'POOR' CIA SPIES RECEIVE FEW EXTRA BENEFITS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP71B00364R000500210007-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 2, 2002
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: June 5, 1966
• Content Type: NSPR

. LOS J'1IGEELES TIMES
Approved For Release 2002f,D1Jne Ol "DP71 B00364R000500210007-3
THINGS LOOK BLACK FOR AGING U.S. AGENTS
Flew Ext GJ i
O;s' COL. CIIA SD, L e .~ Receve'
BY TED SELL That means that a lot of liberal ostensibly work for. That
Times Staff Writer Civil Service provisions ought to ap- means that in those posts
U.S. spy. He has the kind of prob- ? For most CIA employes, they do. "hardslip"-
the same home.
But for,others-ptobablY about 10% they get lems that the normal government leave and vacation gene
employe does not have. of the overseas CIA people-they For instance, he doesn't have the don't. I fits as the foreign service
' officers of the State' De-
same retirement options. He doesn"t That's because the smaller percen-
have the same liberal leave and oth- ' tage of government employes can't partment assigned to the
be identified as such, post.
er fringe benefits. The CIA reimburses the
Now the Central Tntelligenco: These are the real spies
Agency is trying. to bring about They aren't likely., to carry on,/ "cover" agency.
some equity, at least in some cases. James Bond affairs. 'They're more, But the poor spy in the
The CIA has been able to recruit, .,,likely to be specialists in a small firm same country who has no
according to knowledgeable source's,' or foundation, Chances are, they'll official cover labors in the
such highly motivated young.people. be about 30 to 40 years old. They'll espionage .vineyard with
that retirement - or leave - provi- `probably have masters' degrees. no such benefits.
sions are the farthest things from'.. And' while the work for the Take Southeast Asia.
their. minds b g o v e r n m e n t, they'll see other :, Realizing the extremi-
But for the aging g s things turn., government employes trotting off :ties of climate and the re-
a little blackerb pY- ? from "hardship os " for paid vaca- suiting hardships on fami-
'. One of the problems ' is that the, tions at nearby spas. ly life, most government
Central, Intelligence Agency, is a There's not only an inequity with- agencies periodically fi-
r? nance a trip to Baguio-up
government employer. >n the government, CIA officials feel,
There's even an inequity within the in the mountains of Luzon
intog line with other government assignments. .
CIA. . ill ill{: .1 111111JF./1111:J - UL
Adm. William F. Raboin is now ' some other such spot eve-
trying to correct it. He has asked ry two years, or once in
Congress for legislation to bring CIA three years for extended
agencies. But not the CIA-unless
CIA employes who are assignee the CIA man is listed on
? the books as an embassy
"official cover" abroad-as embassy o
ants to ambassadors, or Treasury If the CIA man is posing
representatives - enjoy the same as an anthropologist forari"
".fringe benefits' as the agency they obscure foundation, or a
free-lance, writer, or a
sales representative for a
new firm-he . sweats. -it
? out, picking grapes' in the
vineyard. %
This, to CIA-, manage-
ment, is unfair, ,
But government service
being what it is, the agen-
cy needs legislation to cor-
rect the inequity.
The request is In now.
In brief, it asks that the
CIA be given authority to
pay for leave for its em-
ployes on the same basis
that the State Department
possesses-and from the
same posts that the State
Department recognizes as
hardship assignments.
Earlier, in 1963, CIA
was able to bring special
recognition in retirement
benefits for Its overseas
operatives ? and stateside
Approved For Release 2002/01/22 : CIA-RDP71 B003135 021000i-3
 Approved For Release 2002/01/22 : CIA-RDP71B00364R000500210007-3
5 June 1966
THINGS BLACK FOR AGING AGENTS
'?Poor' CIA Spies Receive Few fExtra Benefits
BY TED SELL
Times Staff, Writer
WASHINGTON. - Pity the poor
U.S. spy. He` has the kind.of prob-
lems That the normal government
employe does not have.
Fob i}~stance, he doesn't have the
same retirement options, He doesn"t
have the same liberal leave and oth-
er fringe benefits.
Now the Central' Intelligence
Agency is trying to bring about
some equity, at least in some cases.
The CIA has been able to recruit
highly motivated young people to
whom retirement, or leave provisions
are unimportant.
But for the aging spy-things turn
a little blacker.
0np of, the problems is that the
Central Intelligence Agency is a
governrtient employer.
That means that_ a lot of liberal
Civil Service provisions ought to ap-
ply.
.
For most CIA employes, they do.
But. for others-probably about 10%
of the, ,overseas CIA people-they
don't,
That's because the smali&r percen-
tage Of government employes can't
be identified As such.
These are the real spies.
They aren't likely to carry on
James Bond affairs. Thefre more
likely to be specialists in a small firm
or foundation. Chances are, they'll
be qut 30 to 40 years old. They'll
prbiably have masters' degrees.
And while they work for the
government, they'll see other
government employes . trotting off
from "hardship posts" for paid vaca-
tions at nearby spas.
There's not only an inequity with
in the government, CIA officials feel.
There's even an inequity within the
CIA.
Adm. William F. Raborn, the
agency's director, is now trying to
correct it. He has asked Cgngress
for legislation to bring CIA into line
with other government agencies.
CIA employes who are assigned
"official cover" abroad-as embassy
second ecretaries, or special assist-
ant . Q ambpssadors, or Treasury
fringe benefits as the agency they
Approved For Re
ostensibly work for. That
means that in those, posts
officially de gnated as
"hardship" assignments,
they get the same home
leave- and vacation bene-
fits as'the foreign service
,,officers of the State De-
`p'artmeht assigned to the
post.
.The CIA reimburses the
"cover' agency.
But the poor spy in the
same country who has no
official cover-labors in the
espionage vineyard with
no such benefits.
Take Southeast Asia.
Realizing the extremi
ties of climate and the re-
sulting hardships on fami-
ly life, most government
ager..-Q.ies periodically fi-
nance a trip to Baguio-up
in the mountains of Luzon
In the Philippines - or
some other. such spot eve-
ry two years, or once in
three years for extended
assignments.
But not the CIA-unless
the CIA man is listed on
the books as an embassy
employe. -
If the CIA man is posing
as an anthropologist for an
obscure foundation, or a
free-lance writer, or a
sales representative for a
new firm-he sweats it
out, picking grapes in the
vineyard.
This, to CIA manage-
ment, is unfair.
But government service
being what it is, the agen-
cy needs legislation to cor-
rect the inequity.
The request is in' now.
In brief, it asks that the
CIA be given authority to
pay for leave for its em-
ployes on' the same basis
that the State Department
possesses-and from the
same posts that the State
Department recognizes as
hardship assignments.
lease 2002/01/27 CFA RDP71B0036
Earlier, In 1963, CIA
was able to bring special
recognition in retirement
benefits for its overseas
operatives and stateside
specialists.
What it permitted, in
brief, was for CIA to offer
early retirement to specia-
lists it once had to have,
but no longer needs.
Hence, the legislation
then recognized the pecu-
liar needs of an intel-
ligence agency and the
self-serving - if ever an
agency which serves the
nation can be described as
self-serving-nature of in-
telligence employment.
CIA has never been able
to pay American spies
much. Its salary scales are
about like those of other
government agencies.
Instead, it appeals to a
desire for national service.
It washes out those who
have other motives. .
And the CIA has a vora-
cious appetite for people
with special skills-some-
times esoteric skills.
In fairness the agency
has felt it has to provide
some benefits for the
people it has used.-people
who are bound to secrecy
about their Past employ-
ment and who may have
passed beyond the age of
easy reemployment in ci-
vilian industry.
But designation of
which employes can re-
ceive this early retirement
is up to the director of Cen-
tral Intelligence and the
number is limited-again,
for budgetary reasons.
Thanks to a large CIA
expansion in the Korean
war era-and the fact that
most men then signed. up
were veterans whose mili-
tary service counts toward
government retirement-
the number of people mov-
txenentcaivi
lien reemployment age is
now 'a problem.