From: Cucolo, Anthony A MG OCPA Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2008 6:49 PM To: Steven Aftergood Cc: Huntley, Henry L COL OCPA Subject: Reimer Digital Library (UNCLASSIFIED) Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Caveats: NONE Mr. Aftergood: A too-brief e-mail just to let you know we are working on quick resolution to the Reimer Digital Library issue that was raised today in the Washington Post. Allow me until tomorrow (Friday) to get you a full explanation, but please know now that we fully intend to put the Reimer Digital Library back to where the public can access the unclassified documents. Again, I apologize for the brevity; but I thought it important to reach out to you this evening. Thank you for your patience and your interest. Sincerely, Tony Cucolo Major General, US Army Chief, Public Affairs Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Caveats: NONE
From: Negard, Michael COL MIL USA TRADOC Sent: Friday, February 22, 2008 3:00 PM To: Steven Aftergood Cc: Huntley, Henry L COL OCPA; Wright, George LTC OCPA; Akam, Bob COL MIL USA TRADOC Subject: RE: [Fwd: RE: Reimer Digital Library (UNCLASSIFIED)] Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Caveats: NONE Mr. Aftergood, Regarding MG Cucolo's email to you sent last night. Here is an update on our progress. Vr Mike We underestimated the impact of blocking public access to the Reimer Digital Library as the main purpose of the repository is to provide training and doctrine information to Army units and Army Soldiers. Our intent was to protect sensitive information, the server itself, and the network from attacks by outside sources, not to deny the public access to publicly releasable information. We absolutely respect and value our freedom of information and the American people's "right to know." While the Reimer library contains both unclassified information that was freely accessible, it also contains unclassified but sensitive information that was previously only password protected. On Feb. 6, 2008, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command's (TRADOC) Army Training Support Center (ATSC) at Ft. Eustis, Va., changed the configuration of the library web site to require use of a Common Access Card (CAC) to access the Reimer library. ATSC implemented these changes to comply with a Joint Task Force Global Network Operations Tasking Order released in December 2007. The purpose of that tasking order was to improve network security and reduce the risk of attacks on information and systems. TRADOC is currently working restore public access to unclassified and releasable information by accessing the Reimer Digital Library website home page. This was the former mode of access to the public digital library. We expect this to be completed within two weeks. This action will also allow Department of Defense CAC card holders to access both publically releasable information as well as unclassified sensitive information, as determined by the proponent school's disclosure offices. While we undertake this initiative, we ask the general public to consider that while our Soldiers battle the enemy in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world, there is also a war being waged in the information domain. It is not the American people our Soldiers serve who aim to do us harm with such information but those who threaten our Nation and our way of life with whom we battle daily in the information domain that stand to gain from access to unprotected and sensitive information. Therefore, it is our intent to address the problem immediately which will unfortunately limit access to the Reimer library until we can implement such necessary safeguards. The solution will be one that best meets the needs of our War Fighters as well as those of the American people. When completed, all releasable information will once again be accessible. While we work to rectify the problem, it's useful to know that much of the information in the Reimer library was, and remains, available from other sources such as the Army Publishing Directorate (APD) under the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army (AASA) at http://www.army.mil/usapa/. Michael J. Negard Colonel, General Staff Chief of Public Affairs US Army Training and Doctrine Command Victory Starts Here!