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(U) Strengthening the Ties with NRO
FROM:
Customer Account Management (S112)
Run Date: 06/22/2005
(U//FOUO) As the SID Account Manager for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), I've come
to appreciate the importance of mutual understanding in strengthening our partnership and
customer relationship. The mission and value of NRO to our SIGINT mission is not uniformly
understood here at NSA and one of the goals that I've set for myself is to improve mutual
understanding between the two agencies. I wrote this article as part of my efforts to that end.
(S//SI) As a major SIGINT partner, the NRO designs, builds and operates the nation's SIGINT
and imagery surveillance and reconnaissance satellites, as well as the communications satellites
and supporting communications infrastructure to support this critical effort. NRO-built resources
provide a significant amount of data used by SID's Analysis and Production Directorate in the
production of COMINT-based reports. NRO-built resources also provide a large portion of the
ELINT data that gets pushed directly to customers through broadcast systems. F8, the
designator for the NSA community at NRO, plays an important part in the SIGINT
mission both in the technical and the customer engagement arenas.
(U//FOUO) For many years SID has enjoyed a strong relationship with NRO's SIGINT directorate
and IAD has had a strong relationship with NRO's COMMS directorate. To improve on the existing
integration between our two agencies, SID's Customer Relationships Directorate is now in the
process of building a relationship with two NRO customer support organizations: Deputy Director
for Military Support (DDMS) and Deputy Director for National Support (DDNS). On the heels of
meetings this spring that resulted in a clear vision of how our two agencies can collaborate on
customer engagement, F8 is assisting CRD by integrating an NSAer into the DDMS organization
to enhance customer engagement and outreach strategies and processes of the two agencies.
(U//FOUO) The NRO DDMS organization consists of approximately 500 people with the mission
of ensuring robust overhead collection support to combatant commanders and military services.
DDMS has an aggressive customer outreach program that includes representatives in the field...
if you've been assigned to an NCR at one of the combatant commands, you may very well have
crossed paths with the NRO rep there.
(U//FOUO) The F8 initiative to partner with NRO's customer outreach program will also enhance
our ties with the NRO DDNS organization in their relationship with non-military customers. If this
is intriguing to you, you might consider a detail to F8. An assignment with F8 in Chantilly, VA
offers you the opportunity to grow professionally by increasing your understanding of the
overhead SIGINT mission and to experience the Extended Cryptologic Enterprise from the
vantage point of an important partner. Additionally, you will be contributing to all customers who
receive SIGINT derived from overhead.
(U//FOUO) Working at NRO provides you the opportunity to help NRO colleagues understand
NSA. And upon your return to NSA, you will be well equipped to share with your NSA colleagues
a richer understanding of NRO as a SIGINT partner.
(U) For more information, see the F8 homepage .
"(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