After nearly three years of construction, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held here to officially open the Joint Intelligence Operations Center, also known as the "Vince," named after Lt, Cmdr. Otis Vincent Tolbert who was killed during the attack on the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. Lieutenant Commander Tolbert was assigned to CENTCOM from 1996 to 2000.
The massive structure is a four-story building and state-of-the-art facility, sized at approximately 270,000 square feet. It provides space for approximately 1,300 workers and centralizes intelligence functions which previously were spread throughout several facilities on base.
In addition to CENTCOM personnel, the new facility houses personnel CENTCOM partners with from other U.S. government intelligence agencies, such as the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency.
Aside from supporting the intelligence needs associated with operations in CENTCOM's area of responsibility in the Middle East and Central and South Asia, the new facility provides enhanced training capability for intelligence personnel.
"The facility we are gathered in today will be invaluable in the endeavor into which Vince Tolbert poured his energy: providing the best and most timely intelligence possible to support some of our nation's most critical military operations," Gen. David Petraeus, CENTCOM commander, told the audience, which included members of the Tolbert family; the U.S. intelligence community; CENTCOM leadership and staff; and Tampa area dignitaries. "Nearly 235,000 U.S. military personnel and tens of thousands of civilians are currently deployed in the Central Command area of responsibility, conducting operations to thwart terrorism, combat insurgencies, interdict weapons proliferation, counter piracy, and reduce the illegal narcotics industry, as well as to conduct a variety of other operations."
As the ribbon fell to the ground, the facility officially opened and the analysts and intelligence officers went back to business as usual in their new state-of-the art facility.