PROPOSED BASIC AREA TRAINING PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62-00634A000200020007-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 8, 2005
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: December 2, 1954
• Content Type: MF

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,DEC - 2 1954
4ORANDUM FOR: Chief of Operations,, DD/P
Chief, FI
Chief, PP
Chief, Staff C
Chief, 1. 0.
Chief, Each Area Division
Senior Staff Training Officers
MOM: Director of Training
SUBJECT: Proposed Basic Area Training Program
l~ The Office of Training is planning to offer a basic area
training program which can be presented within the Agency rather
than at non-CIA external training facilities.
2u The proposed program is comprised of two types of area courses,
which may be taken singly, and an integrated program in which both types
of area courses are offered in combination with an elementary spoken
language course? These three elements are described in Tab A. It
should be noted that each program will consist of separate courses for
individual countries. Conceivably as many as sixty or more country
courses for both types may be developed to meet your specific require-
ments. As you will note from the examinations of Tab A. these courses
are minimal, and are not proposed as a substitute for specialized and
advanced area training programs currently offered at non-CIA training
facilities?
3. Your reaction to"this proposed program is an essential step
in the process of obtaining approval for the development of a small
but highly qualified staff of area training specialists to put the
programs into effect.
4. These programs are designed to establish the minimum training
standards which should be met by specified categories of Agency person-
nel in order that they will gain basic knowledge of the foreign
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environmental factors which affect intelligence operations in the
countries to which they are assigned, Such basic knowledge is
considered essential to relate their operational and intelligence
skills to the environment in which such skills will be employed.
If approved as minimum training standards for the categories of
personnel indicated, the proposed programs would satisfy the basic
requirement of this objective.
5. The Office of Training is not now able to offer the training
proposed, Eight to twelve months of planning and preparation will be
required for initial course offerings and approximately thirty-six
months for total training coverage for all countries,
6. In presenting this proposal for your consideration the
Office of Training would like your responses to the following ques-
tions, in addition to any other comments you may care to make:
a. What changes or modifications would you recommend to the
scope of subject matter, the course objective, and the_
duration of the course, in order that the ess?nt nj,'
n of area training is provided for the categories of
personnel indicated?
b. Are there any additional elements of basic area training,
by subject or by categories of personnel or both, which
you would like to see added to the proposed program?
c0 Will you approve the proposed program (as modified, if
applicable, by your responses to questions contained in
Para 6a and b above), as minimum training standards for
the categories of personnel indicated in Tab A?
d, What priorities, by country, would you recommend for
guidance of OTR in setting up the proposed program?
e. What are your estimated requirements for participation
in these programs for F! 1956 and F! 1957? (Note that
a form for this statement is attached hereto at Tab B0)
6. Your general reaction to the proposal and your specific
response to the questions contained in paragraph 5, above are requested
at your earliest convenience, in any event by 31 December. The Director
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of Training will request that this subject be included for general
discussion on the agenda for the staff meeting of the Chief of
Operations, DD/P, on 15 December,,
25X1
G'r'~ .TTHEW B&
Attachments -
Tab A
Tab B
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T,AB A
PROPOSED 13M _T4 MQgM
Z. AWR]CAW. ABROAD CC)URS
1. Americana Abroad courses are designed to impart rledge
about a country that is essential as a minimum requirements for an
Agen0y,qUPOX~t ear o net, assigned to overseas duty in that country
for the first time. The course will consist, of 20 hours of instruc@
,ion and will be offered on a part-time basis.
2. Each course will provide an introduction to those social
custemsa significant cultural and national attitudes and sensitivi-
ties, and traditional and current attitudes toward foreigners which
are significant to Agency personnel. and their behavior in that
country.
3,, The objectives of the course area
a. To assist Agency personnel in making personal adjust-
meats to the foreign envixonment in which they will be
working;
b0 To facilitate effective professional and social rela-
tionships between Americans and the indigenous personnel-
of that country.
4. The Americans Abroad course will be a prerequisite to
departure overseas, for all Agency Bonne assigned to
overseas duty in a given country for the first time.
I10 &b IC COUNTRY SURVEY CQUR1
1? . Basic Country Survey courses are designed to impart knowledge
about a country that is essential as a minimum requirement for all
geiacy Intel" fie of, 'ac goa???e scholuled for initial assi
meats related to a given country in headquarter8. The course will.
consjsst of r,0 to go hours of instruction and will be offered on a
part=time basis.
2. each course will consist of an introduction to the history,,
culture, custom and geography of the country; the nature of its social
and political inata tut.toris, policies and obj ectives ~ and a review of
the significant U.S. policies and objectives pertaining to it.
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3, The objectives of the course are:
as To develop the ability of agency intelligence officer
personnel to appreciate the nature of those enviror
mental factors which impose conditions and limitations
on intelligence operations in a given country;
bo To provide a foundation upon which Agency intelligence
officer personnel can build a wider and deeper knowledge
of the country to which they are assigned.
4 The Basic Country Survey course will be a prerequisite for
all Agency intellUpnce offices A?r n to initial duty assignment
on a country desk in headquarters,, C Th
111? ZTEGR TPD PROGRAM
1. The Integrated Program consists of the Americana Abroad
course and the Basic Country Survey course combined with an elementary
spoken language course. This Program has been designed as a minimum
requirement for all Agency &9 i . no;e 2 panne assigned to
overseas duty in a given country for the fiarat time, The course will
consist of eight to twelve weeks of instruction,, dependent upon the
difficulty of the language involveds, and willl, be offered on an intea
sine full,-time basis,. A typical schedule for the Integrated Program
is indicated as follows.-
0830
- 0920
Language class
0930
? 1020
Language Laboratory and
supervised Study
1030
- 2230
Country Survey
1230
- 1330
Lunch and Lab
1330
0 1420
~. _.
Language Class
1430
- 1530
Americans Abroad
1540 ^a 1645
--
Language Laboratory and
Supervised Study
2,. In addition to the training objectives of the Americans
Abroad and Basic Country Survey courses, the training objectives of
the spoken language course a to;
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au Provide sufficient proficiency in speaking the foreign
language to satisfy ordinary routine social-travel
requirements;
bm Provide a foundation in the language upon which increased
language skills may be acquired
3 The Integrated Program will be a. prerequisite to departure
overseas, for all Agency ntQ~ ll e a r g RVsonDpj assigned to
overseas duty in a given country for the first time,,
NOTE: Waivers of the prerequisites for each of the three programs
described above will be granted in those instances where the
Division chiefs concerned certify that the previous back-
ground and experience of the Individual warrant such action.
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'., _,. iO t U1N FOR; Director of Training
TAB B
Requirements for Basic Area Training
AREA
or
SP1C IFY COMURY
south at Asia ( o-
"hinag Thai andb Burma,
onesia, 2 Jaya, Phil=
lipines)
s Guth Asia ( India.,
4:CdiiL! Afghanistan., Ceyl?on
d' -'a
astern Europe (Satellite
Countries, Yugoslavia,
and Bast Cermanyy)
kJ~stern Europe
3' ear Last and Africa
. G eece and Turkey)
;.-).tin America
ND I ' Rh QI1 L ANTS LIUME Cl? ~r~ .j,bINT
3.957
Basic Country American; Ahroaa integrated -. i
( ended) (Schedule) Specify Num-
(Schedule) bars and
NCa ~, L UAL.
Basic Country
rioaa* Abroad iz to ;ra c
Survey
(Extended)
(Extended)
(bchedule)
peo ty
(Schethae)
be=st, and
ROM
"IN
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Survey (Extended) Program