Operations Chief, AFNOSC-NOD.
That is, Air Force Network Operations Security Center, Network Operations Division. We handle all the service delivery points (main routers) for the Air Force, and monitor/resolve long-haul circuit problems, working with DISA (Defense Information Systems Agency). So when Katrina hit Sunday night, our week (month?) was cut out for us, because with communications, it isn't just about the bases that can't be hooked up; it's also about the commercial facilities our lines go through. A couple of these commercial facilities are under water now--or were when I left Friday.
Tuesday morning, my crew commander on duty informed me when I arrived that several circuits had been rerouted so many bases were back up. These circuits were between 3M and 12M, if that much. DISA had already told us they couldn't reroute any more circuits, because bandwidth on existing infrastructure was pegged out. That is, you can only squeeze so many cars on the information superhighway.
And so it was that I spent Tuesday morning trying to help a major at the ANG NOSC who wanted his OC-12 rerouted. (For the sake of comparison, this is a 622M circuit). I began with the explanation from DISA that he'd already heard. He insisted that they'd rerouted it before, and he didn't understand why they couldn't now. I said, "Sir...your main trunk is underwater in an MCI facility in Meridian, Mississippi. Is it possible that it was rerouted before by using another trunk in that same facility?"
"Well. Uh. Maybe."
He asked why another site was able to get service through their Sprint facility in Meridian, then. My crew commander fielded this one: "Sir, you have an MCI circuit." You'd think that would clear it up, yes? Think again.
"But if the Sprint circuit is working, why isn't the MCI circuit?"
Maybe we were misunderstanding his implications. I don't know. We just blinked and stared at each other, my crew commander and me. How do you answer such a question without sounding condescending? "Sir...Uh...the MCI circuit and the Sprint circuit are housed in different facilities. One is under water and the other one isn't."
As it turns out, he understood that. He was driving at the possibility that we could switch his MCI circuit onto a Sprint one and thus provide him service. Ah. Now this is something he should already know the answer to, but for the sake of you-uns out there who don't understand how the gub'ment works, lemme tell ya.
MCI was contracted (probably on the three- to five-year contract) to provide his OC-12 circuit, and they don't come cheap, as you might imagine. In order to switch it over--national emergency or no--DISA would have to pay MCI the worth of the remainder of their contract, then pay Sprint to start a new contract. We just gave him a number for DISA so they could explain it to him.
Meanwhile, we fielded call after call from our command and control division asking if we'd done everything we could and why we couldn't do more, faster, to bring communications back to the stricken areas. In-house, jokes about MCI technicians with SCUBA gear began to make the rounds. But really...how hard is this to understand? Your communications node is Atlantis. Electricity is harder to control when it is submerged. What do you mean "is there something we can do"?
Which reminds me. When anything unusual happens, whether someone screws up and communications drop or there's a natural disaster that destroys infrastructure, the brass comes out of the woodwork, starts asking unhelpful questions, and giving unhelpful orders. I'd like to answer a few of those questions right here, without the thin veneer of political correctness applied, just so we can all see clearly how useless and pointless such micromanaging is.
1. Can't you reroute the circuit? No. DISA said no. We can't reroute the circuit. The answer is no.
2. Why not? DISA said no. I'm no expert, but my WAG says it might have something to do with most of our infrastructure in the stricken area being stricken, as it were. In short, you can't reroute over infrastructure you don't have.
3. Can't you at least tell us which circuits are the most important, so we can decide which need to be in service first? Unless they are part of our ROEs, no. That's your job.
4. Then call each person each circuit is servicing and find out if it's important. Each person contacted will assure me their circuit is the most important. If someone has not called you (command and control) with dire predictions of what will happen to the nation's defense if they don't get their internet access back pronto, I submit to you that all these circuits are of equal (un)importance at the moment.
Oh, I almost forgot. There are four Guard sites down down (you might say, "dead in the water") thanks to the hurricane. They are/were Hammond, Gulfport, Jacksonville, and New Orleans. My friend the major told me he needs service restored to three of them. I said, "Of course, sir. To clarify, you need service restored as soon as possible to Hammond, Gulfport, and Jacksonville."
He said, "No. Not Hammond. I need it restored to Gulfport, Jacksonville, and New Orleans."
As you might imagine, there was a pause. I said, "New Orleans, sir?"
He said, "Yes. I don't know if you've seen the news, but New Orleans is currently under water."
Another, longer pause. I want you to take a moment and think about how you might reply to this. Right. Me neither. I said, "Yes....sir. We...ah...know. That's...um...why I was, you know...asking why you want communications restored to this site. Our lines don't work well under water, and I rather doubt anyone is present at the New Orleans ANG Base to use the lines, should we find a way to repair them at the moment." I felt rather like a doofus explaining this, but didn't know what other approach to take. I think my brain fizzled out at this point, because I can't for the life of me recall how he replied. Perhaps he glimpsed the irretrievable stupidity of his current course and changed tack.
Maybe the trauma of the event made his brain short circuit. I find the possibility that the Air Force promoted a man who apparently rode the short bus to school too disturbing to accept.
So...Friday morning, I got a short-notice request from MSgt R for emergency leave, as his daughters are in Biloxi and he wants to go get them. I granted it immediately. It was to start Saturday morning.
Not ten minutes after I signed my approval, I got an all-inclusive order from on high (originating with the Maxwell AFB commander, I think) that listed states and counties were off-limits for all military personnel for the duration of the Labor Day weekend, as self-appointed rescuers would only interfere with FEMA rescue efforts.* Exceptions would be granted on a case-by-case basis.
* From the looks of it, if it weren't for the self-appointed rescuers, many more people would be dying, as FEMA has yet to get its fecal matter consolidated.
I immediately called Maj Thomas--who was our case-by-case exception man--and made the case for MSgt R. Maj Thomas said, "I'm sorry, but that's precisely what the commander wants to avoid. Tell him to wait for a call and let the rescuers do their work." In all fairness, Maj T has children of his own and I know this was hard for him to do and say. However, it didn't seem right to me. I passed this info to MSgt R and mentioned it (ahem) to the boss down the hall, who ordered me to take MSgt R over to see Maj Thomas in person, because if he was going to say no, then by golly he would have to look MSgt R in the eye when he said it.
Why didn't I think of that? That's why he makes the big bucks, I guess.
So...MSgt R and I strolled over for a visit with Maj T. MSgt R thought his girls had probably been taken to a shelter, but he hadn't heard from them since Sunday morning, and he was very worried about the disease and crime, etc, and he wanted his youngest back in school immediately. Maj T finally conceded that if MSgt R could find the shelter where they were, and knew exactly where to go and had an extraction plan (so to speak), then Maj T would probably let him go. MSgt R agreed that this was fair. And so it was that I got a call late Friday night from MSgt R that he'd found them, and we worked out the details, including "carry several cans of gas in your trunk so you can make it back home, and don't leave your car under any circumstances."
I've gotten calls every day or night this weekend concerning how to solve different issues arising from the hurricane's aftermath. My crew commanders, though new, are competent professionals, and thus far have only needed confirmation from me (instead of direction). I'm proud of them. We've done two emergency bandwidth upgrades, handed out handfuls of Tactical IP addresses (so combat comm units can set up in various spots), and called in a few people after-hours.
Oh...I almost forgot. I got my interview date at the Academy, too. I'm scheduled to interview on 7 October. The only catch is, the Academy won't pay for my TDY to interview. I was looking into scheduling a legitimate TDY to Peterson to coincide with the date (conveniently), but not only is that more trouble than I have time for right now, but it would make my schedule hectic once I get there--which I don't want when I'm there primarily to interview. I want to be relaxed, calm, and collected. So...I dropped a line to a friend of mine who will be tickled to pick me up at the airport, provide lodging and entertainment, and chauffeur me to the Academy at the appointed time for my interview. I'll pay for the round-trip air and get a "permissive TDY" from my unit, which means they'll let me off work for an official duty, but won't pay any expenses incurred (basically, it's free leave).
I told Col Quin about my scheduled interview, and he said, "Just be yourself when you meet Kathleen [Col Harrington]. You are her. I mean, when she was Capt Harrington, she was just like you."
I said, "Thank you, sir."
He said, "I didn't say it was a compliment."
I'm going to miss him. (He's retiring mid-October.)
d
