THE TRAINING PROBLEMS OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP60-00594A000200020004-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 30, 2003
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: January 1, 1957
• Content Type: REGULATION

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THE TRAINING PROBLEMS OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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1. General Statement
a. Unlike the Armed Forces, the Central Intelligence Agency cannot
draw upon the product of institutions like the U.S. Military, Naval or Air
Academies for the trained manpower it needs to carry on its work.
b. On the contrary, it must select from among the graduates of U.S.
private academic institutions those individuals who have specialized in
various fields of study in the physical, natural and social sciences and
who possess unusually high motivation and potential to become effective
intelligence officers. Such individuals, however, bring to CIA only a
foundation upon which must be built, through formal and on-the-job train-
ing, the competence which is needed by the professional intelligence officer.
c. Such professional competence cannot be developed in private academic
institutions. It can only be developed in an environment which is surrounded
by appropriate security safeguards. While CIA makes maximum practicable
use of the training facilities of the Department of State, Defense and other
national security agencies, it must provide training facilities adequate to
prepare its recruits to carry out the unique tasks for which the Agency is
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2. The Scope of CIA's Training Effort
a. In general terms the Agency's training effort is devoted to five major
fields of knowledge and proficiency, namely:
(1) The ordinary and the unusual foreign languages and the physical,
cultural, economic and sociological environments of foreign peoples.
(2) The principles, strategy, tactics and apparatus of international
communism and the methods and techniques of combating it.
(3) The principles, methods and techniques of collecting and pro-
ducing intelligence by conventional and other means.
(4) The principles, methods and techniques of conducting intelli-
gence operations in the attainment of national security objectives.
(5) The administrative and managerial techniques which are peculiar
to intelligence activities and which must be practiced to ensure efficient
and secure control of people, money, things and time.
b. Specifically:
(1) Language and Area Training
(a) Most U.S. academic institutions fail to provide the average
undergraduate student with sufficient proficiency in foreign languages
to meet normal governmental requirements, qualitatively or quanti-
tatively, or the more exacting requirements of intelligence work.
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(b) While some universities offer cross-cultural area programs,
these are not always presented or pursued within the context of
U.S. national security problems in the area concerned. Nor do
such programs yield sufficient numbers of personnel to satisfy our
needs.
(2) International Communism
While this subject may be presented adequately in philosophy
and economic courses in our universities, it cannot be taught out-
side the Agency so as to develop the skills and techniques necessary
to combat it, strategically and tactically on the front lines, in the
interest of U. S. national security.
(3) Intelligence Collection and Production
While the principles of intelligence collection and production
are well-developed, the methods and techniques are subject to
change and improvement. The introduction of technical and scien-
tific measures of information gathering and handling of data requires
that training in these new fields be given to old hands as well as
new recruits.
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AS taCRET
(4) Intelligence Operations
These activities require the most subtle and sophisticated
skills and techniques on the part of our personnel. The nature
of the cold war is such that the National Security Council has
authorized the Agency to engage in a wide range of political,
economic and psychological activities in concert with the Depart-
ment of State and the Department of Defense to further the attain-
ment of national security objectives. Instruction in this field of our
work cannot be given by theoreticians. Such training must respond
to what we learn by doing in each undertaking. This field is subject
to constant change and requires a training effort at all levels, both
for Headquarters and for field personnel.
(5) Administration and Management
The nature of our activities is such that the recruitment, train-
ing, placement and provision of medical support to our personnel,
the management of our funds, the procurement of our material and
the administration of a wide field of disparate activities pose unique
administrative, management and support problems. Special methods
and techniques must be taught to our people consistent with the
security measures we must observe in the conduct of these activities.
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25X1
Mr. Baird:
to give
This is the paper PP/S has prepared
today, for DCI's
presentation to the Appropriations Comm.
e been given a 12 noon deadline.
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25X1
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