DEAR MR. JONES:

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01826R000900090028-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 11, 2002
• Sequence Number: 28
• Publication Date: February 26, 1957
• Content Type: LETTER

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Dear Mr. Jones:
Some of the considerations which prompt the central Intelli-
gence Agency to propose legislation for special retirement benefits
should not be discussed publicly and must be kept on a need-to-
know basis. Therefore this letter is classified CONFIDENTIAL.
Simply stated, CIA's retirement objectives are as follows:
"to improve the service by providing earlier retirement and an
augmented annuity to persons who have served extensively overseas
with CIA." The essence of this policy is to make it possible for
persons to voluntarily retire who have served well in overseas
capacities -- the functions for which they were primarily employed --
when they have reached an age where their usefulness overseas has
become impaired, through no fault of their own, and when their incor-
poration into headquarters activities is not practical nor in the
interest of the Government. Their retirement must be at an economically
feasible annuity.
Our objective is not to reward these persons for special service
but to make it possible and economically practical for them to volun-
teer to retire and thereby make way in our overseas work force for
replacement by younger persons with the required energy and stamina.
DOCUMENT No.
NO CHANGE IN CLASS.
El DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS S
AUTH: ~HR'A 3
:GATE:_ 1981 -REVIEWER:
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The principle of earlier retirement in order to improve the
service has been recognized by the Congress in the special provisions
for Law-Enforcement Employees contained in the Civil Service
Retirement Act as expressed in the Federal Personnel Manual,, Chapter
R-5, page R-5-36:
"The legislative history of this provision shows
that its purpose is to allow the earlier retire-
ment of certain employees whose duties are. primarily
the investigation, apprehension, or-detention of
persons suspected or convicted of offenses against
the criminal laws of. the United States who., because
of the physicalreguirements of their positions and
the hazalydous activities involved, are no longer
caiiable of carrying on efficiently. Their replace-
ment by younger men would improve the service. I11A more
generous method of computing the amount of annuity is
provided,, not as a special reward for the type of
service involved$ but rather because a more liberal
formula is usually necessary to make the earlier
retirement (with resultant shorter service) economically
possible."
It is not possible for us to apply the law enforcement provisions
of the Civil Service Retirement Act to CIA personnel. However, I
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 believe the principle of earlier retirement in order to improve
the service, which has been recognized by the Congress, can equally
well apply to overseas personnel of CIA. Attached is a statement
from Chief, Medical Staff, CIA concerning medical requirements for
overseas CIA personnel.
We cannot discuss in an unclassified atmosphere the circ mi-
stances or the factors which make overseas service for CIA hazardous
and dependent upon youth and vigor since all of our personnel over-
seas with the exception of one small unit are under cover.
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After several years of intensive study.. CIA established its
career program and what it calls its "Career Staff." This was done
by the Director of Central Intelligence using the authorities vested
in him by P.L. 110. One of the very basic principles which was
carefully weighed and, after much deliberation, formally incorporated
into our plan was the principle that we would not pre-identify
categories of CIA personnel such as groups who were expected to serve
overseas. Since CIA's operations may depend on the expeditious and
devoted performance of menial tasks such as driving a truck under
extraordinary circumstances to meet an extremely close deadline, as
well as producing an idea on black propaganda to be used overseas,
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 Approved For Release 2002198/13 : CIA-RDP80-01826R0009OO09OM-8
or preparing an element of a national estimate, we have concluded
that it is undesirable to establish categories of special privileged
or elite groups. We do not wish to create an overseas cadre and a
departmental cadre.
We are, therefore, proposing that the group to which early
retirement would be applicable be self-identified through actual
overseas service rather than be pre-identified on expectation that
it will serve in special circumstances. In carrying out this
principle, the formula which we propose provides the following:
(a) permission to retire prior to normal CSC retirement age only
with the personal approval of the Director (the Director has stated
that the last thing he would like to do would be to retire any
individual who has usefulness to the Agency); (b) accelerated retire-
ment only after 20 years total creditable Government service; (c) 12
years minimum service with CIA; (d) no person may retire under this
plan with less than 4.8 years of overseas service; (e) above the
1+.8 year floor of minimum overseas service, overseas service in
proportion to the opportunity that the individual has had available
to him; (f) extra credit at the rate of one year for each four over-
seas in order to provide the individual an economically feasible
annuity and make it practical for him to request early retirement.
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 become involved in personal responsibilities of an increasingly
burdensome nature, which restrict their usefulness as time goes on.
Their usefulness is dependent on vigor and stamina rather than on
intellectual activity. Thus it is our belief that to be in a position
to retire people of this type at age fifty would be very advantageous.
Some of the most skillful and useful persons in our intelligence
and psychological warfare effort are foreign born. Despite their
high intelligence., their knowledge of foreign areas., and devotion to
duty it is impossible because of security restrictions to convert
them to responsible positions in the fields of analysis and supervision.
Although some of these people will be able to perform in a superior
51 419
fashion overseas after they are 55 others for Various reasons will
have served their usefulness and should retire sooner.
The Agency ands in an emergency} the Department of State depend
on CIA communications for the maintenance of a global communications
net. Characteristically, as communications technicians grow older,
their availability for overseas assignment decreases. Therefore,
in the interests of efficiency,, we believe this category of personnel
should be allowed to retire at an age earlier than normal for Govern-
ment employees in the co tinental limits of the United States.
You will. note that the four types of persons that I have
described we do not have extensive activities in this country.
Therefore., when the overseas usefulness of these persons has expired
we can not efficiently absorb them into our departmental work force.
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