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(U) The 'Other' End-to-End SIGINT Site in the UK
FROM:
NSA Liaison Officer at Digby SIGINT Operations Centre (F321)
Run Date: 03/07/2005
Everyone has heard of Menwith Hill Station, but what about the
GCHQ site where British and American SIGINT'ers are working side
by side? (C)
SERIES:
(U) SID Around the
World '05
(S//SI) RAF* Digby, a small base situated in the peaceful
Lincolnshire countryside, does not attract the kind of press
attention lavished on RAF Menwith Hill to the north -- and long may
that continue. The American presence here is a quiet one but has a
profound impact, as soldiers, sailors, and airmen work together
with their British counterparts to produce critical intelligence on an
amazing variety of targets, all tasked by GCHQ*.
1. Paradise Found
2. A Very Southern City
3. Stress Doesn't Live
Here
4. Remember the
Alamo!
5. The 'Other' End-toEnd SIGINT Site in
the UK
6. Letter from Oz
(U) After five years at Menwith Hill and a considerable number of
TDYs to GCHQ, I thought I had seen all the charms which the
English countryside had to offer. But Lincolnshire has its own
special landscape, similar to the unspoiled parts of my home state,
Ohio. At the heart of it is the lovely town of Lincoln, where the
skyline is still dominated by the magnificent cathedral, some parts
of which date all the way back to the year 1092.
(U) Housing prices in Lincolnshire are quite cheap in comparison
with the London area, so more and more people are choosing to
live here and make the daily commute on the fast train from
Margaret Thatcher's birthplace, the nearby town of Grantham. I
relish the hustle and bustle of London and spend a lot of time there
-- only to be relieved to get away from the crowds, get on the
train, and zip back to the sweet tranquility of Lincolnshire!
(S//SI) The SIGINT mission here is incredibly diverse and tailored
to intelligence needs from STRATCOM, NORTHCOM, EUCOM, and
CENTCOM in addition to UK customers -- including direct support
to UK forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. DIRNSA's vision of increasing
collaboration with Second Party partners is a reality on the Digby
ops floor every day, with collectors, linguists, and analysts working
as a virtual team with their counterparts at GRSOC , MRSOC , and
the new Alaska Mission Operations Center.
(C) Unlike most U.S. SIGINT sites, Digby is still small enough to
retain a "family" feeling, and a fantastic social life can be had on
base and off, with a vast number of gatherings, balls, and diningsin held throughout the year. Right now I am the only NSA civilian,
but as part of the ongoing Mission Alignment, three more NSA
civilian positions for Digby SIGINT Operations Centre are going to
be advertised soon. I am looking forward to a few more lucky
individuals joining me as we work with our closest ally to better
satisfy both UK and U.S. customer requirements -- while learning a
lot and having a great time in the process. Happy hour at the pub,
anyone?
Lincoln Cathedral
*(U) Notes:
RAF = Royal Air Force
GCHQ = Government Communications Headquarters
"(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