Case Study

September 11, 2001

The date stirs us to remember our colleagues that were lost in the attack on the Pentagon; it also brings to memory a time of great strength in unity. A large portion of the Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) G-3 staff, supported by COMPEX, was located in the destroyed section of the Pentagon. As the Information Support Service provider to the Army G-3, we were called upon to get our users up and running as soon as humanly possible.

This effort required coordination with other divisions of the Army, and other Information Management groups supporting HQDA. As the clients were relocated, we reorganized and relocated to meet their current needs. Our teams cooperated as one unit, and our employees crossed the boundaries of their disciplines to support our customer as well as each other in the most efficient ways possible.

We are particularly proud of our staff and the way the emergency was handled by all. Here are some particularly fine examples of “Grace under Pressure”:

• Network for the Army G-3 up and running within 48 hours of the tragedy.
• User Support Center – relocated (at 2 new sites) and operable within 24 hours.
• Technical staff acquired and/or moved equipment and completed installations (at times, installing 100 systems per day!).
• Maintenance team worked directly with IMCEN to prepare inventory and deliver equipment to staff of Army G-3.
• Software Engineering Department put their recently completed Disaster Recovery Procedures to the test and within 14 days were able to restore all files that were saved up to 9 a.m. on the day of the disaster.

The efforts of our staff were generously recognized by the Army G-3 and the Army G-3 Chief Information Officer. Many COMPEX employees were given the following citations:

• Army G-3 3-Star Recognition Coin
• Army G-3 Chief Information Officer Recognition Coin
• Meritorious Award for 9/11 Support
• Special Recognition Letter from the Army G-3