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(U) SID Around the World: Peak Conditions in Denver
FROM:
Field Station Denver
Run Date: 09/02/2003
(U//FOUO) After spending nearly two decades at NSAW, I can truly
say that having an assignment at Field Station Denver has been
one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. The position I
accepted was working in the Mission Operations Group (MOG) as a
Mission Planner. On a daily basis I influence the scheduling, live
execution, tasking and collection for a specific geographic area. It
has required that I expand my professional horizons, and has given
me the chance to regularly team with the operators and collection
managers who conduct the live mission as well as interact with the
SID organizations, the RSOCs and Intelligence Community
customers.
(U) While I have been very satisfied with the job here in Denver, I
have been at least as pleased with the living conditions in the area.
Denver's wonderful climate is a big contributor. Denver gets over
300 days of sunshine a year, which is more than any other U.S.
city except one. Thanks to the many days of sunshine and
extremely low humidity, those living in Colorado love taking
advantage of outdoor sporting activities. There are hundreds and
hundreds of miles of bicycle trails and walking paths all over the
metropolitan area. My family was pleasantly surprised to find a
path only about 100 yards from our house, which actually connects
with trails and paths that can take one to Denver International
Airport, approximately 35 miles away. Some of these trails can
also take one into the city as well as further into the suburbs. The
best part is that these trails are accessible nearly year round.
Having access to many state parks as well as national parks for
hiking and mountain climbing is another benefit to being in this
area.
(U) It would be an injustice to talk about a tour in Denver without
mentioning the mountains and opportunities to enjoy the winter
activities. One can drive to many of the ski resorts within one or
two hours or take the weekend ski train from downtown Denver.
The resorts provide many opportunities to ski, snowboard,
snowshoe, tube, ice skate and more. In fact for parents with
children in elementary school, field trips to take skiing or
snowboarding lessons are regularly offered when classes are not in
session. (Year-round schools are very popular here.) Finally I
should point out that Denver really does not get the snowfall that
many believe. Even though it frequently snows, it usually melts
within a day. The biggest snows come to the mountains, and
Denver is on the western edge of the Great Plains. The mammoth
snowfall (3-4 ft) we saw in 2003 was highly unusual and was
apparently the biggest since about 1913.
(U) The year round schools in the Denver area that I mentioned
earlier are actually only for elementary school students. There are
at least two excellent possibilities in the area, the Cherry Creek
Public Schools and Douglas County Public Schools. In addition to
traditional schools, both districts also offer options in charter
SERIES:
(U) SID Around the
World '03
1. Coming Soon: SID
Around the World!
2. SID Around the
World: Living High in
the Balkans
3. SID Around the
World: SIGINT from
Paradise (Okinawa)
4. SID Around the
World: A Country the
Size of Maryland
5. SID Around the
World: Life in the
Field
6. SID Around the
World: Washington,
D.C.
7. SID Around the
World: Peak
Conditions in Denver
8. SID Around the
World: The Rheinland
9. Spanning The
Globe...Misawa to
Menwith Hill: Part 1
10. Spanning The
Globe...Misawa to
Menwith Hill: Part 2
11. SID Around the
World: A TDY to
Guantanamo Bay
schools, which often have a particular specialty. In addition to good
schools, finding that Denver had a higher locality pay than the
Baltimore-Washington area was a pleasant surprise. While housing
costs are higher in the Denver area than in Maryland, we were
pleased with the neighborhoods, communities, and selection of
housing available within a reasonable distance of the site at
Buckley Air Force Base.
(U) Well, it should be obvious by now that I can go on and on about
my experiences here. However I must come to a close. In sum I
will say, take a chance and try it out. A field tour may be more
than what you expected. The Denver field experience for my family
and me has truly exceeded our expectations.
(U//FOUO) If you are thinking of applying for a field position, see
the Extended Enterprise Vacancy Announcements .
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid comms)."
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