Cool name story.
Had family that went to UW, so I asked.
I went to the NSA at Ft. George Mead, MD, just outside DC, to install a ‘system’ we sold them back in the mid 90’s.
I had to be escorted at all times by a NSA person, even while in the restroom.
To get to the place where the equipment was I had to go thru several doors, all cipher locked, and down a maze of hallways. Just like the opening scenario of the old ‘Get Smart’ TV show, except there was no phone booth.
When I went thru this one room, before I was allowed in, my escort had to go in and flip a switch that turned on a red flashing light like is on a fire truck, and yell, “RED BADGER IN THE AREA! RED BADGER IN THE AREA! RED BADGER IN THE AREA!” three times!
I wore a visitors ‘RED BADGE’ on a chain around my neck to indicate that I was not NSA personnel.
The room was full of people in cubicles and they had to turn off their computer monitors or cover them in newspapers so I could not see anything as I passed by.
This scenario was repeated each time I passed thru that room, going both ways, to get tools, equipment, restroom breaks, etc.
I was into CB radio at the time, and had been since the late 60’s when I was a kid, so I adopted the name ‘RED BADGER’ as a handle from that point on..........................