MEMORANDUM FOR: COLONEL WHITE FROM H. KNOCHE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R000700080002-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 3, 2006
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: May 10, 1966
• Content Type: MF

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LPL
10 MAY 1966
At your request I visited the John F. Kennedy
Center for Special Warfare at Fort Bragg on 4 and 5 May. The main
purpose of the visit was to determine whether it is useful both to the
Center and to the Agency to continue to post a full-time Agency liaison
officer there and to get a better idea of just exactly what this job
amounts to.
The Center an were extremely 25X1
hospitable and laid on elaborate arrangements to acquaint me with the
various programs of the Center. I had intensive meetings with General
Stilwell, the Commanding Officer, and all of the senior members of
his staff charged with running the Center's programs. All of the sessions
were free flowing, frank, full, and useful. 25x1
I also had private sessions wit
to go over in detail the nature of his work. My impressions follow:
a. There is merit in continuing to keep a
full-time liaison officer at the Center. For one thing, the em-
phasis given in the training and doctrine of the Special Forces
with regard to counterinsurgency, civic action, unconventional
warfare, etc., is very much akin to our own doctrine and pro-
grams in the PM and counterinsurgency fields. In my view, it
is essential that the Agency be in position to keep the Center's
programs and doctrine under constant review and watch to ensure
that the Center's programs and our own are in general accord.
This is a two-way street. As the Agency's doctrine, needs, and
programs are revised, there is a need to keep our liaison officer
informed so that the proper input can be made at the Special
Warfare Center. There is no doubt in my mind that the Center
will welcome all such advice or guidance.
b. The Special Forces missions, responsi-
bilities, and training are so similar to our own that I view the
Special Forces as presenting the Agency with potential opportunities
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for use in our own operations under our control. To count on
such use is no doubt difficult. For one thing, such use would
involve policy considerations of serious importance at the
Washington level. For another, there is precious little senti-
ment within the Agency for using military expertise of this kind.
The point is, however, that skilled manpower for counterinsur-
gency and paramilitary programs is in short supply, and it is
not in the Agency's interest to ignore the potential value of the
Special Forces for our own operations. I can conceive, for
example, of times and circumstances when Special Forces
units in mufti might be of crucial value to us. In any event, it
is in the Agency's interest to maintain a bridge between us, the
Army, and the Special Forces.
c. If the need for such a bridge is recognized
and agreed, it is in the Agency's interest to maintain full-time
liaison, for we must be sensitive to what we can do to be of help
in guiding the Special Forces and its programs to suit our pro-
grams and objectives. As General Stilwell told me, he believes
the Agency is doing well by the Center but in the final analysis
only the Agency knows what it has to offer and the Agency must
determine to what extent it will help.
d. Because of the importance of monitoring
the training programs at the Center, it is my view that the liaison
officer assigned there should be subordinate directly to the Direc-
tor or Deputy Director of Training. The liaison officer, however,
must be in position to communicate directly with any Agency com -
ponent. He need not funnel all of his correspondence through
the Office of Training, but OTR should be saddled with the ulti-
mate respon ibility of providing guidance, advice, and answers 25X1
to questions~the liaison officer.
.
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A word about terms of reference
and the DOD/CIA-agreed functions he is to perform. I went over
each one of these terms of reference wit and they add up
as follows (a copy of his functions is attac e
a. With regard to 3. a. concerning the
"delineation of the roles, missions, and responsibilities" of
CIA and the Special Forces, this is more fiction than fact. He
has so participated in one field training exercise, but clearly
any such delineation would be made at the Washington level
rather than at Fort Bragg or intermediate military echelons.
b. 3. b. is a bit of a misnomer. He is,
for the reasons stated above, not a channel for intelligence studies,
but he does respond by providing special studies if asked. This 25X1
is a frequent occurrence.
d. With regard to 3. d. and the provision
of assistance and su ort to the Center in training techniques
and doctrine, does a good deal in this field. I told
I thought he should spend more time on the rostrum
lecturing at least to the instructors, if not to the students, and
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that this is an ideal way to provide input o matters.
General Stilwell told me that he would like to do more
of this, and more will no doubt be done. The Agency mean-
while should do more to provide some of the key instructors of
the Center staff with the kind of s ecialized training that we can
give at This was done on two oc-
casions last year. It should be done more frequently, and
should ensure (and I have spoken to him about this)
that the Center instructors so trained should make use of this
by applying what they learn in some of the training courses
offered at the Center. 25X1
e. With regard to 3. e. and assistance
in the development of detailed unconventional warfare and special
operations plans in support of unified commands, specific opera-
tional cases have not arisen to date. does, however,
sit on the Center's planning committee which considers the de-
tails of plans in support of CINCLANT for field training exer-
cises. This same procedure would apply in the event of real-
situation planning.
f. 3. e. (2) provides for the "exchange of
operational information on a need-to-know basis. "
does not receive many questions on this. They are a rarity
and have come only once or twice and, on these occasions,
from General Stilwell himself.
g. With regard to 3. f. concerning mutual
assistance in the area of to istics, this is not a particularly
active account, butiis in position to be of assistance
if necessary.
a. Maintain the Agency's liaison at the
Center. To withdraw it would be completely misunderstood by
the Center, which prides itself on the Agency's representation
as well as representation from State, USIA, and AID.
b. Kee n this post but trans -
fer his direct subordination from the Executive Director to the
Director or Deputy Director of Training and make the Office
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of Training responsible for keeping abreast of the job and for
recommending a successor within the next year or so.
c. The Agency should take a new and
deep look at the capabilities of the Special Warfare Forces of
the U. S. military services with a view toward establishing
relationships that can count on the use of such forces as ap-
propriate.
If you agree with the first two recommendations,
I have attached a memorandum for your signature to be given to the
Office of Training with copies to other offices who need to know about
I subordination and OTR's responsibilities. I am frank to
say I am not at all certain as to how to proceed with the third recom-
mendation. A paper directive is hardly likely to get the ball rolling.
This requires some soul-searching and some discussions primarily
with DD/P and SOD.
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Copy sent to John Richardson, Director
of Training, on 10 June. The copy sent
to Mr. Richardson did not include sub-
paragraph e at bottomof page 2 and top of
page 3; also, on last page, the copy
to Mr. Richardson ended with ... for
keeping abreast of the job....
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