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This is where I started my career in the Army back in 1973. Spent most my time at Fort Devens. Never knew the first soldier killed in Vietnam was from the ASA.
Orgins of the Army Security Agency
Posted from nsa.gov
Intelligence
Spying
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 2
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LTC Greg Henning - I am surprised the NSA didn't even bother to mention extensive ASA SIGINT bases and operations in Turkey and other places listening to Soviet radio operators, Soviet ICBM development telemetry signals, and Soviet Nuclear Test operations. My drinking buddies used to relate stories about how when ICBM telemetry was up and running everyone relaxed because it was merely a test shot . . . but when a bird went up silent everyone got on the FLASH priority circuit re a hot bird in the air . . . and everyone started tracking, uncovering our launchers, launching aircraft, and waking up NORAD and the President . . . until it became clear it was just another test bird with a bad telemetry transmitter. Warmest Regards, Sandy :)
http://www.armysecurityagencyveterans.net/asa-turkey.html
http://www.armysecurityagencyveterans.net/asa-turkey.html
The Mission: We were on 24 hour call as we were short of my MOS and when an operation was was in progress during the mission we were called at readiness 8hrs. Then we were the most important ones to record the mission and it had to be on Pres. Ikes desk in less then 30 minutes. Joseph Ochman
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There are a bunch of ASA groups on Facebook, from just groups of ASA vets, to pages for all the various sites (Sinop, Berlin, and on and on). I'd be happy to point you out to some to get you started with some introductions. Most are good groups. I was ASA when I first enlisted until it was overtaken by INSCOM. Here is a picture of the old Arlington Hall HQ building, ASA HQ in 1973, if you never got to see it. Then, the LFCF patch, full color, subdued, and desert camo!
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I spent most of 1971 at Ft. Devens learning to be a Traffic Analyst (98C). Then off to Vietnam where I served as an advisor with the 7th ARVN div and then I was in charge of the advisory effort in III corp. Some great memories remain, although most have faded over nearly 50 years.
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Sinop, Turkey. ASA base circa 1960
Sinop, Turkey. U.S. Army ASA station, circa 1960. Film (c) G.M. Dirkx. Also continued in Pt. 2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX3arxZvHLM
I was stationed at Sinop in 1962, after being trained at Ft. Devens as an 058. Upon arriving I was immediately assigned as a 056. After trying that for about a month,and I was doing badly at the task, folks finally realized that playing Diddy Bopper was not my forte. Then command noticed I had three years experience as a radar operator/mechanic. I got a one week course as a 989 and moved to rooms 1 & 2 in the Ops Bldg. Did "too good" at the job and I was sent to the Arctic Tower (the bubble topped bldg in the video) .
After my year in the bubble my MOS was changed to 993 and I was sent back to Devens as a 989 and 993 instructor. When testing time came around, I qualified for Pro Pay and a promotion. Sometimes (once in a great while) the military corrects its assignment errors.