As chief scientist, Harrison is responsible for guiding the 4,000-person center’s analytic production mission, ensuring timely delivery of relevant intelligence to Air Force and joint operation warfighters, acquisition and force modernization communities, and senior defense and intelligence community policymaking customers.
“First and foremost, the center commander and the chief scientist must function as inseparable partners,” said Wright. “There is no division of labor. Together, we share the responsibilities of leading this enterprise to mission success.”
“Duane has told me that he believes advising the center commander is both a privilege and responsibility. I’d offer that his advice and counsel is an indispensable gift, not only to me by to the men and women of NASIC.”
During his remarks, Harrison highlighted the variety of attendees in the audience. In addition to family and friends, the ceremony drew representatives from the Air Force, the intelligence community, state and federal government, universities and even two local high schools.
With a nod to these representatives, Harrison called on civic institutions, government and academia to find novel ways of working together.
“The strategic and destabilizing threats we now face to our military, our economy, and our democracy will force us to come together in ways we have not yet thought of and to challenge our own long held assumptions,” he said. “Ours is a race against a different vision of the world. Collaboration and agility are a must.”
Harrison has worked at NASIC for the past 18 years, and he has served in three of the four groups here.
“I could not have picked a better partner to help model the kind of integrated military and civilian leadership NASIC needs and deserves,” said Wright.
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