DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS
TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL
(U//FOUO) On the Road Again: SID Team Visits Germany
FROM: Cindy Farkus
Assistant Deputy Director for Analysis & Production (S2)
Run Date: 02/01/2006
(U//FOUO) After staying around headquarters for the last quarter, it was time for me to get out
and about into the extended enterprise! In early January I joined a SID team on a trip to
Germany to gain insight into the operations there and to update the NSA/CSS Europe workforce
on Agency, SID and S2 initiatives. Our team consisted of:
Karyn Vice, SID Chief of Staff;
SID CoS Executive Assistant;
, A&P Deputy Technical Director;
, A/DDAP Executive Assistant; and
Me (Cindy Farkus, A/DDAP and Senior Intelligence Authority).
(U//FOUO) We visited elements of the European Command (EUCOM) headquarters and NSA/CSS
Europe (NCEUR) near Stuttgart, Germany; the European Security Center (ESC) in Darmstadt;
and the European Technical Center (ETC) in Wiesbaden. (See a map of NCEUR locations .) Chief,
NCEUR, Bill Crumm, accompanied us throughout.
Stuttgart: European Command HQ and NSA/CSS Europe (U//FOUO)
(U//FOUO) We arrived in Stuttgart on Monday, 9 January. To stave off the jet lag, we walked
around downtown Stuttgart until meeting up with a group of NCEUR folks for a dinner of good
German food.
(C) On Tuesday morning we were treated to several briefings on EUCOM and NCEUR operations
and met with the EUCOM J3 (Director of Operations), Rear Admiral Gallagher and EUCOM J2
(Director of Intelligence), Brigadier General Keller, coming away with a better understanding of
their perspectives. We used the opportunity to explain to them how NSA's distributed analytic
enterprise can be engaged in efforts to meet their information needs.
(U//FOUO) Our session with the J3 was very positive and he appreciated the value of analysis.
Rear Admiral Gallagher feels strongly that intelligence sharing needs a systematic approach to
enable transparency. He recognizes that we are integrated and connected and therefore can't
afford to operate independently.
(U//FOUO) We next met with the J2, BG Keller. The JAC (EUCOM's Joint Analysis Center in
Molesworth, England) joined us virtually, giving us the chance to hear their concerns. We
discussed the Mission Build-out, governance, resource challenges and mission management of a
distributed enterprise. A key area of concern is "less commonly taught languages" and what
we're doing to meet that challenge. We made sure they knew that A&P is at the forefront by
leveraging language resources in Utah (see a related message ), the National Virtual Translation
Center (NVTC), and our 2nd party partners. We intend to leverage those opportunities
enterprise-wide. We also discussed the new "lane structure" and the Strategic Mission List . BG
Keller is interested in results from an all-source perspective and asked that we keep our
capabilities relevant to EUCOM. He was glad we were there and hoped we would gain an
appreciation of their ops during the rest of our visit.
(U//FOUO) We also held a town meeting with NCEUR personnel to cover current events relating
to resources and the structure of the Agency, as well as strategic planning initiatives. Major
points included:
Future trends and challenges in A & P,
Future roles for the extended enterprise in A & P
Changes in IT infrastructure due to new tools and techniques
S2 Assessment Cell
Senior Intelligence Authority issues
(U//FOUO) We need to ensure we take advantage of their forward presence. As a forwarddeployed function they are empowered leaders and strategists. We need to keep doing forward
what's best done forward! Following a busy and productive day, we went to a great little
restaurant "Waldheim" - or "home in the woods."
(U//FOUO) Patch Barracks, near Stuttgart: home to EUCOM HQ and NCEUR.
Darmstadt: The European Security Center (U//FOUO)
(U//FOUO) On the morning of Wednesday, 11 January, we traveled to Darmstadt Army Base to
visit with the 66th MI Group and European Security Center. COL Peter Zwack, 66th MI GP
Commander; LT
, ESC Director;
, ESC Deputy Director; and their
energetic team provided an outstanding overview of their organizational structure, operations,
successes and challenges.
(U//FOUO) The ESC** is a functioning part of the enterprise. They've made great strides in their
analytic expertise. The analytic support received from SID/S2/SSG is great and continues to
expand. S2 elements, in particular GEO , CT , RT , and CP , were lauded for their outstanding
support. The ESC, as an A&P-forward function gives them many advantages. Their state-of-theart operations area allows them quick, deployable, and operational partnerships. Weekly VTCs
with virtual teams for targets relevant to the EUCOM theater help them maintain perspective.
Wiesbaden: The European Technical Center (U//FOUO)
(U//FOUO) We drove on to Wiesbaden that evening. We met up with folks from the ETC for
dinner (at a great restaurant - The Winkger (yes, the Vikinger)) to get to know a bit about each
other and to help set the stage for Thursday's visit. Through a series of briefings we gained a
good perspective on the critical role ETC plays in the enterprise and gained an appreciation of
how we can work together to benefit the enterprise. We also held a town meeting with the ETC
team where I reiterated what a great job they are doing with customers, partners, and Third
Party relationships.
Impressions (U)
(U//FOUO) Throughout the visit, the knowledge and insights our personnel gain by being
"forward" in the customer's domain was evident. Even more impressive was how their
knowledge of other operations centers, such as NSA HQ, the Cryptologic Centers, SCS , mission
ground stations - just to name a few - was being leveraged to respond to the needs of the
EUCOM customer. By knowing how the cryptologic system operates, and knowing how to insert
requirements, our personnel are able to make significant contributions to the cryptologic
enterprise. In addition, they grow professionally and personally - by seeing our Agency from a
different perspective, gaining a broader understanding of how we're viewed, and by experiencing
life in a different culture.
(U//FOUO) For more details about NCEUR type "go nceur" on your web browser!
**(U) Notes:
For background info on the ESC, see an earlier article .
"(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