 |
Kathy Flood |
A BRAC Opportunity: Part One
Kathy Flood
April 2009
MITRE employee Kathy Flood saw an opportunity to move to the company's new Aberdeen site after the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list was announced—and she took it. As a result of the BRAC, several of MITRE's Army customers would be moving their operations from Fort Monmouth (near Eatontown, N.J.) to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Aberdeen, Md. Shortly thereafter, MITRE announced it would be moving its Fort Monmouth site operations to Aberdeen as well. Flood was among the first of our staff to relocate and help set up our Aberdeen site in July 2007.
When MITRE's Aberdeen site first opened, many of the site's sponsors and customers were still in Fort Monmouth. For Flood, this meant that she continued supporting the same Army sponsors she had been working with in New Jersey.
"I provide security engineering support to an Army intelligence data collection system," she says. "My work includes assisting with securing various current software implementations, coordinating efforts to apply future enterprise cross-domain solutions to the architecture, and providing security engineering support for the acquisition of future versions."
This type of work built on earlier experience with information security projects, both from her first few years at MITRE and from the private sector, where she worked before joining the company. "When I first came here, I was evaluating information security products including firewall appliances, disk purging solutions, and host protection products for another Army customer."
An Expanding Range of Work
Later, Flood's work expanded to include evaluating network infrastructure security. "On another project, as part of a homeland security initiative, I worked to assess and enhance the security status of a state government infrastructure. We performed site surveys and conducted technical information interviews with department and agency CIOs [chief information officers] and staff.
"The opening of the Aberdeen site positions MITRE to meet our sponsors' needs as they make the transition," says MITRE President Al Grasso. "With a presence here, our technical staff is accessible and readily available to support ongoing work—making the relocation as seamless as possible."
|
|
| |
"We also developed product requirements and evaluated host and network-based intrusion-detection systems and security information management solutions. Ultimately, we presented the findings and provided strategic guidance and recommendations to the state government leaders."
For another project, she worked in the field with her Army sponsors for the Army Unit Joint Network Node deployment exercises. "I think that kind of real-life experience really puts a face on what we do with information security technologies. During the exercises, we provided one-on-one security technology and troubleshooting training to the warfighters. It brought to light who the 'typical' users of our security solutions are."
Making the Move to Maryland
When asked if relocating to Aberdeen was a positive experience, Flood responds, "Yes, without a doubt! That's not to say that there haven't been any challenges, annoyances, or eye-rolling moments along the way, but the overall experience has helped me grow professionally and personally. I am very glad I made the move."
MITRE's Aberdeen Proving Grounds Site, Maryland
The MITRE's Aberdeen Proving Grounds site opened in July 2007. The company's Aberdeen-based staff supports: the Army Materiel Systems Analysis Agency; U.S. Test and Evaluation Command; Army Research Laboratory; Future Combat Systems Central Test Organization; U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center; Program Executive Office for Command, Control, and Communications Tactical; and the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors. The site expects to have approximately 120 staff by the close of 2011. |
|
| |
Coming from New Jersey, Flood enjoys several aspects of her new location. "I've really come to appreciate the diversity of living in this part of Maryland with its rolling hills and its proximity to the Chesapeake Bay and Baltimore."
Most important, Flood is happy to have the opportunity to stay at MITRE. "I like the corporate values by which MITRE operates," she says. "They're not just nice bullet items—they're values that are well-aligned with my own personal values. Plus, I like the people who work here, their wisdom, and their culture of openness and cooperation, which they live and perpetuate."
A Hobby Is Rediscovered
An unexpected benefit of the move: As one of the new site's first employees, she found herself in the role of site photographer.
"Capturing the site's events in photographs—its first days, open house, relocation tour, first holiday party, and first anniversary—has renewed my interest in photography," she says. "Then it was a classic case of 'one thing led to another,' and before long I was helping the local school administration get connected to various BRAC-related organizations, relocation fairs and tours, and other promotional opportunities targeted at families considering relocation to this area."
She continues, "I can honestly say that I have never volunteered so much. Whether it was being in the right place at the right time, divine intervention, or just sheer luck, it has been a good relationship. They have provided me with many opportunities to meet new people and get involved in the community. In return, I have provided them with the time and energy to get them ready for the upcoming influx and changes to the area."
—by Kay M. Upham
Related Information
Articles and News
Technical Papers and Presentations
Websites
|
