MITRE RESPONDS TO SEPTEMBER 11

Special Issue, May 2002 Serving the MITRE Community

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IN THIS ISSUE:Rebuilding the Pentagon Data Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Deploying Resources to World Trade Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Individuals Tell Their Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Bob Mikelskas and Agam Sinha Discuss Homeland Security . . . . . . . . .6

Reservists Report for Duty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .back page

MITRE Matters Special Issue, May 2002Volume 42, Number 2

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ONE OF US WILL EVER FORGETthat beautiful fall day when vicious terrorist attacks on New York City

and Washington, D.C., abruptly halted ournormal activities, stunned the nation, andforever changed our world.

The attacks on America affected MITRE atmany levels. Horror and shock were followedby grief and sadness when employees learnedof the death of a colleague, Dr. Carl M. “Max”Hammond, who was aboard United AirlinesFlight 175 , which crashed into the South Towerof New York’s World Trade Center.

In the immediate hours that followed,threat conditions and security measures wereheightened. Many employees who were trav-eling on business were stranded when air-ports closed and ground-based transportationsystems were overwhelmed.

Despite the chaos and uncertainty, MITRE’semployees rose to the challenge. Embracingour mission to serve the public interest in itsmost fundamental form, they raced to lendtheir knowledge and expertise wherever itmight be needed.

At the Pentagon, MITRE was able to pitchin to help rebuild the Defense Department’sinformation infrastructure. At the World TradeCenter, MITRE contributed advanced tech-nology to rescue workers in New York City,where employees also put in long hours aiding the search for survivors. MITRE staffdiscuss their experiences at the crash sitesand the lessons learned starting on page 1.

THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF SEPT. 11 HAD PROFOUND IMPLICATIONS,

BOTH PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL, FOR MITRE AND ITS SPONSORS.

Many individual employees helped invarious ways after the attacks, donating com-puter supplies or assisting at the scene. Oneemployee volunteers for a canine rescue unitthat was called to the Pentagon; others hadexperience as emergency rescue workers,experience they were able to put to work inNew York City and at the Pentagon. Their stories begin on page 4.

MITRE also quickly formed a team to coor-dinate MITRE’s Homeland Security efforts.In this issue of MITRE Matters, Bob Mikelskas,vice president in the Center for IntegratedIntelligence Systems, and Agam Sinha, vice president in the Center for AdvancedAviation System Development, who arecoordinating this effort, discuss how MITREcan support our sponsors in the area of Homeland Security on pages 6 and 7.

Two weeks after the tragedy, MITRE President and CEO Marty Faga called uponemployees to reunite around the commongoals of the company and of the nation,and he reminded them that they have theopportunity to be part of a larger solution inthe years ahead.

Said Faga, “These past two weeks havehad a sobering effect on all of us. We willnever see the world quite the same way again.But if we remain resolved to move forward andcontinue to work together, we can and willmake a difference.”

—The Editors

N

REBUILDING THE PENTAGON DATA NETWORKSMITRE MATTERS—MITRE RESPONDS 2002

1

SHORTLY AFTER THE ATTACK,employees of The MITRE Corpora-tion who worked in The Pentagon

began the critical task of helping to assess the damage and stabilize the build-ingÕs communications capacity. More thansix months later, they are still there, lend-ing their expertise to a long-term effortaimed at protecting crucial functions fromfuture attacks.

When American Airlines Flight 77crashed into the Pentagon, it created anexplosion that entered one of the build-ingÕs wedge-shaped sections and spreadout at a 45-degree angle damaging threemajor corridors and a second section.Though no one could have known itwould make a difference so soon, workalready done under the Pentagon Reno-vation ProgramÑwhich MITRE has sup-ported for the past nine yearsÑhelpedprevent an even greater disaster. The rea-son: the first section already had blast-resistant windows and structural steelreinforcements, and the second sectionwas largely empty because it was the nextarea on the renovation list.

After MITRE team members contactedfamily members and colleagues to tellthem they were safe, the next priority was assessing the damage. Overall, theInformation Technology (IT) backbone of the Pentagon withstood the attack with minimal interruption of service, but there was still signiÞcant damage.

In the hours after the attack, CharlieRichardson, who leads the MITRE team atthe Pentagon, stayed in touch with MITREmanagers and IT experts to assist in restor-ing communications. Using their expertise

in telecommunication networking andknowledge of the Pentagon IT backbone,team members began working with con-tractors and government employees to getaffected servers and data Þles back onlineand solve the other urgent problems.

Keith Reck, a MITRE project leader, wasin his Pentagon office during the attack.ÒWe had been watching the news on theattacks on the towers. I said, Ôthis is theperfect time to hit the PentagonÕ secondsbefore the plane hit. Several of us wereknocked over, but no one in DCSOPS(Deputy Chief of Staff Operations) sus-tained any serious injuries.Ó

Within minutes, Reck and the DCSOPSstaff made it outside to the central court-yard, where burning pieces of the wreckedplane had fallen. Dozens of seriouslyinjured people poured out of the impactarea; some whose clothes were burnedcompletely off. Security forced the crowdto leave the courtyard for the Southparking lot. Reck worked his way to theimpact site and assisted some medics giv-ing Þrst aid to the injured.

ÒThere was an Army general givingoxygen to a wounded woman,Ó Reck said.ÒThe evacuees started forming up by ser-vice, and leaders canvassed them for med-ical training experience, and dispatchedÞrst aid help where it was most needed.Ó

Reck assisted the DCSOPS staff overthe next several days to recover as manyservers as possible and to reconstitute

MITRE RESPONDS

the office space, until he was called tofacilitate the Data and Servers Disaster Recovery Working Group. The PentagonRenovation ProgramÕs rapid work allowedthe DCSOPS workers to return to their pre-9/11 spaces in February.

MITREÕs involvement in the reconsti-tution effort has won recognition from theDepartment of Defense. On March 1,MITRE honored its Pentagon team by presenting each employee with a plaquefeaturing a letter signed by Army Secre-tary Thomas E. White and Army Chief ofStaff Gen. Eric K. Shinseki that thankedthe corporation for its efforts. The plaquewas provided to the Army EnterpriseDepartment as a token of appreciation for all those who provided post-9/11 support. Additionally, MITRE and the Washington Command, Control, and Com-munications Center recognized eachemployeeÕs efforts with the presentationof individual plaques.

But there is still much more to doÑandMITREÕs expertise remains in demand.

A backup planBeyond the immediate response, MITREhas also become involved in a longer termproject: enhancing the communicationsnetwork to ensure continuity of the Pen-tagonÕs communications if something sim-ilar were to happen ever again.

MITRE employees on five different working groups continue to work with

The Pentagon, headquarters of the United States Department of Defenseand the nerve center for command and control, houses approximately23,000 military and civilian employees and about 3,000 non-defense support personnel dedicated to protecting our national interests.

COMING THROUGHLOUD AND CLEARThe Sept. 11 terroristattack on the Pentagonkilled nearly 200 militarypersonnel and civiliansand severely damagedparts of the building’s communications network.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 8

HILE MONITORING televisioncoverage of the attack in New

York and its aftermath, Rich Byrne, theexecutive director of MITREÕs Center for AirForce Command and Control Systems inBedford, Mass., heard the urgent call forsearch and rescue workers at the site wherethe World Trade Center (WTC) towers oncestood. At one point, someone mentioned thepossibility of survivors trapped in the rub-ble who may have had cellular telephones.With the right technology, the cell phonesmight be found, and with them, possibly,survivors of the attack.

So, at 3:44 p.m. on the day followingthe attacks, Byrne sent out an e-mail to a coregroup of MITRE experts in the Þeld of cel-lular technology. He asked for Òlow hang-ing fruitÓÑtechnology that could bedeployed rapidly to the site to make animpact in the most urgent areas of need.ÒSearch and rescue for victims seemed tobe the most important thing at that point,ÓByrne said. ÒSo I made a list of people andasked about their capacity to help and todeploy rapidly.Ó

What followed was a remarkable mobi-lization of talent that quickly reachedbeyond MITRE to include governmentagencies and representatives of privateindustry, working together to render what-ever assistance they could at Ground Zero.

ÒThis really reßects our mission, the rea-son MITRE exists,Ó said Byrne. ÒWe are inthe business of serving the country.Ó AddedJason Providakes, one of approximately 20staff that worked at Ground Zero, ÒPuttingMITREÕs experts at the tip of the spear in thisdisaster was one of the best examples ofhow we carry out our mission.Ó

Gathering resourcesThere were two pressing tasks for theMITRE team: getting authorization to go toGround Zero and Þnding the equipment totake with them that would give the bestchance of aiding the search and rescueeffort. After setting up a command post inBedford, MITREÕs officers began callingkey customer contacts, as well as the NewJersey State Police and New YorkÕs OfÞceof Emergency Management (OEM), toobtain authorization to enter the WTC site.

While that was taking place, othersacross the corporation began searching forthe right combination of equipment to taketo Ground Zero. Working quickly beforestores closed, Jerry Michael, the site leaderof the MITRE Picatinny, N.J., site alongwith Yosry Barsoum of MITRE-NJ identi-Þed and secured equipment that might beof use. Kim Rothfuchs and Bob Guardinocame back to work in Bedford to preparethe proper purchase order authorization

numbers. Meanwhile, several MITREemployees turned parking lots intoimpromptu laboratories, conducting exper-iments with any equipment they hopedmight help.

ÒIt was mostly equipment geared todirectionally locating radios,Ó said DavidKaplan, a member of the Þrst MITRE teamto arrive at Ground Zero. ÒSome was pur-chased, some was borrowed, some wasMITRE equipment from prior projects, andother equipment was brought in from oursponsors. We hoped it would be of greathelp, but none of us had ever used it insuch an environment.Ó

Searching the ruinsLess than 15 hours after Byrne sent out hisinitial e-mail, a caravan carrying Þve MITREBedford employees and vans full of equip-ment arrived at MITRE-NJ. There, the teammet up with other MITRE employees, whohad unique relationships within New YorkÕsOEM, and members of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronic Command(CECOM), who had similar cellular exper-tise. About two hours later, the MITRE-CECOM team, escorted by New Jersey Statepolice ofÞcers, set off for New York City.

For the next 48 hours, the team workedside by side with police, ÞreÞghters, andemergency personnel to try to locate

RESOURCES DEPLOYEDTO WORLD TRADE CENTER

“What can we do?”

This question crossed the minds of millions of Americans as the horrific images

of September’s terrorist attacks flickered on their television screens. Rich Byrne,

like millions of others, asked himself the question of the moment…but then

Byrne came up with an idea.

RESPONDING TO SEPT. 11

2

MITRE RESPONDS

“We are in the business of serving the country, and this

W

survivors. However, conditions proveddifÞcult. In a desperate attempt to Þnd sur-vivors, Þrst responders on the scene wereworking around the clock in the debris pileusing a variety of radio frequencies to com-municate with one another. Moreover, largeamounts of metal sheets in the debris wereinterfering with radio signals.

ÒIn addition, there was a high degreeof stress related to the hazards of the envi-ronment,Ó said James Providakes ofMITRE-NJ, who became the on-site leaderof the Ground Zero team. ÒThere were con-cerns that additional buildings would comedown. The environment made it difÞcultfor the team to establish itself for one periodof time in the same location.Ó

Sadly, despite everyoneÕs best efforts,the emphasis at Ground Zero would soonshift from rescue to recoveryÑand, as thepolice, ÞreÞghters, and emergency work-ers shifted gears, so did MITRE.

Coordinating on the groundThe recovery effort had the potential forreal danger. Many hazardous materials,such as the Freonª tanks for the air con-ditioning units, were stored in the sixunderground levels of the WTC. If the Þresburning underneath the rubble reachedthese substances, larger Þres or toxic emis-sions might result. Clearing away the

rubble was also hazardous because mov-ing debris might free oxygen to ßoat intothe air, mixing with combustible dust andvapors and creating a mini-volcanic effect.Thus, pinpointing the sources of the dan-ger became vital to ensuring the safety ofthe rescue personnel.

ÒInitially, we had a great sense of opti-mism that we were going to save the day,Ósaid Steve Hansen, chief architect in the

Geospatial, Visualization, and Fusion Tech-nologies Department. ÒAfter about Þve orsix days, everybody realized that nobodywas coming out alive. Then it came downto being logical and making sure we didnÕt put anyone in harmÕs way.Ó

That scenario led to one of MITREÕsmost important contributions to the recovery effortÑthe deployment of map-ping support. Hansen led a team from Bed-ford to Ground Zero to set up a RapidMapping Information Analysis Cell(RMIAC). The RMIACÕs mission was tocreate a clearinghouse for establishing

Essential Elements of Information (EEIs)and providing a collection managementprocess for gathering information andusing it to solve problems.

MITRE called on many clients and busi-nesses to bring technology to the scene.MITRE-NJ assisted the New York City FireDepartment and the Army CECOM/RDEC Night Vision personnel in usinginfrared imaging technology to help Þre-Þghters identify and address any hot spotsin the debris.

MITRE also worked with the DirectorÕsOfÞce CECOM and CECOMÕs Night Visionand Electronic Sensors Directorate to col-lect data from flights over the WTC inplanes equipped with multiple sensors.

The airborne sensors provided high resolution, infrared, and hyperspectralimages and data of Ground Zero. MITREÕsExploitation Systems Laboratory helpedanalyze the data to provide temperatureestimates of the Þres still burning underthe towers, and to map and track the debris,although much of the debris had becometoo pulverized to identify.

And MITRE brought several satellitecommunication (SATCOM) telephones toNew YorkÕs OEM to support urgent callswhen normal phone lines were out of orderor overloaded, which happened often atGround Zero.

“I have seen fire chiefs, during their daily planning meetings,

use the maps we created.” —David Kaplan

MITRE MATTERS—MITRE RESPONDS 2002

3

was a way that we were able to bring our mission to bear.”

Trying to make sense of the World

Trade Center attacks is impossible, but ifanything good can be taken away from these tragedies, it is the knowledge of how to better respond in thefuture if a disaster of this magnitude shouldever happen again.

For MITRE, the conditions at the site seemed to indicate that precision geolocation equipment would be a valuable addition to a rescue worker’s arsenal. Unfortunately, this equipment is notcurrently located where rescue personnel can access and deploy it quickly. MITRE WTC team members, in a report to the Board of Trustees, suggested the creation of storage depots throughout the country for rapid deployment in emergencies.

MITRE also recognized that during a disaster of such magnitudeestablishing a clear line of command and control is important for a complex rescue and recovery effort. In the case of Sept. 11,the destruction of New York’s OEM Emergency Operations Center along with the WTC towers made this task even more of a challenge. MITRE helped by setting up a coordination cell to provide technical advice to rescue workers.

LESSONS LEARNED

CONTINUES ON PAGE 8

INDIVIDUALS TELLTHEIR STORIES

“I did what I could.”

They helped in ways large and small, on thescenes and behind them. Sometimes, they still

wonder whether they could have done more.But employees of The MITRE Corporation who

lent their time and talents to the recoveryfrom the Sept. 11 attacks can take satisfaction

in being able to do what millions of othersonly wished they could—to help directly and

tangibly in the face of unprecedented tragedy.

“When we went to Ground Zero, it burned your sinuses

HAT WAS THE PART THAT KEPTyou going down there,Ó said Dave

Kaplan, an engineer with MITRE-NJ and amember of a MITRE-led team that aidedrecovery efforts at the World Trade Center(WTC). ÒA lot of people didnÕt get to help,and it was good that we could.Ó

MITRE responded to Sept. 11 by assem-bling and dispatching a team of employees,of which Kaplan was part, to help in the res-cue and recovery efforts in New York.

DOGS, a canine search-and-rescue unitthat handles about 50 calls a year.

Nothing in their previous experience,however, quite prepared these MITREemployees for the devastation the terror-ists wrought. Birch had only a brief look at the WTC ruins during his volunteerassignment, but what he saw made a last-ing impression.

Birch said, ÒTV doesnÕt compare to theactual scope of the pile down there. Whenwe went to Ground Zero, it burned yoursinuses and throat. ThatÕs probably thething IÕll remember most.Ó

For others, some of the most vivid memories were of things they didnÕt see,which, in many cases, made it harder todo their jobs. Brendan Smith, a softwaresystems engineer at MITRE-NJ who spenttwo weeks with the MITRE-led GroundZero team, remembers how hard it was tofind the fires that had broken out in theWTC rubble.

ÒWe didnÕt know what was burning,ÓSmith said. ÒWe were digging out CADdrawings from the original builders. Andthere was only limited access to the bot-tom levels, and we couldnÕt easily findwhere the hazards were.Ó

4

Many other employees also helped, Þnd-ing ways to use their knowledge and train-ing at the Pentagon. Their memories of thetragedy and its aftermath are personal andvivid; they can remember the conditionsunder which they worked and their emo-tions as they carried out their roles in therescue and recovery efforts.

“TV doesn’t compare”Many of the MITRE employees whoresponded to Sept. 11 have skills that theyhave used before in other emergencies.Patrick Amato, a software systems engi-neer in the Center for Advanced AviationSystem Development who spent severaldays at the Pentagon, often responds toÞres and crashes as a Red Cross volunteer.William Birch, a systems programmer andanalyst with Information Systems, Infras-tructure, and Services in Bedford, Mass.,has put his ham radio to good use overthe last two decades assisting emergencypersonnel with communications duringseveral tornadoes and hurricanes. LisaHarper, lead artificial intelligence engi-neer with the Washington Command, Con-trol, and Communications Center inReston, Va., volunteers with Mid-Atlantic

RESPONDING TO SEPT. 11

Patrick Amato

MITRE RESPONDS

TÒ

Could we have done more?There is, among MITREÕs volunteers, areluctance to talk about their contributions.They know that other volunteers were moredirectly involved in the recovery efforts.

ÒWe didnÕt do much...WeÕre just oneof a number of people who helped out,Ósaid Louise Lighthart, an ofÞce coordina-tor in the Defense Intelligence InformationSystems Department. Lighthart, along withfour other colleagues, organized a dona-tion of computer equipment after herdaughter, a graphic/web designer at thePentagon, mentioned that equipmentwasnÕt available from normal sources.

Moreover, MITRE volunteers still, attimes, wonder if they could have done more.ÒThere was probably a feeling, mostly inthe Þrst two days, that we would have likedto have gone sooner,Ó said Kaplan. ÒButIÕm not sure, in retrospect, that it wouldhave made a difference. I donÕt know if wecould have done anything any faster.Ó

Smith also wishes he could have donemore. But his training as a ÞreÞghter, whilenot directly put to use at the site, turnedout to be useful to emergency personnelon the scene. He and his colleagues back atPier 92 provided maps using thermal and

and throat. That’s probably the thing I’ll remember most.”

MITRE MATTERS—MITRE RESPONDS 2002

5

Another lingering memory was the feel-ing of uncertainty at the sites, and a fear,especially at the Pentagon, that their effortsmight be interrupted by a fresh batch ofterrorists.

ÒThere was a clear, huge differencebetween this job and others,Ó said Amato,who helped at the Red Cross supply tentat the Pentagon. ÒJob A is: you have to behelpful. Job B is: somebodyÕs trying to killus. Who? We donÕt know. WeÕll find outafter the fact.Ó

While on the scene at the Pentagon,Amato was surrounded by reminders that reinforced the feeling of danger lurk-ing around the corner. Snipers patrolledthe parking lots of the Pentagon in thedays following the attack, guarding against another assault, just in case onewas coming.

One day, a U-Haul truck with donatedsupplies rolled in, and Amato and a fewother volunteers were asked to unload it.With the driver in custody, a police ofÞcerasked the volunteers to get the truck backto them as soon as possible and to let himknow if they found anything suspicious.

At the WTC, possibly because the

MITRE team arrived two days after theattack, Kaplan wasnÕt plagued with a feel-ing of imminent personal danger. How-ever, a photo of him with the WTC ruins inthe background triggered a feeling Òof howstupid I was, in a sense, for standing there.ÓNonetheless, Kaplan never felt harm wouldcome to him, until the anthrax scare hit.

ÒThat scared me more because of thefear of what you canÕt see,Ó Kaplan said. ÒAtthe site, you could see the smoke, you couldsee the glass, so that helped me know howto get around it. Maybe it was because Iwas blissfully ignorant of the other dan-gers around there.Ó

Smith, who spent most of his time atthe makeshift headquarters of New YorkÕsOfÞce of Emergency Management at Pier92, also felt a sense of danger. But muchof it was mitigated by the presence of pub-lic safety ofÞcials on the scene.

ÒI sat there at Pier 92, looking out thewindow, and I could see machine gun tur-rets and gunboats patrolling the Hudson,ÓSmith said. ÒYou realize there are risks,but you have conÞdence in the people pro-tecting you. You deÞnitely felt a sense ofdanger, but the work had to get done.Ó

Lisa Harper is training her dog, Oberon,for search, rescue, and recovery missions.

Dr. David Kaplan, looking north, stands on the West Side Highway at Vesey Streeton Sept. 13, 2001—the day the MITRE-CECOM team arrived at the WTC. CONTINUES ON PAGE 8

6

What do you see as your role, and asMITRE’s role, in Homeland Security?

SINHA: One of the continuing goals ofMITRE is what we call leveraging the com-pany. MITRE has been involved withHomeland Security activities for individ-ual sponsors in different ways. After Sept.11, the pace of these activities has increased,the need for exchange of information andexchange of ideas has grown, and the con-nections between what we have done forindividual sponsors have become morecomplex. The job of the Homeland Securitycoordinators is to be the conduit, to makesure the whole company is being lever-aged, that people are aware of what's goingon with our sponsors so we can help eachother. ThatÕs the mission.

MIKELSKAS: We are the coordinators, notthe czars, of Homeland Security. We under-stand that most of the activities associated

THE INTERVIEW

Homeland Security

has always been a

part of MITRE’s

mission. But since

the tragic events of

Sept. 11, the pace

of activities has

increased. As a

result, the need to

exchange information

and ideas across

MITRE is more

critical than ever.

HOMELANDSECURITY

SHORTLY AFTER THE SEPT. 11tragedies, MITRE President and CEO Marty Faga appointed

Bob Mikelskas, vice president in the Center for Integrated Intelligence Systems(CIIS), and Agam Sinha, vice president inthe Center for Advanced Aviation SystemDevelopment (CAASD), to coordinateMITRE’s Homeland Security efforts.Recently MITRE Matters interviewedMikelskas and Sinha to better understandtheir role and MITRE’s current and futureefforts in support of Homeland Security.

BOB MIKELSKAS and AGAM SINHACOORDINATORS OF MITRE’S HOMELANDSECURITY INITIATIVES

with Homeland Security are going to occurin the individual operating centers or inthe support organizations. Our role is tocoordinate those activities and to developan overall strategy for implementation.

Homeland Security, as a theme, crossesthe operating centers more than any areahas before.

How are you encouraging that kind ofcoordination?

MIKELSKAS: As a Þrst step, we have set upa coordinating group with representativesfrom each center, John Woodward fromCIIS, Claudia Ward from the Center forAir Force Command and Control Systems,Stu Starr representing the WashingtonCommand, Control, and CommunicationsCenter, David Hubley from the Center forEnterprise Modernization, and SteveMcBrien from CAASD. The purpose of theteam is to promote an understanding acrossMITRE of the Homeland Security initia-tives and projects within each operatingcenter, to coordinate these activities acrossthe centers as needed, to help shape andimplement the overall corporate strategy,and to identify areas where MITRE cancontribute. We intend for them to be thecatalysts for the sharing of informationacross centers.

Where can MITRE contribute to theHomeland Security effort?

MIKELSKAS: There are three basic types ofHomeland Security related activities thatwe need to present as a coordinated

“MITRE is totally committed to making sure that the nation

MITRE MATTERS—MITRE RESPONDS 2002

7

MITRE front: ongoing tasks for our cur-rent sponsors, new tasks for our currentsponsors that are ideally suited to MITRE'scapabilities, and developing roles withnew sponsors. These challenges requireus to have a multi-level approach to strategy.

SINHA: MITRE has some capabilities andunique attributes that make us well posi-tioned to contribute to this effort. As anot-for-proÞt company that doesnÕt com-pete or sell products, we can be an objec-tive voice. Our role is to work in the publicinterest, and the breadth of our sponsorsallows us to bring expertise from a num-ber of areas to bear on the problem.

Can you give examples of currentwork that could be applied toHomeland Security?

MIKELSKAS: For many years, MITRE hasdesigned and engineered systems andtechniques for information sharing andexchange. Most recently, the corporationhas worked with regional emergencymanagement organizations. The gov-ernment is trying to figure out exactlyhow to use all the information assets avail-able at the federal, state, and local levels,including information from the DefenseDepartment and the Intelligence Com-munity nationally, in a way that wouldbe helpful to local emergency agencies.There is a need to share information, andthat is an area in which MITRE is verystrong. There is a natural role for us inthis area.

MITRE has been involved for a longtime in work in cyber-security and criticalinfrastructure protection, mostly focusedon cyber-space, and that is an element ofHomeland Security.

MITRE has provided technical and ana-lytical support to national security agen-cies, and certainly Homeland Security isan element of national security.

SINHA: An example of work we are doingwith the Federal Aviation Administrationis surveillanceÑthe identification andtracking of aircraft. We look at all typesof aircraft, both equipped with transpon-ders and without, and in all types ofairspace, whether over the ocean, overland, or on the ground. Another exampleis how the air trafÞc management systemresponds to an unusual event, whetherterrorist action or engine failure. Whatprocedures should be in place?

MITRE has been involved in creating thePartnership For Public Warning, a newpublic-private partnership that is bring-ing the nationÕs top emergency warningexperts together to resolve national warn-ing message standards, protocols, and pri-orities. The goal is to ensure that the rightinformation gets out to the public in a timeof emergency. These are all traditionalroles for MITRE, but areas where ourexpertise might be useful when appliedto Homeland Security.

And in the future?

SINHA: We must resist rushing into actionbefore we consider the implications of the

various proposals out there. The concept ofÒdo somethingÓ has to be tempered by con-sideration of what is meaningful and useful.

MIKELSKAS: The government is trying rightnow to adjust to this new paradigm andunderstand how it wants to operate. WedonÕt want to get out ahead of our customersbecause they need to be able to do the pol-icy-level thinking. The government is notnecessarily ready yet for the information-sharing systems engineering that MITREcan bring to bear because they are still try-ing to Þgure out these higher level issues.

SINHA: Right now, there is a lot of empha-sis on 9/11, but we have to look aheadand see what other things we have to pro-tect against. Our customers are doing thisnow, and we will be ready to help themwhen they need our support.

Will the events of Sept. 11 affect theway MITRE does its business?

SINHA: The Homeland Security initiativesare not going to fundamentally change theway we do business. There is some redi-rection, but the majority of what we havebeen doing, we will continue to do becausewe are integral to the missions of our spon-sors. And those missions have not changed.

MIKELSKAS: MITRE is totally committedto contributing to the nationÕs solution tothis problem. We are totally committedto making sure that the nation has thebenefit of our knowledge and that ourtalents across all operating centers aredevoted to this problem.

has the benefit of our knowledge and talents in this area.”

Bob Mikelskas (LEFT) and Agam Sinha (RIGHT) have been tasked by MITRE President and CEO Marty Faga to head the coordinatinggroup of center representatives to focus on MITRE’s changingpriorities and initiatives generated in the aftermath of Sept. 11. By ensuring that MITRE’s work is coordinated across centers and clients, they both intend to leverage the talents and abilities of the corporation to maximize MITRE’s contributions to the vitalHomeland Security mission.

MITRE RESPONDS FROM PAGE 3

The technology helped identify problemsand hazardous areas in and around thesiteÑespecially in the five or six storiesunderground. Using data from sensorßights, MITRE team members pinpointeda Þre spreading toward the WTCÕs mainFreon tank. Had the Þre reached the tank,it would have caused the Freon to boil,resulting in toxic fumes.

ÒIt was a matter of going in, Þnding thekey decision makers, and getting them thetools and resources,Ó said Hansen. ÒTheenvironment was very dynamicÑitchanged from hour to hour.Ó

MITREÕs experience in command and

control also proved valuable to the recov-ery effort. In an effort to help coordinatethe work at Ground Zero, MITRE set upa coordination cell at the makeshift head-quarters of New YorkÕs OEM at Pier 92.There, MITRE team members providedtechnical advice to New YorkÕs OEM,police, and ÞreÞghters, and a host of otherstate and federal ofÞcials, as they contin-ued searching through the WTC rubble.

Hansen said the military backgroundsof many MITRE team membersÑgainedeither through serving in the armed forcesor working on projects for military clientsÑhelped the team cope with the unprece-dented nature of the emergency.

ÒThese were firefighters and urbansearch-and-rescue guys,Ó he said. ÒThey

had never dealt with anything of this mag-nitude. It was a protracted thing, and itwas dynamically changing every day. Butin the military, thatÕs what we do. We wentwith people who know how to deal withthese things. They were down there doingsomething they had never done before,but there were great analogies betweenthis and things they had done before.Ó

The response to the WTC rescue andrecovery, MITRE ofÞcials believe, showedthe companyÕs knowledge and public ser-vice commitment at their best.

Said Jason Providakes, ÒTo be part ofsuch a cross-organizational team so dedicated toward contributing to this most critical of national needs, it makesme proud.Ó

electro-optical imagery to help firefight-ers Þnd the blazes and the best techniquesfor putting them out. The maps becamevalued tools in the recovery; Smith remem-bers working to finish one with a NewYork state trooper waiting nearby to takethe map to New York Gov. George Patakito use in a press brieÞng.

ÒAs a ÞreÞghter, I donÕt think there wasanyone who didnÕt want to strap on hisgear and go there to help,Ó Smith said. ÒIwas thankful that I was at least helpful inthis way.Ó

For many MITRE volunteers, this trans-lates into a renewed resolve to be even bet-ter prepared next time. Harper, for example,was still in training with her German Shep-herd, Oberon, and was not deployed withthe rest of her search-and-rescue team to the

Pentagon. Instead, she stayed behind tocover the office and give her support tothe recovery efforts from there.

Harper says, ÒThere is a sense ofurgency about becoming qualified andbecoming very good. IÕve got to be reallygood at it because it means life or deathfor someone else.Ó William Birch sharesher feelings, ÒIÕve got my emergency radioequipment in better order so that if it hap-pens again, I will be ready to go.Ó

Responding to the attacks has instilled

INDIVIDUALS RESPONDFROM PAGE 5

in many MITRE employees a greater senseof their companyÕs public-service mission.For MITREÕs volunteers, the chance to helpin whatever way they could reinforced theirsense of working for the public goodÑandincreased their respect for those who makea living placing themselves in harmÕs way.

ÒI had a pretty easy role compared toa lot of people there,Ó Amato said. ÒTherewere jobs that were a lot tougher.Ó Amatoadded, ÒI have greater respect for the peo-ple who give their time, thatÕs for sure.Ó

ÒONE OF THE MOST SATISFYING aspects of working for MITRE is being associatedwith a group of world-class experts devoted to making a difference to our nation.

A number of dedicated and skilled MITRE employees, too numerous to mention individually, gave a human face to our mission of public service in the shadows of one of the darkest days in American history. They can take great pride in all they have done, and continue to do, as the nation recovers and rejuvenates.”

—Ray Shulstad, senior vice president and general manager

engineers, contractors, and others involvedwith implementing changes to the Pen-tagonÕs IT architecture that will increasemobility of data and enhance security andsurvivability of key command systems.

ÒWe are actively involved in these prob-lems,Ó said Ron Cossa, an information sys-tems engineer with the Army Enterprise

PENTAGON DATA NETWORKSFROM PAGE 1

Department and a member of MITREÕsInformation Management and Telecom-munications (IM&T) team at the Pentagon.

MITRE has also produced a plan to pro-vide alternate-site capability.

ÒAn alternate site must be created whereall of the systems have a backup facilityin case of another attack,Ó said SusmitPatel, also in the Army Enterprise Depart-ment and a member of the IM&T team.ÒAnything is possible now after 9/11.Ó

In addition, MITRE is working on otherpressing issues, including enhancing thesecurity of communications networks andredesigning them to make them easier toimplement and reconstruct if needed.

ÒHow do you predict what the impactis going to be? You canÕt,Ó said Cossa. ÒButyou can make a network more modular,more readily backed up and available,[have] alternate communications and datasources available. ThatÕs all being done.Ó

8

IMMEDIATELY VOLUNTEERED, andthey asked me Ôhow fast can you get here?ÕÓ said Michael Minter, who works

in Field Intelligence Systems at MITREÕs SanAntonio, Texas, site. A major with the AirForce Reserves, Minter is working withthe U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)in Tampa, Fla., as an air intelligence ofÞcer,work similar to what he does for MITRE.ÒThatÕs why they wanted me so fast,Ó hesaid. ÒI am a better Reservist because ofthe work IÕve done at MITRE, and IÕll makea much better contribution to our MITREwork when I get back.Ó

The separation from family has beenhard, but, because Minter is stateside, hewas able to see his children during theirSpring break. ÒBe sure and mention howgreat the people both in San Antonio andat the site here in Tampa have been to me!Óhe said. ÒOur client in San Antonio wasvery understanding about MITREÕs com-mitment to supporting the Reserves, andthe MITRE ofÞce here has been very gra-cious, letting me use the fax and their com-puters to check my e-mail and get to theMII. ItÕs like having a bit of home away-from-home.Ó

Minter is one of more than 30 MITREReservists who, after Sept. 11, put asidetheir civilian clothes and donned their uni-forms to join the Þght against terrorism.

Joe Morrissey, a captain with the Massachusetts Air National Guard, wascalled up to active duty in February, abouteight months after his youngest child wasborn. He is now working 12- to 14-hourdays, six days a week, on an island off thecoast of Oman in Southwest Asia. His ofÞcemates, both Air Force and MITRE-ites, inGlobal Air TrafÞc Mobile Command andControl at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts sent him cards, jokes, notes, baked goods, and assorted candies.Jelly beans for Easter, along with lots of Snickers. ÒTheyÕre his favorite. I bet he

I

MITRE MATTERS—MITRE RESPONDS 2002

9

CALL TO ACTION

has trouble getting them where he is,Ó saidcoworker Carol Morris.

ÒSince the terrorist attacks and the mobi-lization, there has been a tremendous out-pouring of employer support to theNational Guard and Reserves,Ó said Maj.Hunt Kerrigan of the Employer Supportof the Guard and Reserves in Arlington,Va. ÒMany of the Fortune 500 companies,in particular, have been very generous insupporting their activated employees.Ó

In February, MITRE and employee SteveWagner were presented with the Depart-ment of Reserve Affairs ÒMy Boss Is APatriotÓ award for exemplary support of the National Guard and Reserves, in par-ticular for the sacriÞce made in assistingJoel Reed, a member of WagnerÕs staff, inhis extended deployment supporting Oper-ations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom.

Said Reed, ÒSteve was absolutely super.His only words to me when I explainedthat I was being recalled to active duty wereÔJust go and do your duty; donÕt worry fora moment about what we need or how weÕllcope without you.Õ It makes my militaryduties so much easier with this kind of support from my employer.Ó

ÒWe owe an obligation to all of our mobilized employees,Ó said Bill Albright,director of Quality of Work Life & BeneÞtsfor MITRE. ÒBy law, their jobs are protectedwhile on active duty. But MITRE promisesall those who are called into a crisis theirusual salary, offset by their military pay,for the equivalent of eight weeks (320 hours),after which they are placed on Part-Time-On-Call.Ó

Albright reports that many Reservistsand Guardmembers who are deployed stillhave managed to log in MITRE hoursÒtelecommutingÓ from their work sitesaround the world during their free time.

ÒI was surprised when my managercalled me to notify me of my MITRE pro-motion, 11 days after I left,Ó said Minter.

ÒBut we may all be here for the long term.We are doing a job that needs to be doneÑboth those of us in uniform, and those ofus who are serving in our contracting roles.I can see every day how important this is,and how MITRE is doing great things forour country.Ó

Robert Boston is an Air Force Reservemajor who left his MITRE position in theCenter for Integrated Intelligence Systemsto serve for 179 days in Southwest Asiaworking for CENTCOM Air Forces as chief of Intelligence Support and Special Projects. He returned to MITRE in Januaryand worked for the Air Force Directorateof Operations in the Pentagon until Marchwhen he returned to Southwest Asia as aMITRE engineer.

ÒMost of my friends are what we callCombat MITRE. Folks who get out withthe customer and sweat, strain, and livewith them while we do system imple-mentations and integration work,Ó saidBoston. But although MITRE people areon the scene during military exercises, itis still abstract. ÒDeep down they want tobe with the team when they go into thereal game,Ó he said.

Boston reminds all of his MITREcoworkers, ÒKeep focus; we are not doneyet. We need strong minds and appliedexperience from you to do this.Ó

Joe Morrissey added, ÒAnd I ask thatall keep in mind the men and women ofthe U.S. military serving around the worldevery day. Pray for those who are placedin harmÕs way, and God bless America!Ó

HEROES WANTED

Ò

When President Bush ordered a partial

mobilization of the Ready Reserves on

Sept. 14, Michael Minter didn’t hesitate.

MITRE RESERVISTSREPORT FOR DUTY

Since September, more than 81,000Reservists have been called to full-timeactive duty, including MITRE employee Joe Morrissey (LEFT) who providedcommunications system support for Vice President Dick Cheney’s recent visit to Oman. Also pictured: Maj. ArtWunder and Lt. Andrew Mason.

Yosry Barsoum, WC3John Besse, WC3John Betz, AFCGeorge Bevis, AFCMike Butler, AFCRich Byrne, AFCErik Cooke, WC3John Delmore, CIISDanny DeMarinis, WC3James A. Dimarogonas, WC3John Durand, WC3Marie Erie, CIISBob Ewing, WC3Steve Hansen, CIISJames Hughes, WC3Paul Jacyk, WC3

MITRE MATTERS—MITRE RESPONDS 2002

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Pentagon

Paul Bonnewitz, WC3Peter Carrigan, WC3 Ron Cossa, WC3Jack Faherty, CIISRon Giusti, WC3 Frank Javar, WC3Robert McKee, WC3Susmit Patel, WC3Dan Pedro, WC3Keith Reck, WC3 Charlie Richardson, WC3Mark Rickert, WC3Stuart Simpson, WC3 Harry Titus, WC3

On Dec. 12, MITRE recognized 45 of its employeesfor their contributions to the World Trade Centerrescue and recovery effort. Each team memberwas presented with a crystal flame awardsymbolizing courage in the face of adversity.

World Trade CenterOn March 1, MITRE recognized 14 of its employees for theirefforts rebuilding the Pentagon Information Technologyinfrastructure following the attack of Sept. 11. Each teammember was presented with a copy of a plaque signed bythe chief of staff of the Army and the secretary of the Army.

Dave Kaplan, WC3John M. Kreger, WC3Paul MacLear, WC3Stan Manoski, WC3Kevin Mauck, AFCMark Maybury, CIISJoe Mullins, WC3Glen Nakamoto, CIISSherry Olson, CIISGeorge Providakes, AFCJames Providakes, WC3Jason Providakes, AFCMike Ricard, CIISMark Rosenthal, CIISJeff Ross, AFCKim Rothfuchs, PurchasingFrank J. Ruscil, WC3Skip Saunders, AFCGeorge Shuttic, WC3David Simmons, WC3Bill Skidmore, WC3Brendan Smith, WC3Barbara Solomon, AFCCharles Suprin, AFCNaimish Thakkar, WC3Jose Torres, AFCMike Viszmeg, AFCMike West, CIISJeff Wynn, WC3

Kevin DeFord, CIISLouise Lighthart, CIISJim Phillips, CIISHoward Respass, CIISHarry VanEvery, CIIS

On Jan. 10, the Pentagonrecognized five MITREemployees for donatingkeyboards, mouses, andprinters to the U.S. Army'sDeputy Chief of Staff forLogistics after the Sept.11 attack. The employeeswere presented withcommemorative coins asa “thank you.” The coinsfeature emblems for eachof the four services.