DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS
TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL
(U//FOUO) European Technical Center Area Checked for Unexploded
WWII Ordnance
FROM: multiple authors
Unknown
Run Date: 03/15/2006
(C) The ETC facility was closed for a day while investigators made sure there was no danger.
(U//FOUO) During World War II the site on which the European Technical Center (ETC) is
located (in Mainz Kastel, Germany) served as a tank repair depot. Not too surprisingly, the
station was a key target of Allied bombing. On December 20, 2005, during survey activities of
the area for installation of an underground fiber optic line, metallic anomalies were discovered
and these were suspected of being unexploded ordnance, since such items had been
discovered previously.
(U//FOUO) Operating with the following guiding principles, ETC and NSAW personnel began
contingency planning to ensure that critical ETC functions would continue in the event of an
explosion.
To protect human life,
To protect business equities in a prudent manner,
To keep as much of the business running as possible, and
To put in place contingency measures for personnel, cryptologic equipment, and
communication links.
(U//FOUO) By 12 January 2006, it had been determined that the risk of an uncontrolled
explosion was low and that the distance from the closest anomaly to ETC buildings was outside
the restricted zone as required by German law. However, to ensure safety, the entire base
was to be closed to all personnel on 24 and 25 January. Based on briefings provided by
ETC to the Provost Marshall, ETC was permitted to man the Network Communication Center with
two critical staff members.
(S//SI) ETC and NSAW personnel worked to mitigate the risk by setting up an alternate
communications facility at Mainz Finthen. Unfortunately only six of the circuits passing through
ETC from the Top 100 Circuits list could be accommodated by the alternate link and none of
those was a foreign partner link. (All were directly supporting efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.) A
message was sent to the appropriate SLOs (SIGINT Liaison Officers) to notify the partners of the
potential impact, but also to assure them that the chance of disruption was small.
(C) Excavation was initiated on 24 January. The four anomalies were dug up and no ordnance
was found. Three of the four holes contained miscellaneous metallic debris and the fourth
contained I-beams that supported an underground storage area or tunnel in the original WWII
facility. The base was to be reopened for normal traffic at 1800 local time and normal ETC
operations were resumed on 25 January.
(U//FOUO) This article is reprinted from February's Foreign Affairs Digest . It was written by:
(FAD Executive Staff Officer - DP109),
(SIGINT Operations Staff - S02O), and
(ETC)
"(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