How The 'Information Dominance Center' Was Made To Look Like The Starship Enterprise Bridge
from the whooooosh dept
Update: As some folks pointed out in the comments, the Washington Post is noting that Alexander inherited the room, which was built a few years before he took over. Our apologies. The Foreign Policy story suggested otherwise. The Post notes that Alexander still liked to use the room to impress politicians, but he did not build it himself.Last week, in discussing Foreign Policy magazine's giant profile on NSA boss Keith Alexander, we noted the wackiness of his decision, in an earlier job,
When he was running the Army's Intelligence and Security Command, Alexander brought many of his future allies down to Fort Belvoir for a tour of his base of operations, a facility known as the Information Dominance Center. It had been designed by a Hollywood set designer to mimic the bridge of the starship Enterprise from Star Trek, complete with chrome panels, computer stations, a huge TV monitor on the forward wall, and doors that made a "whoosh" sound when they slid open and closed. Lawmakers and other important officials took turns sitting in a leather "captain's chair" in the center of the room and watched as Alexander, a lover of science-fiction movies, showed off his data tools on the big screen.A few stories had popped up focusing on this tidbit, but now photos of the setup have been revealed, as the architect firm who designed it, DBI Architects, apparently at one point published a PDF about the project, complete with a bunch of pictures.
"Everybody wanted to sit in the chair at least once to pretend he was Jean-Luc Picard," says a retired officer in charge of VIP visits.
The futuristic, yet distinctly military, setting is further reinforced by the Commander’s console, which gives the illusion that one has boarded a star ship.While some have reported this is the NSA's headquarters, that's not true. As noted, it was back when Alexander was running the Army's Intelligence and Security Command, and the room was built back in 1999 (prior to Alexander taking on the job). Still, it does give you a sense of how Alexander "charms" politicians. And, how can we not call out the fact that this place was called the "Information Dominance Center." So aggressive.
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Filed Under: army, information dominance center, intelligence, keith alexander, nsa, nsa surveillance, starship enterprise
Reader Comments
The First Word
“"Excellent. Commence communications intercept."
"Captain, a ship has launched from the surface and is moving to intercept our course. The ship identifies itself as the USA Constitution
"Red alert! Evasive maneuvers! Load proton lawyer tubes!"
"Lawyers loaded, sir."
"Target that ship and fire!"
"Direct hit, sir! The ship's shields have been neutralized by our Non-Disclosure Agreements and Motions to Delay"
"Fire phasers! Pew, pew, pew!"
"The Constitution...has been violated, captain."
"Outstanding. Continue full communications intercept. File a report with the ship computer, redact, and bury somewhere deep in the janitorial logs."
"Yes, sir"
"Ahh. Another day, another victory for democracy."
[FIN]
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Can we...
Out of a cannon?
And into the sun?
Please?
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Wouldn't it be better if you quit Masnicking?
Yet here you re-hash a cutesy diverting story everyone has already seen.
Masnicking: daily spurts of short and trivial traffic-generating items.
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Well....
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Re: Wouldn't it be better if you quit Masnicking?
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Re: Wouldn't it be better if you quit Masnicking?
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Another guy with a superiority complex
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Well this confirms it.
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Re: Well this confirms it.
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Re: Well....
I'm sure the tax paying public would not object at all to picking up the tab.
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Bad reporting
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Bogus story.
Everyone knows Kirk > Picard
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Now we have someone that has just barely enough money to redecorate their office, struggling to some how update and modernize it. And we wonder why we are trillions in debt?
Lets save everyone a bunch of bucks and shut down the NSA, DHS, and the TSA. We'd sure be money ahead for those seriously considering that those on social security are draining government funds.
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Re: Bad reporting
" It was built, sources tell our colleague Ellen Nakashima, in 1998. Alexander took over the post in 2001."
The Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2013/09/16/nsa-director-inherited-star-t rek-digs/
.
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"Excellent. Commence communications intercept."
"Captain, a ship has launched from the surface and is moving to intercept our course. The ship identifies itself as the USA Constitution
"Red alert! Evasive maneuvers! Load proton lawyer tubes!"
"Lawyers loaded, sir."
"Target that ship and fire!"
"Direct hit, sir! The ship's shields have been neutralized by our Non-Disclosure Agreements and Motions to Delay"
"Fire phasers! Pew, pew, pew!"
"The Constitution...has been violated, captain."
"Outstanding. Continue full communications intercept. File a report with the ship computer, redact, and bury somewhere deep in the janitorial logs."
"Yes, sir"
"Ahh. Another day, another victory for democracy."
[FIN]
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Re:
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Former NSA and CIA chief Gen. Michael Hayden.
The Startrek bridge has been around in his time.
Am I the only one who finds this hillarious in context?
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Paramount gets nasty when people violate Star Trek copyrights.
Was nice knowing you, IDC.
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Re:
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Re:
more like character suicide
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Priorities
This is why the DOD can't afford nice things
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Re: Re: Wouldn't it be better if you quit Masnicking?
"Why don't you go Twerk yourself"
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images mirror?
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The irony
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Re:
Personally I found that room only vaguely reminiscent of the Enterprise bridge. Certainly not grounds for a meaningful claim, and it's not as though they can outwait or outspend the federal government in court like they can almost anyone else.
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A Phony's Faked-Out Overcompensation.
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Re: The irony
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Re:
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