Press Release

Defense Intelligence Agency Hosts Ribbon Cutting for National Center for Medical Intelligence Center Building Expansion

November 9, 2010

FREDERICK, Md. (November 9, 2010) – Leaders from the Defense Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Congress and Fort Detrick cut the ribbon today for an expansion to the National Center for Medical Intelligence, symbolically opening it.

Defense Intelligence Agency director Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Burgess Jr., along with U.S. Representative Roscoe G. Bartlett (R-MD), U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and Fort Detrick Commanding General Maj. Gen. James K. Gilman, and NCMI director Col. Anthony M. Rizzo provided remarks to honor the occasion. Other attendees included representatives from the Maryland congressional delegation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Detrick, the Intelligence Community, and mission partners.

Employees working at the National Center for Medical Intelligence facility quickly ran out of working space to keep up with the high demand for medical intelligence. Constructed in the mid 1980’s, the existing NCMI facility was originally built to accommodate 65 employees. The building expansion began in 2009 to alleviate gross overcrowding in the facility that now holds a staff of approximately 150 employees, including embedded personnel from Intelligence Community and U.S. government partner agencies.

Lt. Gen. Burgess spoke of the strong alliance with partner agencies saying, “NCMI truly sets the standard when it comes to integration, information-sharing and collaboration. The expansion we dedicate today will provide NCMI with the additional space it needs to continue fulfilling its Department of Defense and national missions.”

The $7.8 million expansion was constructed by Grunley Construction Co., Inc., of Rockville, Md., and adds nearly 13,000 square feet to the existing 31,500 square-feet facility. It includes 67 work spaces, two conference rooms, an 18-person training room and an access control center fully compliant with current antiterrorism and force protection standards. Forty-four new parking spaces also are included in the project.

The expanded NCMI facility was constructed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard. LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Meeting the LEED Silver Certification requires specific environmental designs be incorporated into the facility to protect the environment and save energy.

The NCMI is a field production activity of the Defense Intelligence Agency. NCMI is the nation’s premier producer and coordinator of all-source medical intelligence, providing intelligence for global force protection and homeland health protection to safeguard U.S. interests worldwide.

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.