Long served as a civilian in the U.S. Navy and the Intelligence Community between 1978 and 2014, retiring as the fifth Director the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the first woman to lead a major U.S. intelligence agency, in October 2014.

[2] She began her career in the U.S. Navy in 1978 as a civilian intern developing capabilities for the submarine force.

Joining the Director of Central Intelligence's Community Management Staff in January 1998 as the Executive Director for Intelligence Community Affairs, she was responsible for community-wide policy formulation, resource planning and program assessment and evaluation.

During her tenure at NGA, she led efforts to establish the agency’s first ‘Map of the World’, for intelligence users.

In 2011, she received the Charlie Allen Award for Distinguished Intelligence Service from the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, was decorated with the Medal of Merit by the King of Norway, was appointed to the rank of Chevalier in the National Order of the Legion of Honor of France and awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.