Intel officer assumes command of Air Intelligence Agency

  • Published
  • By Joe N. Wiggins
  • Air Intelligence Agency Public Affairs
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, TEXAS (AFPN) --  A career intelligence officer assumed command Oct. 6 of the Air Force organization charged with providing information warfare capabilities to air component and joint force commanders around the world.

Maj. Gen. John C. Koziol became the 28th commander of the Air Intelligence Agency and Joint Information Operations Center during a ceremony officiated by Marine General James E. Cartwright, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, and Lt. Gen. William M. Fraser III, vice commander of Air Combat Command.

Maj. Gen. Paul J. Lebras relinquished command of the agency and retired after 34 years of active service.

In accepting his command, General Koziol offered high praise for the people of the JIOC and AIA as well as the outgoing commander.

“I’m proud and humbled to command two premier warfighting organizations,” General Koziol said. “JIOC impacts every combatant command, with warfighting capability in every area of responsibility that we have our personnel deployed to today.

During General Lebras’ tenure, AIA implemented several significant changes and mission enhancements to support the global war on terrorism.

They include developing and installing new collections systems in Predator aerial vehicles in only 60 days, deploying cryptologic support teams to air operations centers in the Middle East, and deploying security monitors around the world that subsequently monitored 160,000 telephone calls and four million e-mails.

As a part of U.S. Space Command, the JIOC’s mission is coordinating and executing information operations. It deploys planning teams worldwide at a moment’s notice to deliver tailored, highly skilled support, and sophisticated models and simulations to joint commanders, joint task forces and the Joint Staff.

AIA's mission is to deliver multisource intelligence products, applications, services and resources. It delivers flexible collection, air and space intelligence, weapons monitoring, and information warfare products and services to operational commanders, the Joint Staff and DOD agencies.