View source for National Center for Medical Intelligence

{{short description|Military medical intelligence agency of the United States}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name     = National Center for Medical Intelligence
| motto           = 
| picture         = 
| picture_width   = 
| picture_caption = 
| logo            = 
| logo_width      = 
| logo_caption    = 
| seal            = National Center for Medical Intelligence logo.jpg
| seal_width      = 180px
| seal_caption    = Seal of the NCMI
| formed          = {{Start date and age|1973|4|1}} (as [[US Army]] Medical Intelligence and Information Agency (1973-82), Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center (1982-2008), became National Center for Medical Intelligence in 2008)
| agency_type     = Component of departmental agency (since 1992)
| preceding1      = [[US Army Medical Information and Intelligence Agency]] (1956-early 1970s)
| preceding2      = Medical intelligence office under [[Surgeon General of the United States Army|Army Surgeon General]], multiple names (at least [[WWII]]-1956)
| jurisdiction    = [[Federal government of the United States|Federal]] agency operating in US, but analyzing foreign and domestic intelligence
| headquarters    = [[Fort Detrick]], [[Frederick, Maryland]], U.S.
| coordinates     = {{Coord|39|26|7|N|77|25|45|W|}}
| employees       = 100<ref name=AP/>-150<ref name=Clemente/><ref name=Buxbaum>{{cite news |last=Buxbaum |first=Peter |date=Jul 7, 2008 |title= Military medical intelligence center gets a new name |url= https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/military-medical-intelligence-center-gets-new-name |work=Healthcare IT News |access-date= August 18, 2021}}</ref>
| budget          = 
| chief1_name     = [[Colonel (United States)|Col.]] R. Shane Day
| chief1_position = Director<ref name=Day1/><ref name=Day2/>
| chief2_name     = Christopher M. Strub
| chief2_position = Deputy Director<ref name=Day1/><ref name=Day2/>
| parent_agency   = [[Defense Intelligence Agency]] (DIA)
| parent_department = [[United States Department of Defense]] (DIA also member of [[United States Intelligence Community|USIC]])
| website         = 
}}

The '''National Center for Medical Intelligence''' ('''NCMI'''), formerly known as the ''Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center'', is a component of the United States [[Defense Intelligence Agency]] (DIA) responsible for the production of [[medical intelligence]] and [[all-source intelligence]] on foreign health threats and other medical issues to protect U.S. interests worldwide.<ref>[https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/642001p.pdf?ver=2019-06-06-145150-737 DoD Instruction 6420.01, "National Center for Medical Intelligence (NCMI)", March 20, 2009]</ref> Headquartered at [[Fort Detrick, Maryland|Fort Detrick]], [[Maryland]], the center provides finished intelligence products to the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]], [[United States Intelligence Community|U.S. Intelligence Community]], [[Five Eyes]], [[NATO]], [[Major non-NATO ally|allies]] and partners, as well as [[international health]] organizations and [[Non-governmental organization|NGO]]'s.<ref>Matthew Watson: "DIA Establishes National Center for Medical Intelligence", http://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/govt_response/2008-07-11-dianatlctrmedintell.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220174225/http://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/biosecurity_briefing/archive/govt_response/2008-07-11-dianatlctrmedintell.html |date=2010-02-20 }}, July 11, 2008.</ref>

As of April 2020, NCMI is led by director [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]] R. Shane Day<ref name=Day1/><ref name=Day2/> and deputy director Christopher M. Strub.<ref name=Day2/>

==History==
The NCMI traces its origins to the organization of a [[medical intelligence]] section in the Office of the [[Surgeon General of the United States Army]] during [[World War II]]. Prior to entry into the war, the Surgeon General established medical intelligence to support planning for the administration of military governments in U.S. Army occupied territories occupied by providing detailed guides for civil [[public health]] and [[sanitation]] conditions. As the prospect of United States entry into the war increased, the need for a full-time staff of medical intelligence analysts became apparent. During the war, medical intelligence products were part of formal war planning with the incorporation of health and sanitary data into War Department Strategic Surveys. The history and organization of the medical intelligence program in 1951 is described in detail Special Text, ST 8039–1, 1951, used at the [[United States Army Medical Department Center and School|Army Medical Service School]].<ref>[https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dodmilintel/59/ Special Text, ST 8-30-1, Medical Intelligence, 1951]</ref>

The [[US Army Medical Information and Intelligence Agency]] was organized at [[Walter Reed Army Medical Center]] (WRAMC) by WRAMC General Orders 62, 24 September 1956.<ref>[https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1166&context=usarmyresearch  Medical Information and Intelligence Agency monthly report for the month ending 31 October 1956]</ref> It was created by transferring personnel and files from the Medical Intelligence Division and the Reference Library of the Office the [[Surgeon General of the United States Army]]. Although both were abbreviated MIIA, this Medical Information and Intelligence Agency should not be confused with the Medical Intelligence and Information Agency which was organized effective 1 April 1973.

According to a historical summary from the Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center, the Medical Information and Intelligence Agency was absorbed by [[Defense Intelligence Agency|DIA]] in 1962.<ref>{{Cite journal |title= Brief History of AFMIC (Total Manpower) |journal= Department of Defense Military Intelligence |url= https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dodmilintel/106 |date= 1992 |access-date= August 18, 2021 |publisher= University of Nebraska Digital Commons |last1= Bolin |first1= Robert |last2= Clemente |first2= Jonathan }}</ref>
During the later [[Cold War]], the medical intelligence division underwent several evolutions in size, structure and specific function. In the early 1970s, the division became victim of DoD downsizing initiatives after the [[Vietnam War]].

On April 1, 1973, the Army Surgeon General again took sole responsibility for the medical intelligence function in the form of the US Army Medical Intelligence and Information Agency (USAMIIA or MIIA).<ref>Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center, Historical Data Card 
 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1169&context=usarmyresearch</ref> MIIA transferred to [[Fort Detrick]] in 1979 and was renamed as AFMIC in 1982 when it became a tri-service organization.<ref>Robert L. Bolin: ''Army Technical Intelligence Chronology'', Chapter 4: Official Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Neb., 2000, online at http://unllib.unl.edu/Bolin_resources/TI/tech-int.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917171446/http://unllib.unl.edu/Bolin_resources/TI/tech-int.html |date=September 17, 2017 }}, Version 7.05; Revised, March 22, 2005.</ref> Congress mandated the permanent transfer of AFMIC to DIA in 1992 under the DoD Authorization Act.<ref>Jeffrey T. Richelson: ''The U.S. Intelligence Community'', Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1999, p. 62.</ref> As of January 1992, AFMIC became a DIA field production activity.

On July 2, 2008, AFMIC was formally redesignated as the NCMI in a ceremony at Ft. Detrick.<ref>Colonel Anthony M. Rizzo, Director, National Center for Medical Intelligence: "Meeting Emerging and Constantly Changing Health Threats with a Central Point of Information and Intelligence", ''Military Medical/CBRN Technology'', 2008 Volume: 12 Issue: 5 (August), http://www.military-medical-technology.com/mmt-archives/24-mmt-2008-volume-12-issue-5/146-national-center-for-medical-intelligence.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811025600/http://www.military-medical-technology.com/mmt-archives/24-mmt-2008-volume-12-issue-5/146-national-center-for-medical-intelligence.html |date=August 11, 2019 }}.</ref>  In 2010, the center received a facility expansion that added workspaces, conference and training rooms, and additional parking.<ref name="ME">Megan Eckstein, News-Post Staff: "Medical Intelligence group adds much-needed office space at Fort Detrick", ''Frederick News-Post'', http://www.fredericknewspost.com/archive/article_d81fa175-2de5-5109-830e-b71a5a534900.html?mode=jqm, Posted Nov 10, 2010.</ref>

==Organization==
The NCMI is led by a director, [[Colonel (United States)|Col.]] R. Shane Day of the [[United States Air Force]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.airforcemedicine.af.mil/News/Biographies/Display/Article/1024443/colonel-dr-r-shane-day/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412231928/https://www.airforcemedicine.af.mil/News/Biographies/Display/Article/1024443/colonel-dr-r-shane-day/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 12, 2020 |title=COLONEL (DR) R. SHANE DAY |website=airforcemedicine.af.mil |publisher=[[United States Air Force Medical Service]] |access-date=July 18, 2021}}</ref> as of April 2020.<ref name=Day1>{{cite news |last2=Meek |first2=James Gordon |last1=Margolin |first1=Josh |date=April 8, 2020 |title=Intelligence report warned of coronavirus crisis as early as November: Sources |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/intelligence-report-warned-coronavirus-crisis-early-november-sources/story?id=70031273 |work=[[NBC News]] |access-date=July 18, 2021}}</ref><ref name=Day2>{{Cite tweet |author=[[Defense Intelligence Agency]] |user=DefenseIntel |number=1250876618731634689 |title=The mission of the National Center for Medical Intelligence |date=April 16, 2020 |language=English |access-date=July 18, 2021 |link=https://twitter.com/defenseintel/status/1250876618731634689?lang=en}}</ref> The director is assisted by a deputy director, as of April 2020, Christopher M. Strub.<ref name=Day2/> NCMI has a total of four major divisions, those being Infectious Disease, Environmental Health, Global Health Systems, and Medical Science and Technology.<ref name=Clemente>{{cite journal |last1=Clemente |first1=Jonathan  |date=2013 |title=Medical Intelligence |url=https://www.afio.com/publications/CLEMENTE%20Pages%20from%20INTEL_FALLWINTER2013_Vol20_No2.pdf |journal=The Intelligencer |volume=20 |pages=Unknown}}</ref> The NCMI is organized into a support division and two substantive divisions—the Epidemiology and Environmental Health Division and the Medical Capabilities Division. Each substantive division is made up of two teams, the duties of which include:

'''Environmental Health'''

*Identify and assess environmental risks that can degrade force health or effectiveness including chemical and microbial contamination of the environment, toxic industrial, chemical and radiation accidents, and [[environmental terrorism]]/warfare.
*Assess the impact of foreign [[environmental health]] issues and trends on [[environmental security]] and national policy.

'''Epidemiology'''

*Identify, assess, and report on [[Infection|infectious disease]] risks that can degrade mission effectiveness of deployed forces and/or cause long-term health implications.
*Alert operational and policy customers to foreign disease outbreaks that have implications for [[national security]] and policy formulation, including homeland defense and [[Biological warfare|deliberately]] introduced versus naturally occurring [[disease outbreak]]s.

'''Life Sciences and Biotechnology'''

*Assess foreign basic and applied biomedical and biotechnological developments of military medical importance.
*Assess foreign civilian and military pharmaceutical industry capabilities.
*Assess foreign scientific and technological medical advances for [[CBRN defense|defense]] against [[Nuclear warfare|nuclear]], [[Biological warfare|biological]] and [[chemical warfare]].
*Prevent technological surprise.
*Prevent proliferation of dual-use equipment and knowledge.

'''Medical Capabilities'''

*Assess foreign military and civilian medical capabilities, including treatment facilities, medical personnel, emergency and disaster response, logistics, and medical/pharmaceutical industries.
*Maintain and update an integrated data base on all medical treatment, training, pharmaceutical, and research and production facilities.

===Director of NCMI===
The directorship of NCMI was historically held "primarily by [[Officer (armed forces)#United States|military officers]];" only two civilians have ever occupied the position.<ref name=DIA/> Past directors include [[Physician|medical doctor]], former undercover [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] officer, and [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]] Dr. Anthony Rizzo, who held the position for eight years<ref name=AVIA>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s)/no by-line.--> |title=Dr. Anthony Rizzo: The Aging Pilot |url=https://www.sportaviationexpo.com/dr-anthony-rizzo-the-aging-pilot/ |work=US Sport Aviation Expo |agency=US Sport Aviation Expo |date=June 25, 2018 |access-date=July 7, 2021}}</ref> before retiring in 2013;<ref name=Polk>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s)/no by-line.--> |title=Starting a New Life: Retired Air Force Colonel is Now Biology Professor at Polk |url=https://www.polk.edu/news/starting-a-new-life-retired-air-force-colonel-is-now-biology-professor-at-polk/ |work=[[Polk State College]] |agency=[[Polk State College]] |date=November 8, 2013 |access-date=July 6, 2021}}</ref> and former [[Medical Corps (United States Army)|Army doctor]] and NCMI [[Infection|infectious disease]] [[Intelligence analysis|intelligence analyst]] Dr. Kathryn Morici, the center's first female and second civilian director,<ref name=DIA>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s)/no by-line.--> |title=Introducing Dr. Kathryn Morici, NCMI's new director |url=https://www.dia.mil/News/Articles/Article-View/Article/566956/introducing-dr-kathryn-morici-ncmis-new-director/ |work=DIA Public Affairs |agency=[[Defense Intelligence Agency]] |date=March 21, 2014 |access-date=July 6, 2021}}</ref> who took office in February 2014 but was, by at least April 2021, replaced by R. Shane Day.<ref name=Day1/><ref name=Day2/>

There is also a deputy director of NCMI; Christopher M. Strub served or serves as Day's deputy.<ref name=Day2/>

====Directors of NCMI starting 2005====
The following is an incomplete list of NCMI directors starting in 2005. NCMI had one civilian/non-military director prior to 2005 and every director pre-2014 was male.<ref name=DIA/>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background:#e5e5e5;"| Director !! style="background:#e5e5e5;"| Term of office
|-
| [[Colonel (United States)|Col.]] Dr. Anthony Rizzo || 2005 – 2013<ref name=Polk/>
|-
| Dr. Kathryn Morici || February 2014<ref name=DIA/> – Before April 2020<ref name=Day1/><ref name=Day2/>
|-
| [[Colonel (United States)|Col.]] Dr. R. Shane Day || Before April 2020<ref name=Day1/><ref name=Day2/> – Unknown
|}

==Operations==
A former NCMI director described its mission as "[predicting] what would be a threat to the United States;"<ref name="AVIA"/> the [[United States Secretary of the Navy|Secretary of the Navy]] stated it as "to act as the focal point in the [[United States Department of Defense|DoD]] for compiling, producing, and distributing finished intelligence on foreign military and civilian medical capabilities, medical intelligence products and assessments."<ref>{{cite letter |first=Richard V. |last=Spencer |recipient=Gregory J. Slavonic |subject=NATIONAL CENTER FOR MEDICAL INTELLIGENCE (NCMI) |language=English |date=December 21, 2018 |url=https://www.secnav.navy.mil/doni/Directives/03000%20Naval%20Operations%20and%20Readiness/03-800%20Intelligence%20Support/3800.9B.pdf |access-date=July 18, 2021}}</ref> Customers range from operational and tactical commanders, [[Preventive healthcare|preventive medicine]] personnel, and medical planners and researchers to the policymakers in the [[United States Department of Defense]], the [[White House]] staff and other [[List of federal agencies in the United States|federal agencies]].
The mission grew during [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] and [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]].<ref>Megan Eckstein: "Detrick soldiers steadily being sent to Middle East", ''Frederick News-Post'', originally published January 17, 2010, http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?storyid=100201 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313185814/http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?storyid=100201 |date=March 13, 2012 }}.</ref>

News reports indicated that NCMI produces medical intelligence analysis using intelligence products from other [[United States Intelligence Community|intelligence community]] agencies with a heavy emphasis on [[open-source intelligence]], such as foreign newspaper reports and [[social media]] posts.<ref name="AP">{{cite news |last=Reichmann |first=Deb |date=April 16, 2020 |title=Medical intelligence sleuths tracked, warned of new virus |url=https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-ap-top-news-weekend-reads-politics-da45eec432d6ff4cc9e0825531e454a6 |work=[[Associated Press|AP News]] |access-date=July 6, 2021}}</ref><ref name="NBC">{{cite news |last=Dilanian |first=Ken |date=March 13, 2020 |title=Spying on coronavirus: A little-known U.S. intel outfit has its most important mission yet |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/spying-coronavirus-little-known-u-s-intel-outfit-has-its-n1157296 |work=[[NBC News]] |access-date=July 6, 2021}}</ref> Former NCMI senior officer Denis Kaufman described the center's search through massive amounts of information as "like...looking for needles in a stack of needles."<ref name="AP"/> The NCMI does not collect any intelligence of its own and its products primarily serve the [[United States Armed Forces|US military]]<ref name="NBC"/> and commanders, policymakers, defense officials, and health officials such as the [[United States Secretary of Health and Human Services|Secretary of Health and Human Services]].<ref name="AP"/>

While the US [[Central Intelligence Agency]] also has a [[medical intelligence]] unit, the NCMI is the primary organization for classified [[COVID-19 pandemic]] information and analysis.<ref name=NBC/> The center is also the primary source of [[Federal government of the United States|federal]] medical intelligence as a whole.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pellerin |first=Cheryl |date=October 10, 2012 |title=MEDICAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER MONITORS HEALTH THREATS |url=https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/news-articles/ic-in-the-news-2012/item/739-medical-intelligence-center-monitors-health-threats |work=[[DoD News Channel#American Forces Press Service|American Forces Press Service]] |access-date=July 7, 2021}}</ref>

NCMI's director is charged with acting as "the Medical Intelligence consultant to the [[Surgeon General of the United States Army|Army]], [[Surgeon General of the United States Navy|Navy]], and [[Surgeon General of the United States Air Force|Air Force Surgeons General]]. [He or she] briefs at the [[White House]], to [[United States Congress|Congress]], to the [[Homeland Security Committee (disambiguation)|Homeland Security Committee]], to the [[Director of National Intelligence]] and to the [[Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence]]."<ref name="AVIA"/>

In a 2013 edition of ''The Intelligencer'', a journal published by the [[Association of Former Intelligence Officers]] (AFIO), Johnathan D. Clemente stated the NCMI had approximately 150 employees (counting on-site analysts from other [[United States Intelligence Community#List of members|intelligence agencies]]),<ref name="Clemente"/> the same number reported in 2008.<ref name="Buxbaumb">{{cite news |last=Buxbaum |first=Peter |date=Jul 7, 2008 |title=Military medical intelligence center gets a new name |url=https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/military-medical-intelligence-center-gets-new-name |work=Healthcare IT News |access-date=July 7, 2021}}</ref> In 2020, [[Associated Press|AP News]] estimated the NCMI employs "at least 100 [[Epidemiology#The profession|epidemiologists]], [[Virology|virologists]], [[chemical engineer]]s, [[Toxicology#Toxicology as a profession|toxicologists]], [[biologist]]s and military medical expert[s] — all schooled in intelligence trade craft;"<ref name="AP"/> also represented are "[[Physician|medical doctors]], [[veterinarian]]s and other experts with extensive operational medical experience from the military services."<ref name="NBC"/>

==2020-2021 COVID-19 Pandemic==

In April 2020, [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] reported that the [[White House]] was warned of the impending [[COVID-19 pandemic]] in [[Wuhan, China]], through a National Center for Medical Intelligence Report. In a rare public statement to ABC News, the Center denied this:

<blockquote>"As a matter of practice the National Center for Medical Intelligence does not comment publicly on specific intelligence matters. However, in the interest of transparency during this current public health crisis, we can confirm that media reporting about the existence/release of a National Center for Medical Intelligence Coronavirus-related product/assessment in November 2019 is not correct. No such NCMI product exists."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/intelligence-report-warned-coronavirus-crisis-early-november-sources/story?id=70031273|title = Intelligence report warned of coronavirus crisis as early as November: Sources| website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] }}</ref></blockquote>

The National Center for Medical Intelligence was thought to be part of the daily pandemic briefings of the [[White House]]:

<blockquote>"The value that NCMI brings is that it has access to information streams that the World Health Organization does not have, nor does the Centers for Disease Control or anyone else," said Denis Kaufman, a retired senior officer who worked at the NCMI.
In normal times, the NCMI's primary customer is the [[United States Armed Forces|U.S. military]], which uses the information to monitor potential health threats to its forces abroad. But in the midst of a pandemic, NCMI analysis is likely a fixture in the [[President's Daily Brief|president's daily intelligence briefing]], officials say.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/spying-coronavirus-little-known-u-s-intel-outfit-has-its-n1157296|title=How U.S. Spies predict pandemics like coronavirus|website=[[NBC News]] |date=March 13, 2020 }}</ref></blockquote>

==See also==
* [[Medical intelligence]]
*[[Defense Intelligence Agency]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Library resources box}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Clemente |first1=Jonathan  |date=2013 |title=Medical Intelligence |url=https://www.afio.com/publications/CLEMENTE%20Pages%20from%20INTEL_FALLWINTER2013_Vol20_No2.pdf |journal=The Intelligencer |volume=20 |pages=Unknown}}
* {{cite report |author=Denis C. Kaufman |date=2001 |title=Medical Intelligence: A Theater Engagement Tool |url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6809210-DIA-medical-intelligence-report.html |publisher=[[United States Army War College]] |access-date=July 6, 2021}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081207024651/http://www.ncmi.detrick.army.mil/ National Center for Medical Intelligence homepage]

{{U.S. biological defense}}
{{Defense Intelligence Agency}}
{{United States intelligence agencies}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:National Center For Medical Intelligence}}
[[Category:Defense Intelligence Agency]]
[[Category:Military medical organizations of the United States]]
[[Category:Medical and health organizations based in Maryland]]