Sherman ABOVE BLACK

Project Preserve Destiny - Insider Account of Alien Contact and Government Cover-up
1. Auflage 1997
ISBN: 978-1-61792-474-3
Verlag: BookBaby
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 148 Seiten

ABOVE BLACK documents the true life experience of a USAF member, while working for the National Security Agency (NSA) as an electronic intelligence specialist. The book relates, in the first person, his experience as an integral part of a project called Preserve Destiny... a project deeply involved with alien contact.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Sherman, Dan

Leseproben

The Meeting

The clock on the wall of the visitor’s center said it was exactly 3p.m. yet there was no sign of Captain White. Where was he? Was I at the wrong entrance? “Okay,” I said to myself. “Be patient. You’re just a little nervous, that's all.” As I waited for Captain White to arrive, my mind couldn’t help but search out a reason for this impromptu meeting.

The drive to Maryland had taken 18 long, grueling hours. So when the Holiday Inn came into sight it was not a moment too soon. I checked in and dragged myself up to the room. Without unpacking, I fell on the bed for some much needed rest. I had just fallen into a deep sleep when the phone rang.

“Hello.” I was in that stage of sleep that, when awakened, you have no idea where you are or how you got there.

“Sergeant Sherman?” the caller asked. Still confused, I answered, “Uh, yeah, that’s me.”

“This is Captain White, from the training group. I'd like for you to meet me at the main entrance to the NSA building at 1500 hrs. I need to go over some things with you.”

I had come to the National Security Agency (NSA), outside of Washington DC, to attend an intermediate electronic intelligence class. It was a course needed in my development as an electronic intelligence (ELINT) analyst in the US Air Force. There were two of us from my base that were selected to attend this class so I assumed Captain White wanted to see us both.

“Would you like me to bring Sergeant Ham, Captain?”

“No,” he said. “I'll only need to speak with you. Do you know which entrance I'm talking about?”

I had never been to the NSA complex so I told him I didn’t. I quickly grabbed a pen and wrote down the directions.

“I'll see you at 1500 hrs,” he said before he hung up.

I immediately looked at my watch and it was already 1300 hrs. I had been asleep for only three hours and my body was pleading for more. As I walked to the bathroom I started to wonder, “Why did the captain want to talk to me, and me only?” I thought about the possibilities; I was the highest ranking person attending the course from my base — maybe he just required a representative from each of the bases attending the school. But why the odd break in protocol? Officers didn’t usually call enlisted personnel directly and ask to meet with them at their office. “Oh well,” I said out loud to myself as I stepped into the shower. “If the captain needs to see me, I guess I'll find out why soon enough.” I did.

___________________

As I sat in the visitor’s center waiting for Captain White, I couldn’t help but notice the guard at the customer service desk. When I pulled security duty earlier in my Air Force career, we always referred to the civilian guards as “rent-a-cops.” Looking at the guard sitting at the counter in front of me, I could see why. His blue shirt had what Air Force security police would call “summer creases,” meaning “sum’er here, sum’er there.” I guess proper ironing techniques weren’t included in the rent-a-cop’s how-to manual.

A tall black man attracted my attention as he walked through the visitor’s center glass door. He was about my own height, 6’2”, slender build and in his late 20’s. His black hair was cut “high and tight,” marine style, which suited his personality. He was decisive in his actions, with no wasted energy.

As he stuck out his hand towards me he said, “Sergeant Sherman, I assume?”

Immediately intimidated by his presence, I grabbed his hand with all the strength I could muster and shook it. “Yes, Sir!”

“Have you been waiting long? I’ve been so busy, running around, I’m lucky I made it when I did.”

“No, Sir, I’ve only been here a few minutes,” I politely lied. I had actually been there for 15 minutes, not counting the 15 minutes it took me to find a parking space and then the correct entrance into the building. The NSA has a sprawling parking lot with spaces seemingly miles away from the building. In my hectic search for a parking space, I became confused, lost my bearings, and couldn’t find the entrance where Captain White had told me to meet him. It’s a wonder I wasn’t late as well.

“Great! Do you know if your security clearances are here yet?” he asked.

“I’m not sure, Sir. I just drove in today, so I don’t think so.”

When someone was sent away from their home base, for school or to work temporarily, you were said to be on “temporary duty” or just “TDY.” When you needed access to classified information while on TDY, proof of your security clearances had to be received by the TDY host base prior to being granted unescorted entry into any restricted areas. The military was notorious for not getting security clearances where they needed to be and/or not getting them there on time.

After checking for the status of my clearances at the visitor’s desk, the rent-a-cop confirmed that they hadn’t arrived. The captain would have to escort me into the building.

“Did you find a parking space okay?” the captain asked, making small talk as we waited for the guard to fill out the paperwork I needed to sign.

“Oh yeah, no problem,” I lied again, not wanting to create any more conversation than was necessary. I was getting more and more anxious. Why had he called me for a private meeting?

That question was weighing heavily on my mind as we left the visitor’s center and made our way through the turnstiles into the most formidable and secretive government agency ever to be formed; the National Security Agency.

I had heard many stories about the National Security Agency, dubbed the “Puzzle Palace” by many. When I found out I was going to attend classes there I read everything I could find on the subject. I learned that the National Security Agency was originated in response to a memorandum sent by President Harry Truman on October 24, 1952 to Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Defense Secretary Robert Lovatt. This memo placed the NSA under the authority of the Secretary of Defense, and charged it with monitoring and decoding any signal transmission relevant to the security of the United States. In layman’s terms, the NSA eavesdropped on the world through all kinds of sources, overtly and covertly. I also learned that, due to security concerns, the construction of any structures surrounding the main NSA building complex was restricted to a certain pre-determined height. The rationale for this construction regulation, it explained, was to prevent any adversarial agency from taking up residence in a location that would provide them a vantage point for audio and visual surveillance. For obvious reasons, this would make the world’s most prolific intelligence agency very uncomfortable. Many sources jokingly referred to it as “No Such Agency” because of the level of secrecy surrounding the organization itself.

As we walked down the stark hallways, my pre-conceived ideas of how the interior of the hallowed halls of the NSA complex would look fell far short of reality. The hallways were bland expanses of raised tile floors and painted walls. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting, but somehow it wasn’t what I was seeing.

We walked for miles, it seemed, down numerous hallways before we reached Captain White’s office. The sign next to the door, in small unassuming letters, read “Captain White/DO.”

“This is it,” he said as he swiped his card through the card reading device mounted on the wall below his name plate. He punched his personal code into the numbered keypad located on the face of the device. A green light and an audible click signaled the door had unlocked.

As we stepped through the door I could see another door in front of us. The captain made sure the door behind us was secured, then turned and placed his forehead against what appeared to be a visor. I immediately recognized it as a retina scanner. My understanding was that they were still experimental, but this one appeared to work fine. After a few seconds of scan time, we heard a tone. I was already full of questions about the security measures, but I bit my tongue not wanting to sound inexperienced. I had never come across such tight security procedures to get into an office within an already tightly secured building. My mind was becoming more and more active with questions. I am a naturally curious person, so I had to actively suppress my curiosity and hold my questions for a more appropriate time.

We entered a room appointed with fine furnishings. The room was square, perhaps 20 feet by 20 feet. Along the right wall was a brown leather couch with a few chairs in the corner. The captain’s desk stood in the middle of the room.

On the left wall was a built-in sink with a miniature refrigerator set into the cabinetry. Captain White motioned for me to sit in the chair facing his desk.

“Would you like something to drink, Sergeant Sherman?” he asked as I sat down.

“No thank you, Sir, I’m fine.” In reality I was dying of thirst, but I still wasn’t comfortable accepting any of his entreaties.

“Okay,” he said as he sat down behind his desk. “How was your trip out here; did you get to see any of the sights on the way out or did you drive straight through?”

I couldn’t help but...