(Tribune News Service) — Col. Kenneth A. Stremmel will assume command of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Friday, the center said.

A ceremony marking the change of command will take place at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at 10 a.m. Stremmel most recently served as the director of intelligence, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. Before that, he was the commander of the Global Exploitation Intelligence Group at the center, which is better known as “NASIC.”

Relinquishing command will be Col. Ariel G. Batungbacal. She took command of NASIC in June 2022.

Batungbacal, who is also a brigadier general select, will serve as the director of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operations, at Air Force headquarters at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va.

With an annual budget of more than $500 million and more than 3,500 personnel, NASIC is the Air Force’s analysis center for foreign air, space and specialized intelligence, charged with discerning threats to national security in the air and space.

Since June 2022, NASIC has been joined in its work by the National Space Intelligence Center, also known as “Space Delta 18″ — identified as the 18th member of the federal intelligence community. The NSIC is also located at Wright-Patterson.

Lt. Gen. Leah G. Lauderback, the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Cyber Effects Operations, will preside over the ceremony Friday. (c)2024 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)

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