January, 2009

The following two articles were reprinted with permission from The Collaborator, USSTRATCOM's Knowledge Management Bi-Weekly Publication. For more information, contact Lucas Steinhauser.

The Information Hub of Operation Burnt Frost

"Buzz, where is the POTUS briefing? I need it now." - exclaimed Col Michael Carey, deputy director, Global Operations, United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM).

It was early January 2008. I had just joined the team a few days earlier and was the only one around to answer the mail. My mind raced as I went to find the briefing in the shared project folder. It was difficult to find the most recent version because there were numerous drafts.

I had been selected with five other officers to serve in the Command's information hub for Operation Burnt Frost. The aim of the operation was to reduce the threat of an uncontrollable U.S. satellite loaded with dangerous hydrazine fuel before it reentered the earth's atmosphere.

Within 24 hours of being selected, we were creating mission briefings for General Chilton. Later that day, we were working with the General, updating PowerPoint slides for him to brief to the Secretary of Defense the next day.

The briefing to the President of the United States (POTUS) was just one example of the plethora of briefings, white papers and supporting research and analysis that flowed through us. We became the nucleus of the fusion center. Everything was sent directly to us (from NRO, NGA and many other agencies). We had to identify where the information came from, who needed it, and how to make it accessible to others planning the operation.

Coordinating products with different agencies and organizations was difficult. Each organization had different procedures, security domains, and organizational structures. We soon learned that the executive officers and our network of contacts were invaluable. They could quickly retrieve or obtain the latest information directly from the generating source. Many times a senior officer would ask for the latest briefing received. We would call the flag's executive officer and he or she would track the briefing down to an un-forwarded email attachment still in a senior officer's email inbox.

We were inundated with the constant stream of information in the form of emails, attachments and messages. I saw the need to keep track of all the incoming information and became the defacto information gatekeeper, soon nicknamed "the librarian."

I established a shared file folder on the highest classified network system. This created a consolidated location for files and allowed information sharing for individuals who had the proper security clearances for the operation. I strove to create folder titles that would be as self-explanatory as possible, by basing them on specific interest areas such as Sensors or Command and Control or by dates. I had to 'make the system dummy proof' because I did not have time to give a tutorial to everyone looking for a file.

We maintained a list of all individuals with the appropriate security clearances. Several times, I got an email requesting information from someone that was not on our "all-cleared" list. I addressed this by sending the file or brief to another person in their organization who was on our list so they could deliver the information to the requestor once their access to the operation was confirmed.

I spent a lot of time figuring out what new information had been received and if it had been deposited in the shared folders. In some instances, it was easiest to have people save files to the main operation folder so I could sort the files into the appropriate sub folders. I established version control by sending draft documents to the individuals responsible for making changes and then I would ask them to send those new versions back to me. This reduced the chance of people updating the wrong briefing.

It was crucial to keep everyone on the team constantly informed of new information and where it was stored. I even provided training about the folder structure to senior leaders and made shortcuts on their desktops for immediate access to the folders. This was important in case I was not around when someone was looking for the POTUS briefing.

We kept redundant hard copies of key essential documents in the event that our systems went down. This was done by populating multiple binders and six-part folders at all security classifications. In addition, everything was loaded onto the general's travel computer and forwarded to our office at the Pentagon in case he needed a particular piece of information when he went to Washington, D.C. for his situation update briefs.

In the beginning, we wasted too much effort tracking people down to grab files off their personal drives. By the end, we were able to save vital time by retrieving the file from the shared network folder. Data on the shared network folder was accessible to the local operation planners so they no longer required me to send them the latest briefing. The planners could send information to external organizations when they needed it. Even if they did not know the exact location of the file, the information was discoverable because we employed relevant titles and a logical folder hierarchy that allowed them to quickly search and locate it.

We accumulated more than 3200 megabytes of data, sorted into 150 different folders and sub folders, housing over 1500 documents. During the last few days of the mission, when the colonel asked, "Where is the POTUS briefing?," anyone on the team was able to retrieve it at a moments notice.

How Social Networks Contributed to the Success of Operation BURNT FROST
By Lucas Steinhauser

It was 10 p.m. and Col Michael Carey and his team had been working all day to find someone who was an expert in modeling the orbit of space objects. Col Carey got out his notebook of contacts and called an old colleague at home. "Hey Jeff, I need your help real quick…." Jeff didn't know the answer, but he was able to give Col Carey the name of an engineer at NASA who was an expert in the area.

This is the story of how social networks enable us to find the right people, with the right skill sets, at the right time. It's how they empower us to quickly reach across a global, distributed environment and quickly locate the needed experts. More importantly, this is the story of how Col Carey, Deputy Director of Global Operations (DJ3), leveraged the social network amassed during his career to engage the necessary space experts who were important to the success of Operation BURNT FROST.

In January 2008, Col Carey supported a team to reduce the threat of an uncontrollable U.S. satellite loaded with dangerous hydrazine fuel before it reentered the earth's atmosphere. This type of mission had never been attempted before and they needed to know the probability of success. It was a challenging task because they were concerned about the fuel tank on the bus-sized satellite, which was rapidly spinning as it hurled through space at 17,000 mph. The problem's complexity required a specialized expertise to conduct the modeling necessary to understand the likelihood of success and the trajectory for a potential intercept of the satellite as it entered the atmosphere.

As Col Carey and his team worked 16 hour days, up against an ever-pressing deadline, finding the expert at NASA was perfect timing. His involvement proved critical to mission success. He provided invaluable knowledge and expertise through analytical modeling and planning. This information fed operational plans and supported the decision briefing that went to the President of the United States.

On February 15th, USSTRATCOM senior leaders awaited the presidential decision to enact the plan they had been feverishly working on for the past six weeks. Five days later, they earnestly watched as a single Standard Missile 3 (SM3) was launched from USS Lake Erie, a cruiser in the Pacific Ocean. At 153 miles above the earth, the SM3 impacted the tumbling satellite at 30 times the speed of sound.

The mission may have been jeopardized if Col Carey wasn't able to reach out and connect with the appropriate subject matter experts. Leveraging our nation's expertise through individual social networks was a huge determining factor in the success of Operation BURNT FROST. By the end of the operation, Col Carey recalled how they accumulated numerous contacts. This social network of individuals provided the essential talent, skills, and expertise to help make the mission a success.

Looking back, Col Carey expressed his desire to maintain the contacts and relationships that were made during Operation BURNT FROST – a decision that could one day prove to be very useful when he has to call on an old colleague for some help or when one of his colleagues needs to call on him for help. There were many organizations that were capable of supporting the various space tasks that were required, but knowing who the expert was and who to contact directly, saved time and improved mission effectiveness.

Created on January 18, 2009 l Updated on January 22, 2009