NASIC commander at Wright-Patt nominated for first star
President Joe Biden has nominated the commander of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for promotion.
Air Force Col. Ariel G. Batungbacal has been nominated for appointment to the grade of brigadier general, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
Batungbacal is serving as commander of NASIC at Wright-Patterson. She took command there in June 2022. At the time, she was already a group commander at NASIC, leading the Air and Cyberspace Intelligence Group there.
At NASIC, Batungbacal leads a $2.1 billion center with four groups, four directorates and 16 squadrons. She oversees an annual budget of more than $570 million and nearly 3,500 employees. NASIC assesses threats to national security in the air and in space for the federal government and the military.
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.
A spokesman for NASIC could not immediately say anything about a possible next assignment for Batungbacal. Also at Wright-Patterson, Air Force Col. Lindsay C. Droz was nominated for appointment to brigadier general, the Pentagon said. Droz is serving as the director of staff at the headquarters of Air Force Materiel Command, based at Wright-Patt.
Air Force Materiel Command is responsible for arming and equipping the Air Force, developing and sustaining every major Air Force weapons system.