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(U//FOUO) Chef's Choice: Database Access by Tactical Units
FROM: Charlie Meals
Signals Intelligence Deputy Director
Run Date: 12/16/2003
(U//FOUO) One thing SID has taken to heart over the years is that we must not let obstacles
stand in our way when sharing information with those who need it. About a year ago, as we
geared up to support the approaching war in Iraq, SID made a commitment to provide tactical
elements involved in the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan with access to four national SIGINT
databases. Although we have fulfilled that pledge, the approval process has sometimes taken
longer than it needed to. MG Quirk believes that we should be able to provide a "yes" or "no"
response to database access requests within seven working days, and has laid out a process to
make that happen.
(U//FOUO) How will it work? The Customer Relationships and Analysis & Production
organizations have set up a single process to handle such requests efficiently. The new process
is not another hoop for SIGINTers to jump through; rather, it simplifies the process by providing
a single point of entry (Customer Gateway's SIGINT Contact Center - SCC ) and making use of a
"template" to collect the necessary information. Although requests from tactical SIGINT units
drove the creation of the process - and the initial template reflects that - templates will be
designed to handle the special circumstances of other enterprise analytic activities, too.
(U//FOUO) The decision whether to grant the requested access will be made by whichever SID
Deputy Director has purview over the mission involved. (They are authorized to assign or
delegate new missions - and the associated database access - to both SIGINT producers and
certain other elements, such as Cryptologic Service Groups.) Last week, MG Quirk sent a
message to the SCE's (Service Cryptologic Elements) and NSA field sites to provide them with
details of how the new process works.
(U//FOUO) We want to expand this success and are presently looking at granting accesses
beyond the four databases promised in December 2002. We envision that other databases will
be considered, as appropriate for each delegated mission. As you can see, we are making strides
in implementing the Director's Transformation 2.0 strategy for greater sharing of information.
Watch for these efforts to continue in future!
"(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