ADDRESS BY ADMIRAL STANSFIELD TURNER DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCVE ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000300070004-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 28, 2007
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: September 19, 1977
• Content Type: REPORT

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ADDRESS BY ADMIRAL STANSFIELD TURNER
DIRECTOR-OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
ANNUAL'AWARDS CEREMONY
19 SEPTEMBER 1977
IN HONOR OF THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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THIS IS INDEED AN EXCITING DAY FOR ALL OF US WITH
90 PEOPLE IN THE AGENCY WHO HAVE BEEN HERE 100% OF THE
AGENCY'S LIFE, WE HAVE A. GREAT DEAL TO BE THANKFUL FOR,
FOR THAT KIND OF DEDICATION AND LOYALTY AND OF COURSE
THERE ARE MANY MORE WITH PERCENTAGES THAT RANGE SOMEWHERE
BETWEEN THAT 100 AND MY 1.7%. BUT I'LL TELL YOU IN GREAT
SINCERITY AS THE NEWCOMER ON THE STREET I CERTAINLY HAVE
A LOT OF RESPECT AND A LOT OF: GRATITUDE FOR THOSE OF YOU
WHO HAVE BEEN HERE WITH THE AGENCY A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF
ITS LIFE. AND I THINK THE COUNTRY SHOULD REMEMBER THE
DEBT THAT IT:OWES TO THOSE WHO HAVE TRAIL BLAZED THE WAY
FOR THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY OVER THESE MANY YEARS.
AND LET ME SAY THAT WHAT THEY HAVE DONE FOR ALL THE REST
OF US, WE NEWCOMERS WITH ONLY 1.7% OF OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN
THIS FINE AGENCY, IS THEY HAVE ESTABLISHED A REPUTATION AND
A RECORD FOR QUALITY. AND I THINK THAT THE COUNTRY RECOGNIZES
.THAT. AND THE FACT, FOR INSTANCE, THAT THIS MORNING WE WERE
ABLE TO . GO ON NATIONAL TELEVISION AND. GET WHAT I THINK WAS
A FAIR HEARING, A FAIR PRESENTATION OF OUR CASE, TO ME
INDICATES THE STRENGTH OF SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING OF OUR
QUALITY THAT DOES EXIST.
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I HAVE JUST COME BACK FROM A TRIP TO SOME OF OUR
FIELD STATIONS, VISITED THREE STATIONS AND THREE BASES
IN THE LAST WEEK; TALKED WITH A. GREAT MANY PEOPLE,
TALKED TO ALL THE PEOPLE AT EACH BASE AND EACH.STATION,
AND SOMETIMES I. GOT THE FEELING THAT PEOPLE WERE STILL
A LITTLE WORRIED BECAUSE OF ALL THE ADVERSE PUBLICITY
THAT WE HAVE ALSO HAD CONCENTRATED IN THE LAST SEVERAL
YEARS. AND SOME PEOPLE EXPRESSED THE OPINION TO ME THAT
THEY WERE CONCERNED BECAUSE SOME OF THEIR CHILDREN WERE
SOMETIMES ASHAMED--THEY USED THAT WORD--THAT THEIR PARENTS
WORKED FOR THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, LET ME SAY
THAT THERE IS UTTERLY NO QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT ALTHOUGH
THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A FEW INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS
AGENCY WHO SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF SOME OF THE THINGS THEY
DID, THAT ON BALANCE, THE VAST, VAST MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE
ASSOCIATED HERE, AND THE AGENCY ITSELF, CAN BE NOTHING BUT
PROUD, PROUD OF ITS ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THESE PAST 30 YEARS.
AND I PREDICT TO YOU THAT THE BALANCE OF HISTORY WILL SET
ASIDE THE HISTRIONICS OF THE PAST. FEW YEARS AND RECOGNIZE
THE WORTH, THE VITALITY OF THE CONTRIBUTION WHICH THE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY HAS MADE OVER THESE 30 YEARS TO
OUR-COUNTRY `S SECURITY.
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AND I WOULD SAY TO YOU FURTHER TODAY THAT NEVER
HAS THE FUTURE OF OUR AGENCY BEEN BRIGHTER. IT'S
BRIGHTER, FIRST, BECAUSE AS YOU PROFESSIONALS IN THIS
FIELD KNOW, THERE HAS NOT BEEN IN THESE.30 YEARS A
GREATER NEED IN OUR COUNTRY FOR.GOOD-INTELLIGENCE. I
NEED NOT ELABORATE ON WHY THAT'S THE CASE; YOU KNOW IT
FROM WHAT YOU ARE DOING, YOU KNOW IT FROM YOUR INSTINCTS,
YOU KNOW IT FROM THE WAY YOU SEE THE WORLD DEVELOPING
AROUND YOU. IT'S NOT THAT I'M A. PESSIMIST, IT'S NOT THAT
I'M WORRIED THAT THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING OVER THE HILL
TOMORROW MORNING, IT'S THAT THE COMPLEXITIES, THE NUMBER
OF AREAS OF THE WORLD, THE NUMBER _ OF. FIELIS OF :INTELLIGENCE
IN WHICH OUR COUNTRY IS INVOLVED TODAY, IS EXPANDING MORE
AND MORE AND THE NEED FOR US TO BE SMART, TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT'S. GOING ON, TO. GIVE LEVERAGE TO OUR.MILITARY FORCES
AND OUR ECONOMIC POTENTIAL IS. GREATER TODAY THAN IT REALLY
HAS EVER BEEN BEFORE. THE RELIANCE UPON US IS. GOING TO BE
INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT TO OUR COUNTRY.
AND WITH OUR AGENCY I SAY THAT,THAT.PERTAINS TO ALL
FACETS OF ITS ACTIVITIES; ON THE COLLECTION SIDE TO THE
HUMAN.INTELL.IGENCE COLLECTION AND TO THE TECHNICAL FIELDS
OF IMAGERY AND SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE. ON THE ANALYSIS SIDE
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TO THE ANALYTIC CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE NIOS AND THE DDI
WHO STILL REMAIN THE VITAL, ONLY ANALYTIC ORGANIZATION
OF THE GOVERNMENT NOT ASSOCIATED IN ANY WAY WITH THE
POLICY FUNCTION. AND THEN ALL OF THE SUPPORT ELEMENTS
MUST STRIVE, MUST GO FORWARD WITH.INCREASED 'IMPORTANCE,
AS DO THE COLLECTION AND PRODUCTION ELEMENTS-THE COMMUNI-
CATORS, THE PERSONNEL, THE LOGISTICIANS, THE LEGAL, THE
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL, THE COMPROLLER, AND SO ON: AND I SAY
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT BECAUSE WE ARE. GOING TO BE NEEDED.
AND I THINK WE AS AN AGENCY WILL BE NEEDED MORE AS
A RESULT OF THE RECENT. PRESIDENTIAL DECISIONS ON REORGANI-
ZATION. WHAT I SEE THE REORGANIZATION AS DOING IS ATTEMPTING
TO CENTRALIZE CONTROL OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY OF. THE
UNITED STATES'MORE THAN IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST. AND WHAT
DOES THAT MEAN?
THAT MEANS WE'RE TRYING TO. GO BACK TO.THE NATIONAL
SECURITY ACT OF 1947 WHICH ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED OUR AGENCY
AND-INTENDED IT TO BE THE COORDINATING ELEMENT OF THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.. AS ALL OF US HERE KNOW IT NEVER
WORKED OUT QUITE THE WAY THE WRITERS. OF THE '47~ACT INTENDED,
BUT THE PURPOSE NOW IN THE REORGANI.ZATION AND THE STRENGTHENING
OF THE CENTRAL CONTROL IS TO MOVE BACK IN THAT DIRECTION..
THE FORM BY WHICH WE WILL. GET THERE MAY BE'DIFFERENT THAN
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WAS INTENDED IN 1947, BUT WITH IT I SAY TO YOU WITH
GREAT CONVICTION, EACH OF THE ELEMENTS OF OUR AGENCY
WILL BE CALLED UPON TO PLAY A MORE PREDOMINANT ROLE THAN
EVER BEFORE.
AND FINALLY -1 WOULD SAY THAT THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
FOR US BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A STRONG BASE OF QUALIFIED,
DEDICATED PEOPLE. SOME OF YOU 30-YEAR VETERANS AND SOME
OF US MUCH SHORTER, BUT I AM CONFIDENT THAT THIS IS THE
STRENGTH WITH WHICH WE WILL MOVE FORWARD. AND THERE IS
NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT IN MY EYES TODAY THAN IN OPERATING
OUR AGENCY IN SUCH A WAY AS TO ATTRACT IN AT THE BOTTOM
AND TO RETAIN THROUGH THE STRUCTURE THE KIND OF PEOPLE,
THE QUALITY OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE..GIVEN US . THIS RECORD TO BE
PROUD OF FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS. AND I SUGGEST THAT WE
MUST ALL DEDICATE OURSELVES TODAY, ON THIS BIRTHDAY, TO
CONTINUING, THROUGH INSPIRATION, LEADERSHIP,. GUIDANCE OF
OUR PEOPLE, TO BUILD THE FOUNDATION SO THAT THE PEOPLE
SITTING IN OUR SEATS 30 YEARS FROM TODAY CAN LOOK BACK
.AND SAY WITH THE SAME CONFIDENCE, WITH. THE SAME SENSE OF
CONVICTION THAT THE RECORD OF'THIS AGENCY OVER THE NEXT
30 YEARS WILL BE AS OUTSTANDING AS IT HAS OVER THE PAST 30.
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I WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND I THANK YOU
FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, YOU ARE DOING ANDI KNOW YOU
WILL CONTINUE TO DO FOR THIS, OUR GREAT AGENCY.
THANK YOU.