FORT MEADE, Md. - NSA celebrated several milestones in 2022 that honored the Agency’s past while looking ahead to its future. We’re happy to share more about three in particular: the
National Cryptologic Museum,
NSA’s 70th Anniversary, and the
opening of the Morrison Center.
Back and Better Than Ever: National Cryptologic Museum’s Grand [Re]Opening
NSA ushered in a new era of the National Cryptologic Museum (NCM), which celebrated the culmination of a massive renovation and restoration project.
The two-year renovation project was so substantial that the NCM staff chose to designate the museum’s 8 October public re-opening as a Grand Opening befitting a brand new state-of-the-art facility.
NCM Director Vince Houghton had a clear vision as the staff conducted a monthslong endeavor to review the museum's more than 6,000 artifacts. This effort opened up opportunities to loan some of NCM's prized artifacts to institutions around the world throughout the museum’s closure.
“Our goal is that every artifact selected for display meets one of three criteria: It’s the only one of its kind, it’s the first ever used, or it was used by a specific person or during a specific historic event,” Houghton said.
As the public’s gateway to learning more about NSA’s mission and the role of cryptology in our Nation’s security, the reimagined NCM inspires future generations of NSA’s workforce by engaging young minds in STEM and cryptology.
At the ribbon cutting, GEN Paul M. Nakasone, Commander, USCYBERCOM, Director, NSA/Chief, CSS highlighted the museum’s importance to NSA.
“Of all the Intelligence Community [agencies] that have museums, the only one that is open to the public is the National Security Agency’s,” GEN Nakasone said. “Think about the meaning that has from the idea of what we do every single day — which is the importance of national security and civil liberty and privacy, and bringing those together. Not an ‘or’ statement but an ‘and’ statement. That’s what this museum represents.”
Platinum Anniversary: NSA Turns 70
Leading up to its 70
th anniversary on 4 November, NSA celebrated with special history blogs, a digital scavenger hunt, sweet treats, history trivia, and more.
To mark the occasion, GEN Nakasone hosted festivities at the NCM with numerous guests, including several former NSA leaders and members of the U.S. Postal Service present to speak about the new
Women Cryptologists forever stamp.
“Sometimes we forget about the talent that has been here so we honor their legacy — we look to the future as we honor that past,” GEN Nakasone said.
The major milestone also gave NSA an opportunity to highlight its history of successes to the American public through content such as a 70
th anniversary video, which you can watch below:
Reflecting on the past 70 years of dedication, service, and expertise, NSA now looks ahead to build on those prior successes and uphold a legacy of excellence as the years go on.
The Future is Now: The Opening of the Morrison Center
“When you think of the future, think of the Morrison Center,” said GEN Nakasone.
NSA’s newest building—which serves a critical role as the new home of the National Security Operations Center (NSOC) and other core NSA functions—officially opened its doors in October 2022 with a ribbon cutting ceremony that signified the culmination of years of planning and the beginning of a new era for NSA.
The state-of-the-art, fully accessible facility is designed to meet the needs of the workforce while also leaving room for future technological advances.
In addition to its accessible design, the Morrison Center also serves as an example of NSA working toward greener environments that promote conservation and reduce environmental impact. The combined efforts specific to the Morrison Center helped the building earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
As the Morrison Center’s tenants continue to move in, they will benefit from the building’s collaborative design, technological interoperability, and sky bridges, for which the project team drew inspiration from connector bridges in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Perhaps the Morrison Center’s first occupants experienced the same awe as GEN Nakasone, which he described in his remarks during the building’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“When you come into the Morrison Center, it just takes your breath away.”