Photo: CIA / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Michael Hayden fascinates me as living American intelligence history. A retired four-star Air Force general, he ran both the NSA and the CIA, a near-unheard-of double, and collected honors from the U.S., Germany, France, and Australia along the way. What holds my attention is that he sat at the center of the post-9/11 fights over surveillance and the balance between security and liberty. Rarer still, he chose to keep speaking publicly after retirement, defending and explaining choices most insiders would bury. For a man whose career lived in secrecy, that willingness to argue in the open earns my genuine, if wary, respect.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Michael Hayden
- Name (Japanese)
- マイケル・ヘイデン
- Reading
- まいける・へいでん
- Born
- March 17, 1945 (age 81)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Rooster
- Origin
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
- Occupation
- military officer / politician
2. Background
- High school
- North Catholic High School
- University
- Duquesne University
Awards & achievements
- Bronze Star Medal
- Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Legionnaire of Legion of Merit
- 2010 Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Michael Hayden born?
Born March 17, 1945 (age 81).
Where is Michael Hayden from?
Michael Hayden is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.
What does Michael Hayden do?
Michael Hayden works as military officer, politician.
Military officer — see all → · Politician — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.