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(U) Interview with a DISE
FROM: Jim Cusick
Assistant Deputy Director for Data Acquisition (S3)
Run Date: 02/19/2004
FROM: Jim Cusick
Assistant Deputy Director for Data Acquisition (S3)
(U//FOUO) Note from SIGINT Communications: As promised, here
is our interview with a member of the Defense Intelligence Senior
Executive Service. Thanks to Jim Cusick for answering our
questions!
(U) What do you consider the role of a DISE to be? How does it
differ from that of a GS employee or a DISL?
(U) I am going to guess that, if you asked every Defense
Intelligence Senior Executive (DISE) that question, there would be
no shortage of ideas of what that role is. You can get the pat
answer from the "competencies" which a DISES candidate and
DISE must exhibit to either enter or remain in the DISES, but my
name isn't Pat. From my perspective, the principle role of an NSA
"senior" is to think, plan, and act at the strategic level in order to
ensure that we are prepared to accomplish the mission, do indeed
accomplish it, and finally learn corporately from what we did.
(U//FOUO) NSA has a long and illustrious history of being able to
handle any crisis that comes to visit our nation or its allies. We
think and act tactically. Give us a crisis, a disaster, or a war, and
we focus like a laser on getting the job done. We don't much care
what sacrifices are involved. Accomplishing the mission is what we
live and breathe. It drives us. It nourishes us. It sustains us. I
know of no group of people on the planet that is more dedicated to
their mission or who can do it better. By the way, the mission is
preserving the safety and well being of our country and its
interests.
(U//FOUO) It is rarely something that even those with the most
Pollyanna-ish outlook on life would associate with fun. However,
someone has to devote their attention to ensuring that the national
treasure we all know as NSA can continue to avoid or shorten
conflict, give our policy makers and our military commanders the
decisive edge, and save lives. Someone needs to labor to ensure
that:
resources are available to work our miracles,
people with the right skills are here to do the job and are
properly nurtured,
the individuals and the organizations duly elected by our fellow
citizens know we are focused on the security of the nation and are
spending their very hard-earned tax dollars as wisely and as
effectively as possible, and
we appropriately collaborate with our partners to our mutual
advantage.
This unglamorous -- but critically necessary -- task falls in large
part to what we, affectionately or otherwise, refer to as seniors.
SERIES:
(U) Senior Execs
1. Senior Executive What Does It Mean?
2. How Are Seniors
Selected and
Assigned?
3. Seniors' Pay and
Benefits
4. Interview with a
DISE
What is the best part of being a DISE? ...the hardest part?
(U//FOUO) The best part of being a DISE is being privy to the
strategic picture and being positioned to influence operational and
personnel decisions at that level. For this former SOO, nothing is
more stimulating and fulfilling than current operations, but
prosecuting current operations doesn't happen by accident. In
order to enable those wonderful things done daily by the vast
majority of us, you need to know where the nation is going,
establish the goals and objectives to move you in that direction,
and ensure that the corporation has the resources to realize the
goals and objectives.
(U//FOUO) Like never before in NSA's history, the DISE population
is knowledgeable of exactly where the Director is leading us and
has ample opportunity to influence the actual implementation of
our corporate goals. Getting to know the future superstars in the
GG13 to GG15 range and working with them to help them to
realize the potential they already exhibit makes my day and
assures me that NSA will have superb leadership in the future. I
have mentoring relationships of varying degrees of formality and
informality with almost 20 great people. The time spent with them
is often hard to find, but it is one of the highlights of my career.
(U//FOUO) The hardest part is no longer being involved doing the
work that makes NSA a national treasure. I was hired as a linguist
and spent my first 25 years on the production side of the house
doing language, analysis and reporting related tasks. I then moved
over to the access and collection side of the equation and enjoyed
that tremendously as well. It was great fun and about as
intellectually rewarding as anyone has a right to expect. I miss the
rush of pulling together a report that is going to arm the President
with information to win the day for the nation. Now I am focused
on getting the resources so others can do that work and trying to
ensure an environment conducive to their success, professionally
and personally.
What are the "must have" talents a person needs to succeed as a
DISE?
(U) Any DISE worth his/her salt needs a sense of perspective, a
good sense of humor, a long memory for excellent interaction with
others and total amnesia regarding real or perceived wrongs, a
bias toward working as a member of a team, character above
reproach, complete candor and unimpeachable loyalty, a strong
desire to get involved with and nurture the people around him/her,
a preference for managing rather than avoiding risks, patience,
and a paucity of the "vertical pronoun" (I) in his/her vocabulary.
What advice would you give to someone who would like to
become a DISE? What training/experience should that person seek
out?
(U) Have a long discussion with your spouse, family, significant
other, yourself. Make absolutely certain you both/all agree that you
can live with potentially long hours, a good deal of real and selfimposed pressure, occasional missed family events and meals, and
remember that a healthy, functional family is probably the most
important factor in your professional success and your mental and
physical health.
(U) If you are of one accord on that front, find a mentor who
shares your values and believes in you. Let providence take you
where it will. If you never get elevated, you still know your family
loves you, you live in the greatest nation on the globe, you are
making a difference for your fellow Americans and those you love,
you undoubtedly have a job twice as interesting as anyone outside
the IC, you are well paid, you are eating regularly, you have never
slept on a grate.... You get the picture. Your value as a tremendous
asset to your country, your family and your Agency will never
hinge upon elevation. God bless America!
"(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