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(U) The Shadow Knows
FROM:
Deputy SIGINT National Intelligence Officer for Warning
Run Date: 11/05/2003
(U//FOUO) The old adage goes that you can't judge another until you've walked a mile in his
shoes. I recently had the chance to walk a mile (at least!) and spend 12 hours with SID Director
MG Richard Quirk under the "Shadow the SIGINT Director" program . This program
represents a rejuvenation of Ms. Baginski's original "Shadow-a-Senior" program, and provides
the opportunity for SID's "average Joe's" to spend the day trying to keep up with one very
dynamic General.
(U//FOUO) As a seasoned SIGINT-er and occasional cynic, my original interest in the shadowing
program was based in a desire to get a view of Transformation initiatives from the top to
balance the "trickle down" effect we so often get at the other end of the management chain.
During the course of one very long day, I had the chance to gain an understanding of the types
of issues routinely handled by SID's senior management, garner the salient points of initiatives
underway to move us ahead in the Transformation process, and recognize the themes woven
across many topics and meetings. These all represented issues important to General Quirk in
regards to NSA's role as the Signals Intelligence authority.
(U//FOUO) Over the course of marathon meetings, one-on-ones, and phone calls, I experienced
several revelations. One was the frequency with which the SID Director must act as a bridge
between divergent views on SIGINT policy issues; MG Quirk was often a facilitator between our
own SIGINT leaders and other elements both within and outside NSA. Another very pleasant
revelation for me was the importance to which MG Quirk assigns the responsibility of the SID
Director to address critical operational issues - specifically shortfalls - and to incorporate
ultimate operational responsibility as part of the SID Director's leadership protocol.
(C) The breadth of topics to which I gained exposure ranged from new databasing systems and
continual fostering of our foreign partner relationships to future visions of vital areas such as
NSOC and the leadership of SID itself. One of the many common threads recognizable across
the spectrum of meetings that constitute the SID Director's day is General Quirk's emphasis on
unifying the efforts of tactical SIGINT units, NSA HQ, and the Extended Enterprise to form a
cohesive and unified cryptologic architecture. You can't gain insight like this by relying on staff
meeting notes. While I must confess to a certain trepidation before I participated in the Shadow
the SID Director program, it is without any reservation that I recommend it to those interested
in gaining an understanding of NSA's strategic SIGINT vision and, perhaps, to those who want
affirmation of the need to "assume (the) noble intent" of those leading our SIGINT efforts.
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108