Closed Open House

It had all the trappings of ribbon-cutting, with one exception.

Far from being admitted to a new, state-of-the-art spy operation at the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, hundreds of personnel who attended the dedication Tuesday were kept several hundred feet away.

Ceremonies were held in an outdoor amphitheater, and the ribbon was attached to the podium.

The Northwest Regional Naval Intelligence Center was designed for training and coordination of intelligence specialists assigned to ships, air squadrons and shore bases, said Rear Adm. Michael Cramer, director of naval intelligence.

“It is a consolidation of intelligence resources in the Northwest area,” Cramer said.