Defense Intelligence Analysis Center Expansion Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Bolling Air Force Base
Washington, D.C.
21 October 2005

Thank you for that kind introduction, Mr. Manzelmann, and for your outstanding work as project manager.

Senator Stevens, Admiral Jacoby, distinguished guests, friends and colleagues, it’s a pleasure to be with you today. This is an important milestone in the history of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Admiral Jacoby, I want to commend and thank you for your leadership of this project, for your vision, and needless to say, for your hospitality. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence will be proud to share this new space with the men and women of DIA, albeit on a temporary basis. The top two floors of the new building are prime real estate, and we recognize the inconvenience this entails. We appreciate how you have gone to great lengths to meet our special needs, and we are indebted to you for providing this vital assistance. Again, we thank you.

I know from firsthand experience the challenges DIA faces in Iraq and other parts of the world. Your service is vital, both to the warrior and to the policymaker. The strong support for this project from Senator Stevens and others on the Hill is clear acknowledgement of that fact.

This state-of-the-art facility is an important step toward two complementary goals: transforming defense intelligence and making DIA even more of a “national” intelligence asset than it already is.

• You will have more of DIA under one roof than ever before.

• You will have the opportunity to build your internal community, to find ways to facilitate analysts, collectors, and staff working together.

• And you will be able to give your professional colleagues the continuous training and educational opportunities we all need to stay ahead of the competitive challenges we face in the 21st century.

One of the clear messages from the WMD report and intelligence reform legislation is that there needs to be more collaboration, both across disciplines and between organizations. With a new building designed to facilitate increased cooperation and sharing, you have a head start in achieving those goals. I invite you to take maximum advantage of it. There's no better way to ensure that our collection is well targeted, our analysis is well grounded, and our business process is fluid and effective.

Ladies and gentlemen, once again, this is a proud moment for DIA, but it's also a proud moment for the Intelligence Community at large. When one element of the IC grows stronger, we all grow stronger, and under Admiral Jacoby's leadership, we've clearly seen that DIA has made another great stride forward on behalf of us all. Congratulations on this wonderful new building, and thank you for your wonderful support and for graciously allowing us to share your home. I very much look forward to joining your neighborhood.

Thank you very much.