One of the U.S. intelligence community’s newest and largest top-secret surveillance facilities is about to get even larger.
The National Security Agency and its Central Security Service will add 45,000 square feet to the 500,000-square-foot Whitelaw Wedge complex – part of the Regional Security Operations Center – completed last year at Fort Gordon.
According to an unclassified version of the fiscal 2012 Military Construction and Appropriations bill, an initial allocation of $11.3 million was enlarged, through a last-minute earmark, to $17.5 million.
More space is needed, according to budget documents, because “the capacity of the existing facility at the planned location will not meet anticipated mission requirements.”
Although its operations are largely secret, the NSA’s acknowledged missions include collecting and analyzing, through “clandestine” means when necessary, “intelligence information from foreign signals for intelligence and counterintelligence purposes and to support military operations.”
The $1 billion Fort Gordon facility, covering almost 160 acres, will employ as many as 4,000 military and civilian analysts, linguists and other personnel at peak operations. The existing facility, for which ground was broken in March 2007, has more than 2,400 parking spaces.
Its mission, as described in a Development Authority of Richmond County brochure, is to “conduct continuous security operations on selected targets in support of national and warfighter intelligence requirements from Fort Gordon, using remoting technologies.”
NSA spokesperson Vanee’ Vines, citing agency policy, could not elaborate on the specific uses for the added space but said the expansion will bring additional jobs during construction.
The National Security Agency, headquartered in Fort Meade, Md., is the intelligence service that monitors global communications for the U.S. government.
The agency also manages the government’s cryptological resources and is responsible for preventing foreign adversaries from accessing national security information.
Bid requests on government Web sites say the Fort Gordon addition can be “fast-tracked” to assure timely completion by September 2013, with construction scheduled to begin in February.
Rural Sourcing, Plant Vogtle, SRS, Medical District, Rockwood, Bridgestone, PCS Nitrogen, Village at Riverwatch, Marshall Square, etc.. The growth is here and more is on the way...
Developing the GGHF property downtown would automatically stack us up better next to Knoxville, Greensboro, Greenville, and Charleston...
Make the Golf and Garden area a casino along the riverwalk and it will add several hundred new jobs, increase tourism and fill the hotels and eating joints almost 24/7/365. Heaven only knows what it would do for the tax base.
Yeah, only one small problem — casino gambling is illegal.
I know it is illegal now, but things can change. Sometimes we need to think out of the box. The area is not doing anything for us as it is, and a lot of folks do not like the baseball/multipurpose stadium idea. We have a lot of folks who travel to the coast, North Carolina, Alabama and other areas where gaming is legal. I think we should try to get those dollars local. This is just a thought.
Well, the legislature is sitting in session right now. I haven't heard of any casino gambling legislation on the docket, but they tend to keep those things secret. Do you remember when J.B. Powell was in the senate (how could we forget?)? He introduced a bill to make horse racing and parimutuel betting legal. That went down in flames.
Maybe I missed something, wasn't it just last month that Ft. Gordon was eliminating positions due to budget cuts?
The NSA facility is located inside the fort’s perimeter, providing an extra wall of security but it is not open to unauthorized personnel even if those personnel are authorized to enter the fort, so the loss of employment in the military part of the fort has nothing to do with the availability of employment at the NSA site; different site, different skill mix.
It’s a tech-spook operation and has had many jobs unfilled for some time:
http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=SAIC&l=Augusta%2C+GA
Salary Estimate + (#positions at same)
$40,000+ (38)
$60,000+ (12)
$80,000+ (9)
$110,000+ (8)
$170,000+ (7)
For many (if not most) positions:
Clearance Level Must Currently Possess: Top Secret/SCI with Polygraph
In addition to a detailed investigation involving criminal background, employers, and neighbors; they hook you up and ask if you have had romantic dalliances with Russian, Chinese, Israeli, or Arabic women. If the women were hot, they want their emails, pictures, phone numbers and when and if they are available for a hot night on the town in Atlanta.
Breaking: Missing reporters that photographed Fort Gordon NSA site, located at Gitmo.
Other than drinking WAY more water than they wanted, the reporters were healthy and spoke glowing of their captors after some TASER encouragement.
Lots of retired military here with top secret clearances who can fill those jobs.
When I was in the Army I always wanted a beautiful female Russian spy to approach me. I would have had so much fun leading her on.
Riverman1: “Lots of retired military here with top secret clearances who can fill those jobs.”
Clearance requirements comes after baseline bit-head skills. Are they Bit-Heads? They need techy-nerds with ugly girlfriends.
Riverman1: “When I was in the Army I always wanted a beautiful female Russian spy to approach me. I would have had so much fun leading her on.”
Where's my hot foreign spy babe? I’d lie to her like I do all women.
My bad, no wait, our bad!
BJ, wouldn't that have been fun? Tonight we're gonna....
I had a beautiful Russian spy approach me once. After we talked for a few minutes she said, "Dasvidaniya, you hillbilly little man." I was crushed.
Dream on bj & rm.....wishing won't make it happen..:)
This article makes me think we have some very smart nerds in our midst....golly gee whiiiz....I hope they post on here sometimes.....ok now I know you can't give away any secrets but can you at least give us a clue ....:)
I just want to meet a smart single nerd that makes 170,000+.
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