CIA LONGEVITY AWARDS: 'PREDECESSORS' OF CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01826R000500030013-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 5, 2000
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: October 3, 1952
• Content Type: MEMO

C= 0 T' V Well?
Security Information
Approved For Release 20Gf1 M6R000500030013-4
3 October 1952
Chai?man, Career Service Board
Assistant Director for Operations
CIA Longevity Awards: "Predecessors" of CIA
Reference: as Memorandum from Executive Secretary,, CIA Career Service
Board,, to Assistant Director for Operations, dated
22 September 1952, Subject: Predecessors of CIA
be Memorandum for the Record from General Counsel, dated
1.1 September 19529 Subject: Creditable Service for the
Purpose of Making CIA Longevity Awards .
STATSPE
to The Ca eer Service Board is respectfully requested to re-
consider the policy approved at its meeting on 26 August 1952
(quoted in Reference a.) and restated by the General Counsel
(Reference bo) that "s s o service with CIA for the purpose of
raking longevity awards be interpreted as includin - aggregate
service with the COI, O3S9 SSU, CIG and CIA and that no other
service be creditable o a"
20 This request s_s based on our belief that the longevity
awards program, by giving public recognition to "long and faithful
service" is intended to build morale and increase the esprit de corps
of Agency personnels We believe that, as presently interpreted, the
program will- discriminate against certain agency employees who have
served for ten years or longer in the same unit (even in the same job).,
but who are regarded as ineligible for an award because their unit was
either under the administrative control of a non."predecessor" Govern-
ment department for a temporary period or was transferred as a unit
from such a department after the formation of the Central Intelligence
Groups We feel that the morale of numerous employees in these two
categories will be affected adversely by the establishment of the
program as planned o
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4. We believe that }}A No. 5 and other related papers and dirocti.'e
maEr be interpreted as indicating that SSU was the "predecessor" organic,
nation for those components of CIG concerned with covert intelligence
activities abroad, but for those covert components of the Agency only.
We do not believe that there is evidence to substantiate the position
that SSU was the "direct lineal ancestor" (and the only such 3rnediate
ancestor) of all of GIG. Certain segments of the present overt components
of the Agency might also make a fairly strong case for the legitimacy of
their ancestors.
5? In view of the provisions of Section 102, paragraph f(2), of.ae
National Security Act of 1947, transferring the personnel, property and
records of the Central Intelligence Group to the Gentzal Intc11.igo ce
Agency, the former is clearly the legal predecessor of the latter. No
such provisions for the transfer of an existent Intelligence it of the
Goverment are included In the Presidential letter of 22 January 1Sl36,
establishing the National Intelligence Authority and forming a Central
Intelligence Group under the direction of a Director of Central Intelt,.
genre. We submit that the NIA, the position of 1*I, and the CIG were
established "de novo". The powers, authorities, functions and position
in the structure of the Federal Goverment were entirely different fvm
those hold at an earlier date by the Coordinator of Information, or, the
Director of the Office of Strategic Serviceso
6. We also feel that the official acceptance of certain units as
"predecessor" organizations of CIG, and the rejection of other units,
similarly and even simultaneously transferred to CIG from the State,
War, or Navy Departments would lead to administrative complications and
hard feeling. Personnel of this Office with long service
In the joint Arm-Navy Washington Documents Center (formed in 1915 from
OP-32F1L7. Section of ONI and the Pacific Mlitary Intelligence Research.
Section of G-2 and transferred to CIG as a unit on 1 December 19116)
would fall into the Ineligible category. Under tie policy enunciated
by the General Counsel, long term personnel of the Geographic: Division
of ORR would receive credit for that portion of their tenure served
while the Division was a part of OSS would lose approximately 18 months'
credit for the period of tats Depar ent administration of Ke Division,
and would resume "creditable service" from the date on which the D3vfsRLon
was transferred to CIA. Long-term OSS/SSU personnel, on the other hand,
would receive credit for the similar period of War Depar - nt admL istr.?a-
tion of SSU. Other examples of possible discrimination ureter this policy
could be given.
FIDE T L
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7o This memorandum is not submitted to the Career Service Board
fay the purpose of pleading the case of - FDD, Geographic Division STATSPEC
ORR, covert elements stepping from the FBI, or any other segment of
CIA. We do wish to point out, however, that if ten-year service for
the purpose of longevity awards is computed only on the basis of
service with CI n, .CIG, SSU, OSS and COI, it may well cause a morale STATSPEC
problem among those who have served in ~ and its predecessors for
ten years or more. Further, if ten-year service with e and pre- STATS P E C
decessors were recognized, the same morale problem would arise in
other segments of the Agency having; comparable preoCIG backgrounds.
80 We feel that a longevity award for ten-rear service is an
excellent morale builder but we feel that it would be a mistake if
the increase in morale of one individual resulted in the concurrent
decrease in morale of an equal or greater number of others. We
strorgly recommend that for the purpose of longevity awards, CIG
should be recognized as the only legitimate ancestor of CIA and that
no service prior to the formation of CIG should be included.
/s/
GEORGE Gc, CAREY
25X1A
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