BASIC INTELLIGENCE COURSE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP54-00355A000100020005-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 24, 2001
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: November 3, 1952
• Content Type: MEMO

s proved for Release 2001/07/17 : CIA-RDP54-00355A000100020005-8
Office Memorandum ? UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
?ram,
TO Assistant Director/lraining DATE: mnV --3
FROM : Acting Assistant ?director/SI
SUBJECT: basic Intelligence Course
1. We have reviewed the outline which you su-t9`,ed to us
of the CIA basic intelligence course, and we feel that it sub-
stantially meets the needs of this Office.
2. Suggestions have been made from time to time that to
'neet OSI requirements, there should be in this course more
specialized training on scientific subjects for those -personnel
who are destined for this Office. From an over-all point of
view, however, its our firm conclusion that sach an approach
is wrong. The basic intelli;-ence course is the one opportunity
which a -potential career officer will have to become thoroughly
grounded in the basic principles of the intelligence processes
as a whole. Any attempt to inject specialized training for a
particular Office would tend to vitiate the breadth of training
which we feel to ue highly important.
3. With personnel who have had no intelligence experience
and even with a great majority of people who had World VIar II
intelligence experience,vo aspects of training are of major
importance:
a. A fundamental reorientation of thinking habits
so that the graduate of the school approaches a problem
from the point of view of an intelligence officer rather
than that of a scientist, economist, etc.
b. The graduate have a real understanding of the
scope, structure and complexities of the intelligence
organizations of the Government as a whole.
4. One of the greatest deficiencies which we find in our
analysts is lack of knowledge of the intelligence tools which
are readily available for their use either within CIA or within
other agencies of the Government, both IAC and non-IAC. Anything
which can be done during the course to 'amiliarize the students
of these tools will be of tremendous value.
5. Another weakness is in the broad field of requirements.
',lost analysts have little knowledge of the responsibilities or
capabilities of any of the collection organizations or collection
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 Approved For Release 2001/07/17 : CIA-RDP54-00355A000100020005-8
methods. Also, being in varying degrees unfamiliar with the
availability of information in 'lashington, they tend to expect
far too much of the collecting agencies and therefore flood
collection channels with requirements ,hich are either needless
or not adequately tied to the more important intelligence objectives.
6. e appreciate being consulted about the course and hope
that the above comments will be of some use to you.
STATINTL
STATINTL
OSI/jb
Distribution:
Orig. forward
1-AD/SI
1 - Admire/GSS/SI
3 - OpS/SI
Approved For Release 2001/07/17 : CIA-RDP54-00355A000100020005-8