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(U) CSG Worldwide Conference - 2004
FROM:
Chief, CSG Support & SID Visits Team (S1124)
Run Date: 06/08/2004
FROM:
Chief, CSG Support & SID Visits Team (S1124)
(U//FOUO) From 11-14 May 2004, The Customer Gateway (S11) hosted the Worldwide
Cryptologic Services Group (CSG) Conference 2004. The 3-½ day conference was the first
since August 2001, and a priority for the Customer Account Management Division (S112) since
assuming responsibility for CSG support from the Military Integration office back in October
2003 (see related article) . The central theme of the conference was the impact of
Transformation 2.0 on CSG operations.
(U//FOUO) The conference attendees represented more than 20 CSGs from around the country
and around the world, to include Areas of Responsibility (AORs) such as CENTCOM, PACOM,
SOCOM, NCEUR, FORSCOM, and STRATCOM, as well as the 2nd Party CSG, Australian Theatre.
(S//SI) Mr. Charlie Meals, Deputy SIGINT Director, kicked off the conference with an overview of
Transformation 2.0/Extended Enterprise Governance. He highlighted how CSGs are making a
difference every day and used as an example a story about a CSG'er forward-deployed to the
Philippines to support US troops who were working with the Phillipine military. The CSG'er,
along with analysts at KRSOC*, realized that there was a threat to a US commander, made the
commander aware of the threat, and prevented the attack. Another example told how key
SIGINT contributions made by CSG Key West assists drug busts made weekly.
(S//SI) Mr. Meals explained that of the petals atop the Transformation pyramid, CSGs belong to
petals 3 and 4, Collaboration within the IC *, and Information sharing with clients/customers .
NSA needs to know what clients/customers want. Case in point, during Operation Iraqi Freedom
(OIF) NSA collaborated bilaterally with customers and was heavily embedded in the decision
making process, sharing significant amounts of information. He stressed that Transformation 2.0
is about maximizing SIGINT. To give the biggest bang for the buck, we have changed the way
we do things.
(S//SI) NSA has traditionally always kept cards close to the vest. We now want to share relevant
information with those who need to see it. Let clients decide where they need data from, not us
deciding where they should come in, and then provide that data at the "Earliest Point of
Consumability." Even bring Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from other agencies into our system
who have expertise that we don't have, let them troll through SIGINT and find what we don't
know is there.
(U//FOUO) Mr. Meal's presentation was followed by two days of individual CSG briefings from
OCONUS*, CONUS, and local CSG chiefs and representatives. The CSG briefings addressed
successes, challenges, and the impact of Transformation 2.0 on current operations and support
to the customer. On days three and four, current NSAW initiatives and relevant familiarization
training, tours, roundtables, and briefings were conducted. The recurring themes of the
conference were manning and IT* challenges, to include personnel staffing and training, UNIX to
NT migration, and telephony upgrades. The conference identified clear opportunities for
increased collaboration, improved focus on the challenges, and the definitive steps for the way
forward. The conference was a major success and opportunity to reinvigorate worldwide CSG
support.
*(U) Notes:
KRSOC = Kunia Regional Security Operations Center
IC = Intelligence Community
OCONUS = Outside the Continental U.S.
IT = Information Technology
"(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