BENEFITS FOR CIA'S DIVORCED AND WIDOWED SPOUSES
Document Type:
Collection:
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):
CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
Release Decision:
RIPPUB
Original Classification:
K
Document Page Count:
16
Document Creation Date:
December 23, 2016
Document Release Date:
July 12, 2012
Sequence Number:
1
Case Number:
Publication Date:
February 1, 1992
Content Type:
MISC
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Body:
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3 0`
AFS"I Forum
embers of the Association of American. Foreign Service Women
as the name of the group implies, are women who have served abroad as
wives of US Government officials or as officials
themselves. In 1975 the AAFSW established the Forum. Composed of AAFSW
members, this group was given the assignment to study topics identified
as matters of concern for Foreign Service (FS) women.
---.-.A questionnaire was sent worldwide by the Forum Corimittee-to all
FS spouses. The information received on concerns relating to
families was compiled. The resulting report was delivered to the Secretary
of State in 1977. The report has formed the basis for a continuing dialogue
by FS wives and State Department officials. (Attachment It the Forum report)
imen in Transition
One area of study by the Forum concerned the problems of transition
as FS women passed from one phase of their lives to another--through
divorce or widowhood, or by the retirement of their officer husbands.
As the result of this study, a group called Women in Transition was
established, primarily to provide a peer support network for divorcees and
widows. Wives of retirees did not seem to feel the need for such a. group;
they could continue to rely on their husbands for emotional and financial
suonort. Women accompanying their husbands in retirement often left the
Washington area..
Widows and divorcees, on the other hand, had man" =~milar oroblems--
learning to manage their hofes alone i f they were fortunate enough to
reec `heir es?ao1ishi'nF credit i n t ei i o? ._ name, wn ,r:c as
.. .. e? ._, u. iniT
dical insurance, seeking emrloyment to au-ment t eir reduced income,
and coning on their own with their children. As single women they
found that they were excluded from many of the recreational and social
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
activities they had enjoyed while married. At the same time many of the
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
women found that their neighbors in suburbia were neither under-
:tanding nor sympathetic. Acquaintances who had always lived stateside
were ignorant of, and thus did not understand, the challenges that
the FS wives had faced daily while living abroad: disruptions in
schooling for children, exotic medical problems, the devastation of
culture shock, the difficulties of maintaining adequate hygiene and
nutrition in backward countries, the frequent loss of established
friendships, the turmoil of frequently moving homes and families to
new and sometimes frightening enviror:TRents.
The Transition Group provided a new assortment of acquaintances,
all of them supportive and understa.nding,.some who would become
loyal friends.
Foreign Service Act of 1980
While the Transition Group was organizing and holding its first
meetings, AAFSW members were conferring with Congressional staffs
responsible for drafting a revised Foreign Service Act. The AAFSW
reTresentatives asked that the new Act's rrovisicns include assistance
for divorced and widowed FS wives.
The AAFSW women argued that FS women needed and had earned financial
support in their old age. It was possible for a FS wife to spend most of
her adult life following her career officer husband around the world,
loyally supporting his assignments by maintaining a healthful and gracious
home, representative of the American way of life. Either upon direct
instruction of :'S Government officials (including her spouse, or through
her willingness to serve voluntarily, s -e ^er`'ormed a ,%ide variety of
official and unofficial duties, while continuing to tend to her family's
rvelfare. She had no -oOSSlbillt;y of earning her own livelihood, of
establishing a career and retirement benefits on her own.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
-3-
When divorcedla FS spouse found that all retirement and survivor
b-i.efits accrued to a new wife. The first wife and her children, at
Nest, were left to cope on minimal child sur-port and alimony that ceased
with the death of the career officer. A FS widow sometimes found that
without her knowledge, her husband had eliminated her as beneficiary from
survivor annuity forms. As a result, she was left shocked and hurt,
unprepared for employment, and without regular income in her old age.
(Statements by past and present AAFSW Presidents at Congressional
hearings for the Foreign Service Act of 1980,. attachment 2) (Statement
by Congresswoman Schroeder, Attachment 3)
When it was signed into law in February 1981, the Foreign Service Act
of 1980 established that retirement and survivor annuity benefits were
earned by FS wives and could be court awarded at the time of divorce.
FS wives could not be excluded from survivor and annuity benefits
..wittingly. (Attachment 4, State Department commuricaticn to retirees
concerning these benefits.)
CIA 'lives in Transition
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
STAT
3enefits for CIA ,Jives
Oesrite the fact that 'like their FS sisters they had served loyally
abroad, the CIA wives found that the benefits of the Foreign Service Act
of 1980 did not apply to them.
In an attempt to remedy this situation, a group of concerned CIA
wives--married, divorced, and widowed--encouraged a member of the
Transition Group who is herself a former CIA wife, to draft a letter
explaining the plight of former CIA dependent spouses. The letter
argued that CIA wives serving abroad did as much and sometimes more
than their FS peers to earn some form of retirement security. The
letter asked that benefits similar to those given to FS wives by the 1980
Act be provided to CIA dependent spouses who served abroad. (Attachment
5, copy of letter) 3ecause the Transition member is an employee of CIA
-rd because all former CIA wives in the Transition Group wished to
continue their cooperation with and support of the CIA mission, the letter
was sent through official CIA channels for security clearance. Upon
receipt of approval to distribute the letter without security classifica-
tion, copies of the letter were sent to each member of the Congressional
Select Committees on Intelligence in September 1981. Other copies were
sent to several Congressmen thought to be especially concerned for the
welfare of women.
Congressional response to this letter indicated that the Select
Committees had queried CIA for more information. (knswering ?et
:ere received from the :House Committee, written by e-oresentatives J.
Kenneth Robinson, 9ohert .'c0lory, and Edward F. 3oland as Committee
Thairm?_n; from the Senate, written by -enator Za_niel K. Inouye.'!1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
AAFSW President Patricia Ryan sent a letter supporting the CIA
query to each member of the two Select Committees. Senator David
Durenberger responded for the Senate. (Mrs. Ryan also had written early
in 1981 to CIA Director William Casey. His response stated that because
most CIA employees retired under Civil Service any benefits to wives
would be allocated when Civil Service regulations were so modified.)
Letters expressing concern and encouragement were received from
Congresswomen Patricia Schroeder of Colorado and Marjorie Holt of
Maryland, and Congressman Mike Barnes of Maryland. (The latter two
represent the Congressional Cistricts in which the CIA employee
lives.)
At the time that copies of the original letter were sent to the
Select Committees, informational copies were sent to former CIA
Director William E. Colby, to Mrs. George Bush, wife of another
former CIA Director and an AAFSW member, and to Mrs. Frank Carlucci,
wife of a former Deputy Director of CIA and also an AAFSW member.
To demonstrate his support, Mr. Colby volunteered his services
as legal advisor. Upon his suggestion, a packet of materials was
sent to CIA in December 1981. The packet contained 10 personal
histories written by CIA wives--divorced, widowed, and married--and
two letters drafted by Mr. Colby. The histories demonstrated the
types of service given to support the CIA mission by dependent wives
serving abroad. The two letters explained the nature of the wives'
request, the legal precedents, and the possibilities for action
under the CIA Retirement and Disability System (CIARDS). (Attachment
6, legal precedents prepared by Mr. Colby.) One letter was addressed to
the Chairmen of the two Congressional Select Committees on Intelligence;
the other to CIA Director William Casey. The letter to Mr. Casey
asked CIA to review the enclosed histories for possible security
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
classification and then to forward the packet--through secure channels,
f deemed necessary--to the Select Committees.
A response written on 1 February 1982 by John McMahon, Executive
Director of CIA, informed Mr. Colby that the personal histories were
to be handled as classified material and that the packet of histories
and Mr. Colby's cover letter to the Select Committees had been forwarded,
as requested.
In a letter written on 18 January 1982 Mrs. Bush expressed her
concern and indicated that she had written to CIA for additional
information.
In February Senator Inouye wrote to.say that CIA had informed him--
as it had written to Mrs. Ryan--that CIA follows the lead of Civil
Service in personnel practices since most CIA employees retire under
Civil Service and that benefits to wives could be assigned when Civil
Service regulations were apvrcpriately modified.
(Notes Legislation providing economic equity to displaced homemakers
has been proposed for the past several years by Congresswoman Schroeder,
anonP others. There appears to be iittnie r;rospect for passage of this
legislation at this Congressional session.
(An argument can be made that the establishment of a separate
retirement plan with higher benefits for officers serving at least five
years overseas indicates that service abroad has particular value to
the US Government, while demanding extra effort and dedication on the
part of officers serving overseas.)
The CIA women have received strong support from Patty
.ysr and Leslie Dorman of the AA= S'W; :'ariiyn -olmes, Director of the Family
iaison Office, :S State 2epartment; ar Edith 'ierst, attorney, for!"erly
with the Department of Labor as an expert in pensions and now in private
practice. Ms. Fierst served as counsellor to the AAFS'44 in its
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
- ~ -
successful effort to have the Foreign Service Act amended to
ienefit FS women.
For the Future
This group of concerned CIA wives believe that consideration should
be given by the Congressional Committees to providing benefits for CIA
wives already divorced or widowed. (FS spouses divorced or widowed
before the effective date of the 1980 Act are excluded from coverage.
Attachment 7, statements drafted on the exclusion decision.)
These women, like FS wives need unique help in providing a financial
base for their old age. They were unable to provide on their own for
their retirement years because of the years dedicated to serving the
US Government abroad--by supporting the assignments of the CIA officers
to whom they were married. Divorced and widowed spouses come late to
the job world. They find that they have too few years of employment and
too low job status and corresponding pay scale to earn their own
survival-level retirement. If the retirement benefits the
former dependent can earn on her own when she begins stateside
employment, however, can be added to a government annuity, the former
dependent can hope to end up with an adequate income, sufficient to
keep her in her own home. (Alimony generally is not given if the
court believes the woman can work, at any job level.)
CIA women believe that rights to the government annuity
should be vested, rather than left to court discretion. in a divorce court,
CIA spouses face multiple handicaps. Bound by secrecy requirements
they cannot explain their cases adequately. Like FS dependents they
find that their peers who might provide emotional support and guidance
are scattered throughout the world. Generally, these women who have
served abroad have little money of their own; their lawyers are well aware
that they cannot pay for intricate and lengthy legal maneuvering. Some
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
former CIA dependents have reported that lawyers and judges seemed
swayed by the reputation of the Government Agency employer--to the
l
snefit of the employees and the detriment of the divorcing wives.
Some provisions should be made to ensure that CIA wives are
represented fairly in court. At present, secrecy limits them--either
self-imposed through loyalty or established through official
instructions--in presenting their side of the story, of explaining
their roles an CIA wives abroad and thereby establishing themselves as
loyal and uniquely valuable servants of the-US Government.. Possible
methods include: official guidance by CIA to-individual wives-, a prepared.
CIA statement to be read at court hearings, and greater and more direct
accessibility to official government records pertaining to the wives'
years abroad. -
Financial assistance for costs of illnesses and other physical
infirmities caused or exacerbated by service abroad should be provided
to former dependents: wives and children.
Attachments
1. The Forum Report
2. Statements by past and present AAFSW Presidents
3. Statement by Congresswoman Schroeder
4. Benefits for spouses under the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as
explained in a State Department message to FS retirees
5. a. Copy of letter sent to Congressional Select Committees by a'
former CIA spouse
b. Outline of experiences in common by former CIA wives
6. a. Legal precedents for modifications to CIARDS
b. Extract from compilation of Intelligence Laws
7. Statements on exclusion of already divorced and widowed FS spouses
from coverage by Foreign Service Act of 1980
---February 1982
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
:caaciivj .16 %0.6 vi:s va,vc_ aaau .i.+v?.~u vVVU.7c.~
AFS^W Forum
"embers of the Association of American 7oreirgn Service -ifo:men (AAFS'.+) ,
as the name of the group implies, are women who have served abroad as
wives of US Government officials or as officials
themselves. In 1975 the AAFSW established the Forum. Composed of AAFSW
members, this group was given the assignment to study topics identified
as matters of concern for Foreign Service (FS) women.
A questionnaire was sent worldwide by the Forum Committee to all
FS spouses. The information received on concerns relating to
families was compiled. The resulting report was delivered to the Secretary
of State in 1977. The report has formed the basis for a continuing dialogue
by FS wives and State Department officials. (Attachment 1, the Forum report)
mien in Transition
Cne area of study by the Forum concerned the problems of transition
as FS women sassed from one phase of their lives to another--through
divorce or widowhood, or by the retirement of their officer husbands.
As the result of this study, a group called ",;omen in Transition was
established, primarily to provide a peer support network for divorcees and
widows. Wives of retirees did not seem to feel the need for such a. group;
they could continue to rely on their husbands for emotional and financial
surnort. `,/omen accompanying their husbands in retirement often left the
Washington area..
Widows and divorcees, on the other hand, had many similar rroblems--
learn_ing to manage their homes alone if they were fortunate enough to
:keen their homes, estahlishi- credit in their own name, curc^asini
dical insurance, seeking emrlo;f^1ent to aupnent their reduced income,
and coping on their own with their children. As single women they
found that they were excluded from many of the recreational and social
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
aettvittas thev had enioved while married. At the same time manv of the
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
women found that their neighbors in suburbia were neither under-
tanding nor sympathetic. Acquaintances who had always lived stateside
were ignorant of, and thus did not understand, the challenges that
the FS wives had faced daily while living abroad: disruptions in
schooling for children, exotic medical problems, the devastation of
culture shock, the difficulties of maintaining adequate hygiene and
nutrition in backward countries, the frequent loss of established
friendships, the turmoil of frequently moving homes and families to
new and sometimes frightening enviror:Tnent,.
The Transition Group provided a new assortment of acquaintances,
all of them supportive and understa.nding,.some who would become
loyal friends.
Foreign Service Act of 1980
While the Transition Group was organizing and holding its first
meetings, AAFSW members were conferring with Congressional staffs
responsible for drafting a revised Foreign Service Act. The AAFS,i
representatives asked that the new Act's provisicns include assistance
for divorced and widowed FS wives.
The AAFSW women argued that FS women needed and had earned financial
support in their old age. It was possible for a FS wife to spend most of
her adult life following her career officer husband around the world,
loyally supporting his assignments by maintaining a healthful and gracious
home, representative of the American way of life. Either upon direct
instruction of ;S Government officials (including her souse; or through
her willing ess to serve voluntari l y, s -.e -erforned a .': ide variety of
official and uroff.,cia.l duties, while continuing tc tend to her family's
welfare. She had no possibility of earning her own livelihood, of
establishing a career and retirement benefits on her own.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
-3-
When divorcedda FS spouse found that all retirement and survivor
'. refits accrued to a new wife. The first wife and her children, at
nest, were left to cope on minimal child support and alimony that ceased
with the death of the career officer. A FS widow sometimes found that
without her knowledge, her husband had eliminated her as beneficiary from
survivor annuity forms. As a result, she was left shocked and hurt,
unprepared for employment, and without regular income in her old age.
(Statements by past and present AAFSW Presidents at Congressional
hearings for the Foreign Service Act of 1980, attachment 2) (Statement
by Congresswoman Schroeder, Attachment 3)
When it was signed into law in February 1981, the Foreign Service Act
of 1980 established that retirement and survivor annuity benefits were
earned by FS wives and could be court awarded at the time of divorce.
FS wives could not be excluded from survivor and annuity benefits
?Inwittingly. (Attachment 4, State Department communication to retirees
concerning these benefits.)
CIA ''lives in Transition
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
STAT
lenefits for CIA '.lives
Cesrite the fact that like their FS sisters they had served loyally
abroad, the CIA wives found that the benefits of the Foreign Service Act
of 1980 did not apply to them.
In an attempt to remedy this situation, a group of concerned CIA
wives--married, divorced, and widowed--encouraged a member of the
Transition Group,,who is herself a former CIA wife, to draft a letter
explaining the plight of former CIA dependent spouses. The letter
argued that CIA wives serving abroad did as much and sometimes more
than their FS peers to earn some form of retirement security. The
letter asked that benefits similar to those given to FS wives by the 1980
it be provided to CIA dependent spouses who served abroad. (Attachment
5, copy of letter) 3ecause the Transition member is an employee of CIA
and because all former CIA wives in the Transition Group wished to
continue their cooperation with and support of the CIA mission, the letter
was sent through official CIA channels for security clearance. Upon
receipt of approval to distribute the letter without security classifica-
tion, copies of the letter were sent to each member of the Congressional
Select Committees on Intelligence in September 1981. Other copies were
sent to several Congressmen thought to be especially concerned for the
welfare of women.
Congressional response to this letter indicated that the Select
Committees had queried CIA for more information. (tinsweri ng let
.ere received from the :souse Committee, ;~rri-,ten by :~epreser.tatives j.
:den eth obinSOn, :gobert .'cClory and Edward F. ~olar.d as Committe
!-airman; from the Senate, writ-en by -cnetor Daniel K. Inouye.,
ti -
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
AAFSW President Patricia Ryan sent a letter supporting the CIA
query to each member of the two Select Committees. Senator David
Durenberger responded for the Senate. (Mrs. Ryan also had written early
in 1981 to CIA Director William Casey. His response stated that because
most CIA employees retired under Civil Service any benefits to wives
would be allocated when Civil Service regulations were so modified.)
Letters expressing concern and encouragement were received from
Congresswomen Patricia Schroeder of Colorado and Marjorie Holt of
Maryland, and Congressman Mike Barnes of Maryland. (The latter two
represent the Congressional Cistricts in which the CIA employee
lives.)
At the time that copies of the original letter were sent to the
Select Committees, informational copies were sent to former CIA
Director William E. Colby, to Mrs. George Bush, wife of another
former CIA Director and an AAFSW member, and to Mrs. Frank Carlucci,
wife of a former Deputy Director of CIA and also an AAFSW member.
To demonstrate his support, Mr. Colby volunteered his services
as legal advisor. Upon his suggestion, a packet of materials was
-sent to CIA in December 1981. The packet contained 10 personal
histories written by CIA wives--divorced, widowed, and married--and
two letters drafted by Mr. Colby. The histories demonstrated the
types of service given to support the CIA mission by dependent wives
serving abroad. The two letters explained the nature of the wives'
request, the legal precedents, and the possibilities for action
under the CIA Retirement and Disability System (CIARDS). (Attachment
legal precedents prepared by Mr. Colby.) One letter was addressed to
the Chairmen of the two Congressional Select Committees on Intelligence;
the other to CIA Director William Casey. The letter to Mr. Casey
asked CIA to review the enclosed histories for possible security
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
6 -
classification and then to forward the packet--through secure channels,
f deemed necessary--to the Select Committees.
A response written on 1 February 1982 by John McMahon, Executive
Director of CIA, informed Mr. Colby that the personal histories were
to be handled as classified material and that the packet of histories
and Mr. Colby's cover letter to the Select Committees had been forwarded,
as requested.
In a letter written on 18 January 1982 Mrs. Bush expressed her
concern and indicated that she had written to CIA for additional
information.
In February Senator Inouye wrote to.say that CIA had informed him--
as it had written to Mrs. Ryan--that CIA follows the lead of Civil
Service in personnel practices since most CIA employees retire under
Civil Service and that benefits to wives could be assigned when Civil
Service regulations were apprcpriately modified.
('Vote: Lea-islation providing economic equity to displaced homemakers
has been proposed for the past several years by Congresswoman Schroeder,
anon others. There appears to be little rrospect for passage of this
legislation at this Congressional session.
(An argument can be made that the establishment of a separate
retirement plan with higher benefits for officers serving at least five
years overseas indicates that service abroad has particular value to
the US Government, while demanding extra effort and dedication on the
part of officers serving overseas.)
The CIA women have received strong support from Patty
?ya ^ and Leslie Dorman of the AAFS', ; "ariiyn =olmes, Dir. ector of the Family
Liaison Office, T.;S State _'epart :ent; and Ed-L"^ Fierst, at orn_ey, for^:erly
with the Department of Labor as an expert in pensions and now in private
practice. ^"s. Fierst served as counsellor to the AAFSW in its
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
successful effort to have the Foreign Service Act amended to
jenefit FS women.
For the Future
This group of concerned CIA wives believe that consideration should
be given by the Congressional Committees to providing benefits for CIA
wives already divorced or widowed. (FS spouses divorced or widowed
before the effective date of the 1980 Act are excluded from coverage.
Attachment 7, statements drafted on the exclusion decision.)
These women, like FS wives need unique help in providing a financial
base for their old age. They were unable to provide on their own for
their retirement years because of the years dedicated to serving the
US Government abroad--by supporting the assignments of the CIA officers
to whom they were married. Divorced and widowed spouses come late to
the job world. They find that they have too few years of employment and
too low job status and corresponding pay scale to earn their own
survival-level retirement. If the retirement benefits the
former dependent can earn on her own when she begins stateside
employment, however, can be added to a government annuity, the former
dependent can hope to end up with an adequate income, sufficient to
keep her in her own home. (Alimony generally is not given if the
court believes the woman can work, at any job level.)
CIA women believe that rights to the government annuity
should be vested, rather than left to court discretion. In a divorce court,
CIA spouses face multiple handicaps. Bound by secrecy requirements
they cannot explain their cases adequately. Like FS dependents they
find that their peers who might provide emotional support and guidance
are scattered throughout the world. Generally, these women who have
served abroad have little money of their own; their lawyers are well aware
that they cannot pay for intricate and lengthy legal maneuvering. Some
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3
Ia rs and 4ud es seemed
e
w
d that
h w
g
y
e
former CIA dependents "VW repor ..
swayed by the reputation of the Government Agency employer--to the
:nefit of the employees and the detriment of the divorcing wives.
Some provisions should be made to ensure that CIA wives are
represented fairly in court. At present, secrecy limits them--either
self-imposed through loyalty or established through official
instructions--in presenting their side of the story, of explaining
their roles as CIA wives abroad and thereby establishing themselves as
loyal.and uniquely valuable servants of the US Government. Possible
methods include: official guidance by CIA to individual wives, a prepared
CIA statement to be read at court hearings, and greater and more direct
accessibility to official government records pertaining to the wives'
years abroad.
Financial assistance for costs of illnesses and other physical
4nfirmities caused or exacerbated by service abroad should be provided
to former dependents; wives and children.
Attachments
The Forum Report
2. Statements by past and present AAFSW Presidents
3. Statement by Congresswoman Schroeder
4. Benefits for spouses under the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as
explained in a State Department message to FS retirees
5. a. Copy of letter sent to Congressional Select Committees by a
former CIA spouse
b. Outline of experiences in common by former CIA wives
6. a. Legal precedents for modifications to CIARDS
b. Extract from compilation of Intelligence Laws
7. Statements on exclusion of already divorced and widowed FS spouses
from coverage by Foreign Service Act of 1980
-February 1982
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/17: CIA-RDP10-00750R000101140001-3