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(U) Summing Up the Trip
FROM:
SID/Deputy Director for Data Acquisition (S3)
Run Date: 04/14/2005
Reflections on the recent SID leadership tdy (U)
(U//FOUO) You've had several opportunities over the past two
weeks to read about the experiences and education of the SID
traveling team, led by MG Quirk, as we moved through Iraq,
Afghanistan and Pakistan. Here are few observations that help me
put this all in context.
(S//SI) First, the action "out there" is the best example of true
transformation that I have seen. The customer is driving action,
and every "INT" is integrating into the joint civilian/military effort
in a remarkably smooth and powerful way. SIGINT is a prominent
player, not just behind the scenes (and behind compartments) but
visibly, in nearly every specific operation, and in the way people
throughout the theater think about how to do their job. It is an
incredibly compelling implementation of "Hunt, not Gather", with
everyone contributing information to inform targeting. Our last
stop, at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, was a fine example of the
style: everyone in one room, focused only on the goal, sharing
information and issues, working as one team. No one was
"transforming" because it would play well back home with their
bosses: they were acting this way because it works.
(S//SI) Second, what makes this work is our people , of all kinds,
here and overseas. You can't help but admire and thank the folks
who are stepping far out of their comfort zone to operate in a
complex, intense, dangerous environment far from family. We met
many people out there from Fort Meade, who had seldom been
outside of Maryland before, and they were as excited and
productive as they could be. We also found many who were on
their third and fourth tours, especially from organizations like
OTRaS and F6 , which have been doing "expeditionary SIGINT"
naturally, in accordance with their mission. We found these folks
everywhere we went, making a huge difference in every aspect of
the war they touched. Last, but not least, we saw deep connections
back home, to all of you who create the tools, translate, analyze
information, etc. The technical people working Iraqi GSM at Fort
Meade, the language analysts here and at NSA/CSS Georgia, and
many others around the enterprise were in the fight just as much
as those wearing firearms.
(U//FOUO) Last, there is the "why" of all this. We know that we
are fighting to remove terrorist threats to our nation, our allies,
and peace-loving nations around the world. We saw a sight that,
for me, portrays this in a positive, concrete way. We were driving
in armored cars through the streets of Kabul. It's a fascinating
place, but terribly poor, and the signs of past wars are everywhere.
As we turned the corner, we drove by a group of school children,
boys and girls, skipping home from school (no one skips TO
school!). They had not a care in the world at that moment. To me,
SERIES:
(U) SID Leadership '05
TDY to CENTCOM AOR
1. MGQ's Notes from
the Field - Part 1
2. Field Station Rattler
3. Hello from Iraq!
4. MG Q Iraq Theater
TDY: Day 3, April1,
2005
5. The Art of Sharing:
Insight and
Continuity
6. MGQ's Notes from
the Field - Part 2
7. MGQ's Notes from
the Field - Part 3
8. Summing Up the Trip
9. The Trip in Photos
10. Seeing into the
Global SIGINT
System - A View
from the Field
this is a symbol of what this effort is all about -- for those children,
and our own, to not have to worry about anything except what's for
lunch when they get home.
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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