Press Release

U.S. Dedicates National Center For Medical Intelligence; Pentagon Facility Expands Into National Mission

Washington D.C. - July 2, 2008

Leaders from across the U.S. Intelligence Community today dedicated the National Center for Medical Intelligence (NCMI) at a ribbon cutting ceremony in Ft. Detrick, Maryland. Established by the Secretary of Defense as the premier producer and coordinator of all-source medical intelligence, NCMI produces medical intelligence for global force protection and homeland health protection to safeguard U.S. interests worldwide.

Ceremony speakers included DIA Director, U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples; Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence James R. Clapper; Department of Homeland Security, Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, Charles E. Allen; and NCMI Director, U.S. Air Force Col. Anthony Rizzo.

“The National Center for Medical Intelligence is the critical link between Department of Defense force protection and broader homeland health protection,” said Lt. Gen. Maples. “It demonstrates the vital contribution that medical intelligence makes to public health security.”

Medical intelligence is the assessment of potential health risks and health care capabilities that allow planning for proper medical countermeasures, health care support, and medical personnel support. NCMI, formerly known as the Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center (AFMIC), was established in 1982 as the primary producer of allsource medical intelligence for the U.S. Armed Forces deploying overseas. The center remains an integral part of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

The designation of NCMI as a national center reflects the growth in its roles and responsibilities which has been underway for several years. This growth has included expanded relationships beyond the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Intelligence Community (IC), to now include the Department of Homeland Security, the White House, Department of State, coalition and foreign partners, and other domestic non-DoD customers.

Today’s announcement underscores the growing integration between homeland health protection and medical intelligence. These partnerships allow NCMI to focus on a broader range of foreign medical threats to U.S. military and civilian personnel, allies, and other critical national interests. Examples include: pandemic flu, avian flu, or other animal diseases that could potentially threaten the U.S. The national center includes a growing network for enhanced situational awareness and early warning, which will strengthen the integrated picture of health threats to U.S. citizens at home and abroad.

In December 2008, NCMI expects to break ground on a 15,000 square-foot addition to the existing facility.

DIA is the nation’s premier all-source military intelligence organization.

It provides the nation’s most authoritative assessments of foreign military intentions and capabilities. The agency’s four core competencies -- human intelligence, all-source analysis, counterintelligence and technical intelligence -- enable military operations while also informing policy-makers at the defense and national levels.

DIA’s mission is unique and no other agency matches its military expertise across such a broad range of intelligence disciplines.