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(U//FOUO) A Day in the Life of a FAD Employee in Baghdad
FROM:
FAD's Acquisition Support & Project Management Division (DP312)
Run Date: 06/16/2005
This article is reprinted from the May Foreign Affairs Digest. We thought you'd be interested to
hear an account of "life on the ground" in Iraq. -- The editor (U//FOUO)
(U) I recently had the opportunity to spend three months in Baghdad. What we perceive to be
normal here is quite the contrary in Baghdad.
(U) A normal day in Baghdad for FAD (Foreign Affairs Directorate) personnel is quite interesting.
One quality that is useful to have is being a heavy sleeper. Luckily I have that trait. I slept
through window rumbling, earth shaking, and exploding car bombs that were only a half
kilometer away.
(U//FOUO)
DP3, during his recent deployment to Baghdad
(U) People living at the Villa slept in trailers called "pods." Each pod had enough room for two
bunk beds, four lockers, a TV, a refrigerator and a microwave. One of the nice features of the
pods is a bathroom with a shower, toilet, and sink. Each person within the pod had to be
considerate of the amount of hot water they used; otherwise, the last person to get up in the
morning would sometimes have to take a cold shower.
(U) A normal morning consists of being awakened by roommates, or an exploding car bomb, or
the thundering rumble of helicopters flying 75 feet above. Unfortunately, the Villa is located in
the direct path of Landing Zone Washington, the major LZ for the Green Zone. After being at
the Villa for a couple of weeks, I found it easy to differentiate between types of helicopters just
by their sound.
(U) Once showered and dressed, and with Beretta strapped on, I was ready to begin the day.
The chow hall, which is only a short walk away, usually serves eggs, bacon, potatoes, oatmeal
and most importantly, coffee. The coffee is not gourmet, but after a few weeks, it begins to taste
good. After breakfast, it is time to suit up with body armor and wait for the Personal Security
Detail (PSD) to pick us up with their armored turbo diesel Ford Excursions.
(S//SI) A normal day consists of four SIGINT personnel heading out to the Iraqi National
Intelligence Service (INIS) building around 0900. Usually, three are from NSA and the fourth is
from GCHQ. We pick up the GCHQ person from the British compound, which is about a kilometer
from the Villa.
(S//SI) We then head to the INIS building, which is about a kilometer away from the British
compound. On our way, we pass by the main Iraqi government headquarters and the AlRasheed Hotel (the old Ba'ath party hangout). Even though we go through a few checkpoints,
we are still inside the Green Zone. Once at the INIS compound, we exit the vehicle and the PSD
team walks us around the perimeter to the building entrance. This walk takes about five
minutes and has us pass by lines of Iraqis being searched prior to entering the Green Zone.
(S//SI) I consider the INIS building to be in the "Orange Zone." It is not in the Red Zone (which
is everywhere except Green Zone), and it is not in the Green Zone but borders it. The compound
is protected from the Red Zone with armed guards and blast walls. Once inside the INIS
compound, the PSD team escorts us into the INIS building and up to the eighth floor, where the
Iraqi SIGINT Element (ISE) and the "US Only" room are located.
(S//SI) On the way to the eighth floor, we pass by armed Iraqi guards and INIS workers who
are very friendly. Every once in a while, we catch a glance from a construction worker in the
building who, at the very least, we can tell is not very fond of the Americans being there.
(S//SI) Once in the "US Only" room, we conduct a turnover with the shift that has been on duty
all night. After the PSD team and the night shift leave, we check with the Iraqi translators,
analysts, and operators to make sure everything is working smoothly. Throughout the day we
monitor High Powered Cordless Phone (HPCP) comms on the Digital Receiver Technology (DRT)
unit and the ONEROOF system. We also take highlights and time sensitive information, also
known as tippers, from the Iraqi translators and enter them into a database. If the intelligence is
time sensitive, we contact the NSAers back at the Villa and pass the tipper over to them so they
can put it on NSAnet for dissemination.
(S//SI) Throughout the day, we help the Iraqis with whatever problems they may have with
ONEROOF or the DRT (or, as they know it, the VIPER unit). At lunchtime, there are three
choices: Iraqi food, Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) or American food at the Al-Rasheed hotel (if the
threat level is low enough). Often, the Iraqi food is good. However, the hygiene is not top notch,
so people try to limit their consumption of Iraqi food.
(U) Quite often random gunfire can be heard as close as 300 meters away. There would also be
mortar attacks on a fairly regular basis.
(S//SI) Around 1800, the PSD team returns and picks up two of the four SIGINTers out at the
INIS building and takes them back to the Villa or the British compound for the night. The other
two SIGINTers stay at the INIS building until pickup the next morning. SIGINTers staying the
night at INIS assist the Iraqi partners and relay tippers. During the middle of the night, when
collection is slow, we sit and talk with the Iraqis, building trust and friendship.
(U) Those NSAers returning to the Villa with the PSD team still have a few more hours of work to
do. After eating we go to the FAD trailer to finish working for the day.
(U) At 2000, the daily highlights are sent out for analysis. After all of the work is finished,
usually around 2200, we have a few activities available to us: head to the bar, go to bed, watch
TV or a movie, or surf the web in the Morale, Wellness and Recreation center. Every night we
can find someone hanging out at the bar, unwinding, but not unwinding completely because half
the time there are incoming mortars. Once it is bedtime, it is pretty easy to ignore the constant
stream of helicopters flying over the POD because of how tiring the day has been. All will be
repeated the next day.
"(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