REF ID:A72701 

LOOK MAGAZINE 

March 11, 1952 

You Have to r:tusfie 

To Keep Up with AFSA 

A few weeks ago, m one of these timeless essays, I ment10ned the Armed Forces 

Security Agency, a densely mysterious 

operat10n m the super spy !me That was 

when the AFSA was gettmg ready to shift 

its headquarters from a roomy mans10n 

JUSt outside of Washmgton to the golden 

fields of Fort Knox, Ky Nobody SPemcd 

to know who ordered the shift, or why, 

but one result of the order was that a 

large covey of AFSA experts qmt, with 

such churlish remarks ~s, "Who wants to 

live m Fort Knox, Ky?" 

Some Raising Letters 

I got qmte a few letters ra1smg, you 

might say, hell with me for bhghtmg the 

national security, m some way, by men 

t10n111g this unlovely contretemps 

Now the Defense Department has pop 

ped out a press release saymg AFSA isn't 

gomg to Fort Kno' after all, but to Fort 

Meade, a 5hort taxi l!de from here In the 

words of the Department hand out "This 

change m locat10n has been authonzed 

because of a change 111 operat10nal 1e 

qmrements, the cnt1cal hous111g s1tuat10n 

m the Fort Knox, Ky, area, and the hkehhood of a short local labor market due to 

mdustnal expans10n 111 that general area " 

The defense rests 

@'pp roved for Release by NSA on 12-15-2014 pursuantto E .0. 1352a 
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REF ID:A72701 

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REF ID:A72701 

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.... - REF ID:A72701 

e DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

ARMED FORGES Sl!:CURITY AGENCY 

Washington 25, D. c. 

~SA SPECIAL BULLETIN 

NEW SITE FOR AID.ED FORCES SECURITY AGENCY 

GENERAL 

23 September 1952 

The new site for the Armed i"orc-=is Security Agency is located at Fort 

Meade, Maryland, twenty-five (25) miles from the center of Vlashington, 

D. c., eighteen (18) miles from Baltimore,, and twenty (20) miles from 

Annapolis. The AFSA site is located on the western eege of the Fort Meade 

reservation near the new Baltl.lllore-WashJ.ngton turnpike. The area al.located 

to AFSA contains a.pproxima~ely 950 acres in a wooded and somewhat marshy 

area. After our construction has p:-ogressed,, the low area will be filled 

in and a ma.xi.num of foliage ret.ainea~ The area is c0J11paratively isolated 

from other buiJ t-up areas of Fort Meade, and will be ar.l."anged for the convenience of AFSA employees. 

FORT :MEADE 

Fort Meade is the headquarters of the Second Anny, commanded by Lt. 

General Edward H. Brooks. The actual adm.J.nistration of' Fort .Meade is 

delegated to the Post Commander. In addition to Headquarters, Second 

Anny~ there are se1eral other small units stationed at Fort Meade, some 

engagsd in direct support of Second Army, and others stationed there 

because of availability of troop housing. The old post of Fort Meade was 

designed for an abbreviated peace-time inf an try or annored regiment. During World War II the post was expanded with temporary construction for use 

as a replacement depot for preparation of troops for shipment overseas. 

ACCESS ROADS 

It is anticipated that by the time a substantial port~on of Jl'SA 

moves to Fo::-t Meade the Baltimore-Washington tumpike will be open to 

traffic and other feeder roads wll.l be extended and improved. 

SCOPE.a TIMING, AND STAGING OF MOVE 

It is planned that all of the Agency will move to Fort Meade. Under 

preseqt plans no Agency activity will remain at Nebraska Avenue or Arlington Hall Station. Plans nolf under consideration indicate that some echelon 

of the Agency may move to Fo~ Meade within 15 months. The present thinking is that all or part of the new barracks will be used to house some 

portion of our operation. It may be necessary to occupy a few available 

temporary facilities at Fort Meade in order to house troops or to make 

possible an integrated move of one activity. Estimates indicate that the 

main building will be ready for occupancy 'about l July 1955. Circumstances 
REF ID:A72701 

.\FSA SPECIAL BULLETIN 

• 

23 .'.:i~ptember 1952 ' 

may pernit the -completion of the ma.in building before this time. 

Af'SA CONSTHUCTlON AT FORT MEAl'E 

The main building which will house all of AF6A operating agPncies 

is a U-shaped building, measuring about 1000 feel; in length, with each 

wing about 600 feet in depth. It wi.11 be 1 three-story building, pJ w, 

bas""nent, completely modern. Construction will be of concrete nnd Lhe 

buildin& will include many dPsi.rable conmunica.tion and traffic f dCJ.l1ties 

and working conveniences. The entire building will be air-conditioned and 

all facilities in the area will be heated from a separate centr.U heating 

plant. Post utilities will be extended and expanded to take care of additional load. There will be 31 500-man barracks, each 500-man bana<'k~ 

divided into two 250-man WJllBS• The main building only will be fenced and 

the perimeter fencing will provide personnel traffic circulation through 

five gate houses. Parking will be provided for 5000 automobiles. 

AVAILABILITY OF FPJIILY HOUSING 

Fort Meade contains a considerable number~of family housing units of 

various types. This housing is inadequate to answer the needs of personnel, 

now stationed at Fort Meade and has been augmented by one group of about 

4CXJ houses constructed by private enterprise under the provision of the 

Wherry Bill and a second group of 4CXJ houses ready for construction. (The 

subject of Wherry housing is discussed later in this paper.) Neither officers 

nor ~nlisted men can expect assignment of any government housing at Fort 

Meade. The Wherry housing now availablP and under construction at Fort Meade 

has been justified by the Departlllent of the Ar.my as a permanent requ1.rem.ent 

for the Department of Army personnel stationed at Fort Meade. Therefore, 

it must be asswned that AFSA personnel cannot expect to obtaJ.n any of thl.S 

housing, but that we will request initiation of an additional proJect. There 

is a ll.Jlll.ted amount of rentals available in Laurel and other neighboring 

corrununities. Some of these may become available upon completion of the second 

block of Wherry housing at Fort Meade wt the amount of these rentals is 

definitely limited. Undoubtedly, private enterprise will continue to build 

housing of various types in the vicinity of Fort Meade, both for rent and for 

sale. ,AFSA personnel, both military and civilian, will be queried in the near 

future as to housing requirements. 

FACILITH~S AVAILABLE AT FORT l'.EADE 

The service, supply, and recreational facilities available at Fort Meade, 

include a c~nmissary, post exchance, bank, officer and enlisted men's clubs, 

theater, service stations, etc., which will be available to .IIll.litary pE>rsonnel 

in ~ccordance with the existing anny and post regulations. The main buildl.ng 

will include a well-equipped cafeteria and ~everal snack bars. An auditorium 

to accommodate 5CXJ people is also included in the building as now planned. 

Ample parking will be available and the gate hou~es will be designed to permit 

circulation without any appreciable delay. Every effort will be made to permit 

participation by AFSA personnel in many Fort lr.eade activities. 

2 

... 
• REF ID:A72701 

AFSA SPECIAL BULLETIN 23 September 1952 

WHERRY HOUSING 

There has been an apparent llll.Sunderstanding within the Agency as 

to the implications or administration of housing built under the provisions of the Wherry Bill. Some believe that the location of Vlherry 

housing within a military reservation l.Dlplies military control within 

the housing area. This is definitely not the case. Actually,, from a 

standpoint of control,, there is no cil.fference between Wherry housing 

built on a .nu.litary reservation or off a military reservation. In the 

case of Wherry housing built on the military reservation the land is 

leased to the private enterprise at a nominal yearly sum fer an extended 

nwnbe r of years. In both cases, the government furnishes utilities, it' 

available, on a reimbursable basis. It is of obvious advantaee to the 

builder to use government land rather than buy expensive land adjacent 

to a government reservation. Again, it should be emphasized that Wherry 

housing is built on land owned or leased by the builder, that the housing 

contained thereon is the property of private enterprise, and that no government agency exercises any control over the administration of this housing 

except to control rentals and advise in the allocation of this housing. 

From a rental viewpoint, Wherry housing has distinct advantages. First, 

it is first-class housing,, built in accordance with specifications approved 

by the Federal Housing Administration and the Chief of Engineers; second, 

the costs of expensive land have been ellllll.nated with a consequent decrease 

in rentals; third, occupants have local Anny backing in the enforcement of 

rent controls and in the assurance of fair practices in the allocation of 

housing; fourth, Wherry housing projects are located on or adJacent to government reservations, providing easy access to places-of-duty. AFSA personnel 

who are not home owners or who do not plan to build or buy in the vicinity 

of the new site should give consideration to a requirement for the construction • 

of this type of housing for their use. 

I 

BACHELOR OFFICERS POLICY REFERENCE TO BOQS 

Bachelor officers will be faced with an entirely different situation 

as regards housing at Fort .Meade. Fort !J.ieade will have a limited number of 

permanent-type BOQS and many hundreds of mobilization-type BOQs. The Post 

Commander at Fort Meade will provide all billets for bachelor officer personnel and the Director,, AFSA, will delegate to him the authority to make 

assignment in accordance with pertinent regulations. Regulations governing 

the a~signment of BOQs and the payment of rental allowances to bachelor 

officers prohibits any bachelor officer to live off the Post and draw rental 

allowance when any adequate bachelor officers quarters are available on the 

Post. •rhis, in eifect, means that all bachelor officers assigned to AFSA 

will live on the Post at Fort }1eade. This 1 tern is inserted in order that 

all concerned may realize that some change of living conditions will take 

place after our move to Fort Meade. 
REF ID:A72701 

• , ..... 

Af'SA SPECIAL .,BULLETIN 23 September 1952 r 

TRANSPORTATION 

Bus transportation will serve the area from all directions, Bua 

traneportat1on will be provided to facilitate business with Fort Meade 

agencies • Fort Meade is easily accessible by rail from Washington and 

Balt1J'llore. 

FOR THE DIRECTOR• 

DISTRIBUTION: 

All Civilian Personnel 

LL 

Colonel AGC 

Adjutant General