DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS
TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL
(S//SI) Docked in Haiti, Collecting SIGINT
FROM:
Latin America and Caribbean Division (S2A32)
Run Date: 06/01/2005
Cpl
contributed to this article. (U)
(U) Between the months of January and February of this year, Corporal
(Canadian
Air Force) and I took part in the USS Saipan humanitarian mission, Operation New Horizons '05 ,
in Haiti. The primary goal of the mission was to build hospitals, schools, and wells in the coastal
town of Gonaives, which had been devastated by Hurricane Jeanne in September 2004. The
Saipan is the largest amphibious vessel in the U.S. Navy, holding close to 2,000 troops.
(U) USS Saipan
(U) When we arrived, the situation in Gonaives was dire, with just a few UN troops patrolling the
streets and an almost non-existent Haitian National Police (HNP) presence. Armed gangs control
large areas in Gonaives and other cities outside of Port-au-Prince. The city was in shambles, to
put it bluntly, when the seabees went on shore to set up camp and begin their projects. While I
didn't get a chance to go ashore, my coworkers and I did take an aerial tour by helicopter. The
city was covered with dust, and one could clearly see the poverty and the crumbled
infrastructure.
(U) The first couple of days, curious onlookers accosted our guys onshore -- the locals wanted to
know why we were there. Once they found out, they were very appreciative of the U.S. Navy
presence and the work they were about to do. Our main concern going to Gonaives had been
the possibility of the gangs organizing the locals to protest our presence there, but this did not
transpire.
(S) As language analysts, our mission was to provide SIGINT collection and linguistic support to
the intelligence team aboard the Saipan. I worked in the Joint Intelligence Center (JIC) with
eight others, all of us under the leadership of LCDR
We worked in shifts, normally
10-12 hours per day. The crew was professional and courteous.
(TS//SI) In the first couple of days, we created a plan of action in case of a CRITIC situation (i.e.,
U.S. troops coming under hostile fire). As part of our collection efforts, we swept proper
frequency ranges, recovering different networks such as the HNP, United Nations Mission in
Stabilization of Haiti (MINUSTAH), Haitian Interim Government (IGOH), and the gang activities.
Furthermore, we helped design and translate notices and instructions for the engineering and
medical teams who were going onshore.
(U//FOUO) Cpl
and I both considered this a great experience. Our participation in the
USS Saipan mission illustrates the excellent interaction between NSA and CSE (Canada's
Communications Security Establishment). The collaboration took place through Latin America
and Caribbean Division (S2A32) coordination with the CFIOG (Canadian Forces Information
Operations Group Detachment), whose members are integrated into operations here at NSA.
We recommend that other teams at the Agency consider how such Second Party cooperation can
benefit their missions as well!
(U) Corporal
on the USS Saipan
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS
TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL
DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108