Henry A. Crumpton

Early life and education Crumpton grew up in rural Georgia. At age 16 he left home for Alabama, where he worked nights in a carpet factory while studying for his high school diploma during the day. He attended St. John's in Santa Fe, New Mexico, then transferred to the University of New Mexico where he earned a BA in political science in 1978. After graduating he traveled in Asia, the Soviet Union and Western Europe. He has a master's in international public policy from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, where he graduated with honors in 2003.

Counterterrorism career In 1981, in the 1980s. In 1998-99 he served as deputy chief in the FBI’s International Terrorism Operations Section, while on loan from CIA. In 1998 he investigated the al Qaeda bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the 2000 attack of the USS Cole off the coast of Yemen. He was recalled to become chief of Counterterrorism Center/Special Operations (CTC/SO) in the CIA, in charge of day-to-day running of the war in Afghanistan. Involved with Afghanistan until 2002 when he moved on to calmer assignments. He was the deputy director of the Counter-Terrorism Center from 1999 to 2001, and head of the CIA's National Resources Division, from 2003 to 2005. As head of the National Resources Division he hired future CIA Director Gina Haspel as his deputy. He also was the head of the US covert response in Afghanistan to the September 11, 2001 attack, He worked for the CIA for a total of 24 years, served as State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism with the rank of ambassador-at-large,

Post-government career In 2008 Crumpton founded In 2022, he renamed the company Crumpton Global LLC.

Crumpton is also involved in TV and film production, creating and leading film company Aardwolf Creative LLC.

Author In 2012, Crumpton published a memoir about his 24 years working for the CIA entitled, The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service. The book is currently being developed as a movie titled Aperture.

He contributed two chapters to the book Transforming US Intelligence, edited by Jennifer E. Sims and former CIA operations officer Burton Gerber, published in 2005.

Awards and honors The Intelligence Commendation Medal The George HW Bush Award for excellence in counter-terrorism The Sherman Kent Award The Donovan Award The Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the CIA's highest achievement award