Col. Lauran Bunyan is the Deputy Commander, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. NASIC is the Air Force’s analysis center for foreign air, space and specialized intelligence and provides a broad range of integrated, tailored assessments, products and services to joint operational forces, national policymakers and the acquisition community. This $1.8 billion center employs more than 3,700 people and has an annual budget of more than $747 million.
Col. Bunyan was commissioned a second lieutenant through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at North Carolina State University. She completed the Intelligence Officer Training at Goodfellow AFB, Texas, in 2001, and is a career intelligence officer. She has served in a variety of operational and staff positions at the squadron, wing, combatant command, and Headquarters U.S. Air Force levels. Colonel Bunyan commanded the 94th Intelligence Squadron at Fort George G. Meade, Md., where she led more than 470 Airmen performing exploitation of intelligence data from five airborne ISR platforms and conducted force protection signals intelligence missions for deployed forces. She has operationally supported 7 AF targeting, USEUCOM collection management and ISR operations for JSTARS, Predator, Reaper, Global Hawk, Project Liberty and U-2. Her career includes five deployments supporting operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, JOINT GUARDIAN and FREEDOM’S SENTINAL.
Prior to assuming her current position, Col. Bunyan was the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division Chief for Headquarters United States Africa Command, Kelley Barracks, Germany.
EDUCATION
1996 Bachelor of Science, Environmental Biology and Management, University of California Davis, Davis, Calif.
2000 Master of Natural Resources, Spatial Information Systems, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C.
2006 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2013 Master of Military Operations Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2015 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
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July 2000 – March 2001, Student, Intelligence Officer Course, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
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March 2001 – March 2002, Chief, Systems and Security, 93rd Operations Support Squadron, Robins AFB, Ga.
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March 2002 – July 2003, Chief, Intelligence Operations,16th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, Robins AFB, Ga.
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July 2003 – July 2004, Chief, Strategic Target Development, 607th Air Intelligence Squadron, Osan AB, Korea
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July 2004 – July 2005, Chief, Airborne Collection Management, Joint Analysis Center, RAF Molesworth, United Kingdom
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July 2005 – July 2006, Chief, Eurasia Collection Management, Joint Analysis Center, RAF Molesworth, United Kingdom
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September 2006 - November 2007, Chief, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division Systems Integration and Modernization, Air Force Command and Control and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center, Langley AFB, Va.
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December 2007 – July 2008, Signals Intelligence Flight Commander, 30th Intelligence Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
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July 2008 – July 2009, Executive Officer, 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, Langley AFB, Va.
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July 2009 – July 2010, Chief, Standardization and Evaluations, 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, Langley AFB, Va.
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July 2010 – July 2012, Director of Operations, 11th Intelligence Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
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August 2012 – June 2013, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
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July 2013 – May 2016, Air Force Distributed Common Ground System Program Element Monitor, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Resources Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
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June 2016 – June 2018, Commander, 94th Intelligence Squadron, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
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July 2018 – July 2019, Deputy Commander, 544th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, Peterson AFB, Colo.
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July 2019 – July 2021, Deputy Director of Intelligence, Combined Force Space Component Command, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
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July 2021 – May 2022, Chief, Joint Reconnaissance Center, Intelligence Directorate, Headquarters Africa Command, Kelley Barracks, Germany
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June 2022 – June 2023, Chief, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division, Headquarters Africa Command, Kelley Barracks, Germany
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July 2023 – Present, Deputy Commander, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 31, 2000
First Lieutenant May 31, 2002
Captain May 31, 2004
Major April 1, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel August 1, 2015
Colonel January 1, 2022
(Current as of JULY 2023)