PROJECTED REVISION OF THE COUNTERINTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS AND COUNTERINTELLIGENCE FAMILIARIZATION COURSES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-04308A000100110007-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 14, 2000
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: December 14, 1960
• Content Type: MEMO

STANDARApproved For Releas 2000/0d3rRDP78-0430 p00100110007-8
Office Memorandum ? UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO
VIA
Director of Training
Chief, Headquarters Training
Chief, operations School
DATE: 14+ December 1960
? Chief Instructor, Counterintelligence Operations Course
suBJEcT- Projected Revision of the Counterintelligence Operations and Counter-
intelligence Familiarization Courses
1. ,Attached for your information and review are papers relating to
a projected revision of the courses of instruction in counterintelligence:
the CI Familiarization Course and the CI Operations Course. Your approval
of the revised courses is requested.
t
2. In addition to the attachments hereto, there is available for
your examination, if you so desire, a file containing all working papers,
draft schedules, memoranda, and notes pertaining to the proposed revision.
3. The decision to revise the CI courses was made on 28 July 1960
and was concurred in by CH/OS and C/OS. Since that time considerable
progress has been made in the work to the point where we expect to be
able to offer the new courses, if approved, immediately after 1 January 25X1 A
1961. The CI Staff has been closely consulted and has approved the
revision both in principle and in form. In addition to CI Staff counsel
in revising the courses (given by the Chief, the Cl Staff Training
Officer, and several members of , I have asked for and 25X1 A
used the assistance of officers with CI responsibilities in all of the
DD/P area divisions. These persons have been consulted individ and
in group meetings which I have convened on three occasions. 25X1A9a
of Headquarters Training has also played a major role in the revision
work.
J. The revised instruction is designed to correct certain problems
seen in the courses offered up to this date, and to provide more sub-
stantive material for study. Formerly there was a blurred distinction
between the Familiarization and the Operations courses, primarily because
the Operations course contained a large amount of "familiarizing" material.
This in turn either duplicated that given in the Familiarization course or
was omitted entirely with the result that the Familiarization course did
not entirely achieve its objectives. The Operations course, similarly,
was not as successful as it might have been in achieving its objectives
because too much time was devoted to subjects which were not directly
related to CI operations.
5. The result of the imprecise lines separating Familiarization
from Operations was that those students who took the courses consecutively
heard certain lectures twice; some guest lecturers expressed dissatisfac-
tion with the necessity for heavy speaking commitments which appeared to
be duplicative; and several officers who would normally have been regarded
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as prospective candidates for the operations course declined to take
it because they considered it to be too elementary. In this regard,
an informal survey of acme Clandestine Services officers indicated a
strong desire for a more advanced type of operations course which
would examine much more intensively than heretofore the area of both
CI targets and CI operations. It was also my feeling that while the
then CI Operations Course had by and large met the training require-
ments for a relatively long period of time, we would not fulfill our
obligations to CS training needs if we were content with the status
quo.
6. The results of our extensive planning for revised courses
are such that by expanding the Familiarization course to two weeks
we can adequately meet the needs of personnel who should be familiar
with the counterintelligence field but who do not require the oppor-
tunity for a detailed study of targets and operations. In turn, this
means that personnel who, through their work and experience, already
possess a basic knowledge of CI principles, techniques, and the sup-
port structure for CI, will be free to concentrate on subjects of
substantive concern. On the other hand, a person who for the first
time is entering counterintelligence work and requires as much pre-
paration as possible can progress logically and with almost no duplica-
tion of effort from the first to the second course.
7, The CI Operations Course should be regarded as an "advanced"
course. While lectures are still considered an important means of
conveying information, a large amount of time has been set aside for
seminar discussions and reading. Since it is hoped that the revised
course will appeal to more "senior" people than it has in the recent
past, and since I believe it is essential to provide the time and
material for reading and study, the second and third weeks of the
course, it will be noted, do not have scheduled class time, the time
being left open for reading and study. Those officers who have formerly
said that they could not spare a full three weeks away from their jobs
to attend the course, might find attendance possible at the revised
course by using at least some of the afternoon open periods to maintain
contact with their desks. Neither the CI Staff nor I consider it appro-
priate in an advanced course of this nature to require students to take
examinations. Also we feel that any papers they may write should be
voluntarily undertaken.
8. I do not consider the projected revisions of the CI courses
as the ultimate or the ideal; I do believe they represent a significant
step forward. If the new courses are approved, we will, in running them,
undoubtedly discover weaknesses as well as strengths. Future changes can
and should be made on the basis of experience.
25X1A9a
Attachments as stated
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