting director at CIA, praised Haspel when she was named deputy director last year, saying: "She is widely respected throughout the agency and she will be welcomed in the new job by both current and former employees. I worked closely with Haspel from 2006 until my retirement from the Agency in 2013. During that time, I found her to be simply exceptional. She gets things done in a quiet, yet effective way, and she is calm under fire."

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