March 26, 2007

FORT GORDON, Ga.---Augusta will soon play a new role in the War on Terror.

The government agency that breaks down enemy communication and protects our own is opening a new facility at Fort Gordon.

The National Security Agency and Central Security Service work around the clock to get the enemy's top secret information...and protect ours. They say that is essential to our success in this time of war.

Any way information travels across the globe can tell us about terrorists' plans of attack. But it can also tell them ours. That's why the NSA / CSS is dedicated to cracking codes.

"We're engaged in this global war on terrorism, and there are terrorists that would like to do us wrong. And our job is to protect the country," said NSAG Chief of Staff Bob Ford.

They do that through communication, information security, and cryptology.

Here's what that means. You probably know most websites sites use encryption to protect your personal information from online predators.

Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander, director of the Agency, says that basic principle tells our country, and our allies, when and where the next attack could be.

"By knowing what bad guys are saying and doing, our job is to help get that information to target them and protect our communication," he said.

Fort Gordon's Brig. Gen. Randolph Strong says that is the heart of security on and off the battlefield.

"We probably have one of the most sophisticated networks in the world supporting military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq," he said.

And soon, NSAG Chief of Staff Ford says that network will block our battle plans and keep tabs on terrorists from Fort Gordon.

"If we could find out what they're planning before they do it, we have a great chance of stopping them," he said.

The NSA expects the new facility to be up and running by 2012. It means about a thousand new jobs at Fort Gordon.

The NSA decided to come to Georgia at the end of the Cold War. They picked three states: Texas, Hawaii, and Georgia.

This type of intelligence-gathering dates back to World War II. That's when the US broke the Japanese military code and found out about plans to invade Midway Island.