JUSTIFICATION FOR OSA TO POSSESS ITS OWN TRAVEL OFFICE SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE CENTRAL PROCESSING BRANCH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81B00961R000100120064-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 13, 2000
• Sequence Number: 64
• Publication Date: August 29, 1962
• Content Type: MF

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49 August 196Z
ORA Uht FO
As.i.tant to the Lardy rirector. Support
Justiication for to Possess its own
Travel Office Separate and Apart from the
c...entral Processing Branch ?
1. In an attempt to provide the justtftcittOU of why we to OSA
haViR onr and why it is imperially* that he remain
separate and apart from the Central PrOCIPSilling aranch, I have
rummaged through basic documents prepared during the formulation
of Project AilUAlONE and have come upon a flaerOOTWIdt103 from
Mr. Richerd Bissell who was then Project Erector and also Special
Assistant to the rirector for Planning and Coordination. In that
naemoranchmn which was directed to the reputy Chief of Staff.
Operations, United States Air Force. hdr. Bissell ontlined the basic
concept of the project. from it I quote, "Knowledge of the project
will be limited to the narrowest possible circle of those who need
to know. The circle would be widened dangerously if staff elements
at several Levels in a long chain of command had to be included.
Largely for this TS1110/4, the project has been organised outside of
established command channels in both the CIA and the Mr Force....
within the CIA project organisation has been established which will
consist eventually at a Project Headquarters in 4Vashingt0n end
special detachments in the field.... Ws headquarters will be
responsible specifically for operational planning for the clearance
of policies. and of operational plans with other department* and
with higher authority to insure conformity to national policy and
for the coordination of operations and allocetion and move
e).?.sconn?.11. and materiel among the field detechments. The
lieadquarters will also be responsible for continuing development,
procurement, and recruitment activities in connection with this
project. In furtherance of this basic concept and in performing the
responsibilities accepted by CIA in this joint project, it was
necessary for Project ACtUA.T0141. to establish itself, so to speak,
as a separate entity within the CIA. For this reason, the project
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ed its OV/11 Administration .t.aff; Personnel branch, to handle
uibuent s. well as normal personnel adentnietretioa; Comptroller e
ca ; Contracts Livision; Materiel Branch; Security :Aar;
munications Center, which I might add is independent of riormel
111/4 communications facilities; and, in the case at point, its own
ravel I-Action.
In the Inspector General report of 4urvey dated F*bruiy,
1,964, in. con3ment on the general observations of rtpL, now OSA,
the Inspector General reported, It. principal featuree were .triug.nt
security.... gvithin the leveler:nest Frojects !Ulf essential fuectione
were almost completely compartmented from their counterperts
in the Agency. The already modified legal end procedural systems
eltf 4. IA were further modified not *imply to conceal all evidence of
the activity from persons outside the staff but to expedite action by
aliminating normal procedures in authorisatton, contracting.
irocuremerit and project administration. Remarkable and revol
tionary result* came from this new, highly adapted management
pattern. Iwo aspects stand out. Ihe first was the clean focus
on the single objective of operating.... The second was the freedom:
,...-oncentration, and continuity of the very aggressive project
anagement.
A. On the .tth of ApU, L956,
wai
re 'signed from the Central Processing Branch to the then "Awl
anti ,_?ordination 5taff, Project ACUATONE, Office of the Tirector.
rAcause of the strict need for compartrnentation end to preserve
to* basic concept tor security, "Project AQUATONE developed its
ravel Section to operate independently of the Central 74rocessing
E ranch. The reaeons which prompted the formulation of our own
-"ravel-.Arction at that time have not diminished during the ensuing
years but rether have multiplied by the number of extremely sensitive
projects vrhich this office is now engaged in aad/or will continue to
develop.
4. it remains paramount thst the iams arid *.reabOu.t of
A periellinel and the Air Force and industrial contractor personnel
ociated with it be reetricted to those isdividuals end channels
- hich have received the painstaking clearence to be permitted
such knowledge.
SEL;
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E. It remains equally 4rnportait that ths tray.! order., as well
a all fiscal and financial do lamentation concerntag oar special
projects are retained within the Office of pedal Activities, as has
been the custom for the past.
6.iu addition to the security reasons 110$111the ae,d for
cotnpertmentation, our mode of operation is somewhat uniqueii
elf ad destaimdiag of particula,r care aad ettention. The fast
movement of our operations and the repeeted requirement for atsgtng
aircraft and ipersoattel overnight makes it imperative that this o Ace
boo at its command & travel unit capable to reepoad isnmedistely
andi at all hours. The deploymeat of heedqua.rters personnel to
w.sgment detach= at operations at a moments notice is not at an
n.trommott.
7. The ustine of our da .to-dey activitie r*qt&tres constant
tz*,.L of headquarters techaiciens and engineers to th. plants where
OUT *dentine and technical equipment is being developed. -"e have
raged in *seems of per month during the first seven
Lithe of calendar year, 14)1a. The volume of such transportation
ougrtst the need for our own travel office out of sheer
el iciency and coavenieace.
i.nd again kIuuIt is a most v eeset
Mc*. his contacts hi ths transportation indestry have
invaluable at most critical time,. Equipped with ttut priority
Air Force has rendered our projects, it
inked within the ?wintery transportation circles, providing
aeother tensible asset.
9. s a individual.
pril, 11154. when he t an
ject ACRIATONE, and the
"nue to handle his pereonal
, more often than sot.
I of ell the r..pgy rir
Ii...
value wse w.iI noted. back
red from Central Processing to
rector insisted that
travel. His fame quickly pread ;
is responsible for
tore d oLher front.office
SENL
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O. To deprive OSA of its own travel unit at this time would not
only place in jeopardy oar basic principles of sound security and
cornparbrpentationb but also would hamper the speed and efficiency
of our operational movement and activity.
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tive Of cer, OSA
1 istribution:
Orig and 1 - Addressee
1 - Travel/OSA
1 - Fii/OSA
1 - AAD/OSA
1 - Adrnin /OSA
1 - LU/OSA
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