Thanking Colonel Ariel Batungbacal for Her Service to Our Nation

Floor Speech

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Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) Commander, Colonel Ariel Batungbacal, farewell and thank you as she departs command, after serving at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for the past four years--first as a NASIC Group Commander and then as the NASIC Wing Commander.

Colonel Batungbacal commissioned in 2001, quickly rising through the ranks to Colonel and, most recently, confirmed to the rank of Brigadier General. In other words, through 23 years of dedicated service to her Nation, Colonel Batungbacal has earned a spot in the top two percent of all eligible members who achieve the General Officer rank. An outstanding achievement.

Colonel Batungbacal distinguished herself through her dedicated service to the Department of Defense and her visionary leadership of NASIC, the U.S. Air Force's Service Intelligence Center. During her command, Colonel Batungbacal led the Center through an unprecedented organizational change, adopting an A-staff structure and realigning squadrons to better support mission execution for the high-end fight.

Colonel Batungbacal elevated NASIC's analytic ecosystem by accelerating a multi-year digital transformation effort, prioritizing systems and processes that serve to increase information sharing and remove barriers to collaboration. By weaving these transformation efforts into the Center's near and long-term strategies, she provided the organization with an integrated, measurable path to success. The entire Center has leveraged this effort to accelerate 20 analytic modernization projects, with 245 efforts pending future Center action.

Under her leadership, NASIC led a joint DoD and FBI project concerning a high visibility national effort, enabling critical analysis and dissemination to policy makers. While in command, she also hosted two U.S. House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence retreats, effectively showcasing NASIC's efforts aligned to the National Defense Strategy. This unprecedented, bipartisan committee retreat was also attended by 10 senior leaders of the intelligence community. I brought two Speakers of the House to witness the NASIC magic themselves and experience first-hand the tremendous impact these ``MacGyvers'' of the Air Force have on our national defense posture.

During her tenure as the NASIC Wing Commander, Colonel Batungbacal oversaw the completion of a $155 million military construction project--one of the largest in Wright-Patterson's history. Most impressive, this project finished ahead of schedule and under budget. The world-class, purpose-built addition increased NASIC's footprint by 255,000 sq. feet, providing an additional 980 seats and cutting-edge lab space to the U.S. Air Force's largest Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility.

With an intentional focus on workforce development, Colonel Batungbacal repurposed an existing facility to provide internal training opportunities to grow and enhance the careers of her nearly 3,800-member force. Since the building's reopening in 2023, NASIC has hosted nearly 150 classes, training an excess of approximately 1920 individuals. Instructors are often in-house NASIC employees and specialists in their field, offering unique learning opportunities to enhance their colleagues' skillsets.

In addition to her impressive accomplishments as Commander, Colonel Batungbacal's creativity and innovation has shaped the way NASIC is perceived across the Intelligence Community, the Department of Defense, and the state of Ohio. Colonel Batungbacal has left a lasting impression with her creative vision, unifying the mission across the Center and pioneering a recognizable NASIC brand. She will be missed, but I appreciate the lasting efforts she made upon NASIC, Wright- Patterson, and the Dayton community. We wish her the best of luck in her next endeavors at A2/6.

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