Were you allowed on base? What was your experience like and your perception of what was going on?
I had the opportunity to perform a bat survey at Sugar Grove, and a poor guard had to come out to keep an eye on us until 3am because we couldn't be left alone. We noted curious wooden gazebos positioned around a featureless meadow, hinting at significant manned infrastructure underground.
Unlike the Green Bank Observatory from the above article, Sugar Grove was piggybacked on the National Radio Quiet Zone so the NSA could intercept intercontinental telecom traffic as a part of the ECHELON network. The cover story was that it was a run-of-the-mill AT&T site, but was an open secret for all the Pendleton County WV locals that it was a spy site. The base was also home to the best restaurant in the whole county, which isn't saying much for a single-traffic-light county.
Yes; I was cleared to the level required (but not need to know) and the visit was approved by his (the base) CO. He was stationed there as a Crypto Tech, and though I couldn't see the really neat underground stuff I was mostly free above ground as long as I was chaperoned by him. He gave me quite the tour.
The gazebos are there due to the underground facilities, yes. There is likely a whole lot more than even you realized.
As for my impressions: I was a Security Manager for a more operational side of the Navy for years (later). I informed a lot of my edge case thinking with what I saw of how they handled things there. I don't know that I really want to go into more detail than that.
I had the opportunity to perform a bat survey at Sugar Grove, and a poor guard had to come out to keep an eye on us until 3am because we couldn't be left alone. We noted curious wooden gazebos positioned around a featureless meadow, hinting at significant manned infrastructure underground.
Unlike the Green Bank Observatory from the above article, Sugar Grove was piggybacked on the National Radio Quiet Zone so the NSA could intercept intercontinental telecom traffic as a part of the ECHELON network. The cover story was that it was a run-of-the-mill AT&T site, but was an open secret for all the Pendleton County WV locals that it was a spy site. The base was also home to the best restaurant in the whole county, which isn't saying much for a single-traffic-light county.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_Grove_Station
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON