LETTER TO MAJOR GENERAL LINCOLN D. FAURER FROM PAUL V. WALSH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01495R000300020062-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 22
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 18, 2007
• Sequence Number: 62
• Publication Date: January 3, 1975
• Content Type: LETTER

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CE'1'RAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
' WASHINGTON, D.G. 20505
3 January 1975
NSA review completed
Major General Lincoln D. Faurer
Deputy Director for Intelligence
Defense Intelligence Agency
Washington, D. C. 20301
Enclosed is the CIA study of the DIA military bio-
graphic operations I discussed with you in early December
and which we agreed I would not transmit through channels.
The Central Reference Service (CRS) in CIA that
conducted the study has received numerous requests for
copies from DIA/DC who requested we undertake it in a
letter to Bill Colby from Vince de Poix in August 1974.
We have not satisfied these requests pending your reactions
to the study. I am enclosing one copy, however, that you
may wish to give to John Hughes. If additional copies are
needed for internal DIA distribution, you may contact
Sincerely,
DIA Review Completed.
Paul V. Walsh
Associate Deputy Director
for Intelligence
Distribution:
Orig & 1 - Addressee (w/enclosure--2 copies of the Report on the
DIA Military Biographic Pr
- Director/CRS w/o encl
DDI w/ encl.-- -
- DDI Chro:n.
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
NOTICE TO RECIPIENT
COURIER REC. NO.
DATE SENT
DOCUMENT RECEIPT
Sign and Return as Shown on Reverse Side
1/ 3/75
SENDER OF DOCUMENT(S)
ROOM
BLDG.
DATE DOCUMENT(S) SENT
Paul V. Walsh, ADDI
7E44 I
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P 0568 2 12
DESCRIPTION OF DOCUMENT(S) SEN
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CIA NO.
DOCUMENT DATE
COPIES
DOCUMENT TITLE (IN BRIEF)
ATTACHMENTS
CLASS
3 Jan 75
rig & I
Leifer to General Fau
er
C_
Two attachments: Rep
ort on the DIA
C
Military Biographic
Program, dtd
19 Dec 1974
RECIPI
ENT
ADDRESS OF RECIPIENT
SIGNATURE (ACKNOWLEDGING RECEIPT OF ABOVE DOCUMENT(S))
Major General, Lincoln D. Faurer
Deputy Director for Intelligence/DIA
Room 1E8 80, Pentagon
OFFICE
DATE OF RECEIPT
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REPORT ON THE DIA
MILITARY BIOGRAPHIC PROGRAM
Prepared by
CIA/CRS
19 December 1974
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OF E. 0. 19652, AVTOI~IATICAIIY 00WINGRAQED Al
T43 YEAR l1aiEflr4IS A5D 6ctiluS~:"Lil Oil
31 December 1980
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(Insert date or event)
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INTRODUCTION
I. METHODOLOGY
II. GENERAL FINDINGS
A. Man-Years On Program
B. File Input
C. File Holdings
D. Traffic
III. PROBLEM AREAS
A. Organization
B. Manpower
C. Morale
D. Production
E. The FRD Contract
F. Collection
G. ?ecurity
IV. POSSIBILITY OF MERGER WITH CIA 8
TAB A Exchange of correspondence between D/DIA and
DCI.
TAB B Statistical Charts
NmrinENTlM.
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This report was prepared by the Central Reference
Service, CIA, in response to a request from the Director,
Defense Intelligence Agency, for assistance in reviewing the
DIA biographic operation and in examining the feasibility of
transferring the responsibility for military biographic
intelligence to CIA (Tab A contains copies of the exchange
of correspondence on this subject between the D/DIA and the
DCI). The report summarizes the findings of eight senior
CIA biographic analysts (with a total of 66 years experience
in the biographic field) who examined the DIA biographic
holdings, procedures and services from 23 September through
18 October 1974.
I. Methodology
The initial briefings by DIA/DI indicated that DIA/DI
does not maintain statistics on most aspects of its bio-
graphic operation.- A few statistics exist, particularly at
the analyst or branch level, but they are not standardized
and thus, with few exceptions, cannot be synthesized. It was
necessary, therefore, for the study group to collect and
compile statistics on all aspects of the operation, in-
cluding file input, volume of requests, manpower, and
production. The survey covered only 4 weeks, and in most
cases the results could not be compared with data collected
over a longer period. Thus, it is possible that information
collected for an entire year might produce figures either
higher or lower than those presented here. The task team
(hereafter referred to in this report as "we") believes,
however, that the survey period, coming as it did between
the summer and Christmas vacations and lacking any unusually
heavy workloads, probably was representative.
We attempted to do as much of the survey work as we
could, but in two major data collection efforts we required
assistance from the DIA/DI biographic analysts. We asked
the DIA/DI biographic analysts to complete a request form on
every biographic request handled during the survey period.
The form, designed specifically for this survey, contained
spaces for recording information on the requester, the
specific request statement, the type of response, the
sources of information used, and the time required to
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complete the request. We believe that we-received completed
forms on virtually all major requests serviced by DIA bio-
graphic analysts during the survey period. We probably did
not receive forms for some requests that the analysts were
able to answer in a few minutes. The statistics on the
volume of requests, therefore, reflect a somewhat lower
number of requests than were actually received in DIA/DI
during the survey period. The difference would not be
sufficient to seriously affect our overall findings.
We also asked the DIA/DI biographic analysts to give us
a copy of every document they put into their military
biographic files during the 4 weeks of the survey. These
documents were reviewed, as available, both to understand
DIA/DI file input and to compare it with what is being done
at CIA. Most DIA/DI biographic analysts felt that com-
pliance with our request would require tab much of their
time because they lacked sufficient clerical help to re-
produce the documents. We agreed and therefore attempted to
collect this information by examining in-process documents
at the analysts' work stations. This methodology was not
completely satisfactory and we did not see all documents
processed during the survey. Fortunately, several DIA
military biographic analysts had large filing backlogs, some
containing documents received as far back as June, and by
examining them we were able to reinforce the impressions
gained from what we did see of the current material.
In addition to the data collection activities mentioned
above we:
1. Interviewed at length all DIA/DI biographic
analysts, selected supervisors in DIA/DI, and
selected customers of the DIA/DI biographic
services.
2. Examined all biographic requests recorded by
bIA/DI during the survey, attempted to answer them
from the CIA biographic files, and compiled
statistics on the results.
3. Compared selected DIA/DI biographic files with
comparable files in CIA and analyzed the dif-
ferences and similarities in content.
4. Measured the DIA/DI biographic files and estimated
the number of personalities included in those
files.
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5. Interviewed the supervisors of the employees of
the Library of Congress, Federal Research Division
(FRD), who provide support to the DIA military
biographic program under a contractural operation.
In compiling the statistics by geographic area, we used
the CIA/CRS rather than the DIA/DI area breakdowns. This
allowed us to make direct comparisons with the biographic
operation at CIA. These area divisions are:
USSR - Soviet Union
EE - Eastern Europe
WE - Western Europe
WH - North, Central and South America
FE - Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia,
PRC & ROC - People's Republic of China, Republic
of China, and Mongolia.
NE/SA - Near East and South Asia
II. General Findings
A. Based upon our survey during the period
23 September - 18 October 1974, we estimate that DIA/DI
is now devoting about 32 man-years to the military
biographic effort. About 20 of these man-years come
from staff employees, the rest from reservists, de-
tailees and contractors. (See Tab B, Chart I.) Most
of the statistics in this report, particularly those on
service and file input, reflect work done mainly by
staff employees.
B. We found that 4,381 items were selected for
input into the DIA/DI military biographic files during
the 4 weeks studied; on that basis we estimate that
57,000 items are added to the files annually. (See
Tab B, Chart II.)
C. DIA/DI has biographic files on approximately
223,000 foreign military personalities. (See Tab B,
Chart III.)
D. The request forms completed for us by the
DIA/DI analysts indicate that DIA receives approxi-
mately 2,700 requests comprising approximately 8,000
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questions each year and that 4.4 man-years are required
to service these requests. (See Tab B, Chart IV.)
These request figures might have been 10 to 20 percent
higher if we had received completed request forms for
all the requests levied upon DIA/DI during the survey
period. We also feel that in many cases the figures
for the man-hours reported as spent in answering
requests were low. In some cases DIA/DI analysts did
not include in their reports time spent in such ac-
tivities as calling military bases and schools for
assistance, waiting for a xerox machine, and coor-
dinating reports. The service man-hours reported by the
unit handling Latin American biographics, a unit that
routinely keeps detailed records of manpower expen-
ditures, are much higher than those reported by the
other units and in themselves tend to indicate that the
total expenditure reported is too low. The charts kept
by the Latin America unit over an entire year indicate
that 75 percent of the working hours are devoted to
service. Our observations lead us to believe that
additional units probably have service manpower al-
locations in that range. Thus, the actual figures for
manpower spent in servicing requests may be 50 to 100
percent higher than what is reported here. Further, we
fear that potential requesters do not ask for service
because of the current state of affairs, and we suspect
that, with improved capability, and the resultant
improved service, the volume of requests and manhours
spent on requests would rise.
III. Problem Areas
A. Organization
The DIA biographic effort lacks central management
and coordination. The biographic analysts are spread
throughout DIA/DI and individual production components
-- orisometimes individual analysts -- conduct their
own biographic programs without guidance from any
central authority that establishes priorities, sets
standards, and develops publication schedules. Even
worse, as far as the analysts themselves are concerned,
there is no central authority to work on overall bio-
F Problems such as 25X1 DIA
slow receipt of documents and unreasonable
requirements.
The DIA/DI biographic analysts often do not
receive incoming documents containing biographic
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information; many of the documents they do receive
arrive several weeks late. Upon being received in
DIA/DI, documents clearly labeled as biographic reports
usually are routed directly to the biographic analysts;
but those containing biographic information mixed with
other data usually go first to the political and/or
order of battle analysts and may or may not eventually
reach the biographic analysts. Multiple-area doc-
uments, that is those containing information on per-
sonalities from two or more geographic areas, often do
not get routed beyond the first recipient. Because the
DIA analysts are located in several different buildings,
communication between analysts is curtailed and proper
handling of multiple-area documents is difficult.
Often, because he is uncertain, that he has all
the available information, the biographic analyst must
check with other DIA analysts before answering even
simple requests. He is at times unaware of even the
most important changes in positions held by high-level
foreign military officers. We noticed several
produced biographies that contained erroneous
ments taken from inaccurate or outdated field
DIA-
state-
reporting
--
errors that the analyst undoubtedly would have
noted
and corrected if his files were complete and current.
There is no effective backup system. When the
regular analyst is out, the supervisor or some other
analyst will attempt to handle requests from VIPs, but
in general, when the analyst-is absent, all work stops.
B. Manpower
We estimate that the current allocation of man-
power to the military biographic program in DIA/DI is
about one-half of what it should be. Moreover, about
one-third of the current allocation is composed of
reservists and temporary detailees who are not as
productive as staff employees and FRD contract pers-
onnel who cannot be used in all phases of the oper-
ation. We believe that most of the problems in the
program stem from the insufficient manning.
A severe clerical shortage plagues all phases of
the military biographic effort. Staff analysts do most
of their own reproduction and filing and much of their
own typing; we even noted supervisors typing reports.
Judging from our own experience, we believe that, an
effective biographic operation needs about one clerical
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or intelligence assistant for each analyst. As Chart I
in Tab B indicates, the clerical/professional ratio in
the DIA biographic program does not approach this.
C. Morale
Morale among the DIA biographic analysts is poor.
Much of the morale problem is directly related to the
manning level. The analysts do not have the time to do
a satisfactory job; they realize this and some thus
take little pride in what they are doing. The need for
professionals to do filing, reproduction and typing
further contributes to the loss of pride.
D. Production
The DIA/DI biographic analysts take time to write
biographic reports for important requests but do not
have time enough to prepare any significant number of
self-initiated reports. Without a sufficiently large
data base of finished intelligence reports to work
from, requests tend to take longer to handle than they
should and, because of the pressure to get the answer
out, are not answered as well as they might be. The
failure to prepare and distribute more self-initiated,
finished intelligence reports probably creates more
requests from customers, which, in turn further reduces
the time available for writing such reports.
The military Biographic Handbook program appears
to be nearly dead. Some military Biographic Handbooks
are being published, but most appear to be mere com-
pilations of reports previously prepared for specific
requests or reports prepared by contractors and re-
servists. There does not seem to be any major attempt
to identify the most important foreign military leaders
and publish reports on them in anticipation of future
needs', even when these needs can be predicted fairly
accurately..
DIA/DI is attempting to meet some of the need for
anticipatory report preparation through its contract
with the Federal Research Division (FRD) of the Library
of Congress. Self-initiated reports on personalities
in the Near East, South Asia, Latin America and Africa
are done almost entirely by FRD. Unfortunately, much
of the report preparation at FRD is being wasted
because many of these reports are not being printed and
distributed. (See Section E below.)
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E. The FRD Contract
The FRD contract is a useful device for getting
around the manpower ceiling, but we do not feet that
DIA/DI currently is getting a satisfactory return from
its investment. DIA/DI uses FRD to write reports based
upon the DIA/DI file holdings and to screen foreign
publications for information on military personalities.
During the period of February 1973 through October
1974, FRD prepared 500 biographic reports, mostly on
African, Near Eastern and Latin American personalities.
A large percentage of these reports, however, have not
been published, partly because of editing and pub-
lishing problems and partly because most DIA biographic
analysts consider them to be too wordy and "flowery" to
use. One DIA/DI unit is using a reservist to reduce
lengthy FRD reports to one page.
The academic qualifications and talents of the FRD
analysts appear to be good. FRD believes its products
are satisfactory and seems to have no idea that DIA/DI
reworks most of the reports before using them. Feed-
back to FRD on what DIA/DI wants in its reports probably
would go a long way toward correcting this situation.
Increased reliance upon FRD may provide a partial
solution to the manpower shortages in the DIA military
biographic program; it does not, however, appear to
offer the possibility of a satisfactory answer to most
of the problems: First, improving the military bio-
graphic file holdings through more complete screening
of incoming documents and through detailed guidance to
field collectors are two major needs that do not lend
themselves to handling by a contractor. Second, there
is always a certain percentage of the documentation
that cannot be released to contractors; these documents
are few in terms of volume but often highly valuable in
termstof content. Third, the practice of sending
intelligence files across town to a contractor means
that files frequently may not be available at head-
quarters to handle crash requests.
F. Collection
Most DIA analysts complained strongly about poor
collection of military biographic information, but
there appears to be tittle effort to improve it.
DIA
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DIA/DI analysts can DIA
write informal letters asking for feedback
their own written reports and providing feedback on
reporting, but they use this channel infre- 25X1 DIA
quently. Formal requirements must be levied through
ICRs and CIRs, a process that most analysts tend to
avoid because they. believe it to be cumbersome and time
consuming. We saw little evidence of analysts at-
tempting-to fill gaps in their files by preparing
specific requirements for the field, unless the in-
formation was needed to answer a request already in
hand.
The military biographic program needs both a higher 25X1 DIA
priority for biographic reporting from the field and
more effort in guiding and directing this reporting.
G. Security and Classification
Generally, the handling of COMINT documents is
poor and causes both a security danger and the loss of
.som-e inforrriation. In each of the DIA/DI units we found
a different COMINT handling problem, including:
failure to file any COMINT at all, failure to file any
COMINT documents other than those at the lowest se-
curity level, cutting off security controls and filing
COMINT documents as unclassified, and poor understanding
of the procedures used in obtaining permission to down-
grade COMINT for use in biographic reports.
The physical security arrangements contribute to
lessened efficiency. In one unit the need to unlock 17
safes to answer a question took nearly as much time as
the reisearch on the request. Some units in noncodeword
areas must go to a different building to review new
COMINT documents and, because of the time involved,
tend to omit this task. In one unit, supervisors and
analysts do much of their own reproduction work because
the clerk does not have clearances to the codeword area
where the reproduction machine is located.
IV. Possibility of Merger With CIA
If DIA could agree to certain conditions (specified
below), the military biographic operation could be merged
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with the existing CIA biographic operation. and operated at
less cost. Combining the 20 staff man-years now in the DIA
effort with the existing CIA biographic effort would produce
an improved military biographic program. CIA could ac-
complish more with the same amount of manpower because of
the economies of scale: CIA/CRS already screens nearly all
of the documents containing military biographic information
for other purposes, manages a large biographic collection
operation; and has a large biographic production operation.
Adding military biographics as currently handled by
DIA/DI to the current CIA biographic responsibilities would.
produce only a 1-percent increase in the number of documents
screened and a 2- to 3- percent increase in the number of
copies of documents put in the biographic. files at CIA/CRS.
The CIA biographic analysts have responsibility for main-
taining other large computerized and manual reference files
in addition to their biographic files and already screen
nearly all intelligence reporting. The only documents
containing information on foreign military personalities not
now reviewed by CIA/CRS are some biographic reports prepared
some NMCC cables, Legion of Merit
nominations on foreign officers, some JPRS military bio-
graphic cards, and a few miscellaneous items. During the
survey period, 68 percent of the items put into the DIA/DI
biographic files also went into CIA/CRS biographic files.
(This was about 5 percent of the total CIA/CRS biographic
file input.)
Based upon the statistics collected during the survey,
CIA/CRS already has information available to answer 63
percent of the biographic questions DIA/DI now receives.
The DIA completion rate for the same period (not counting
requests answered with CIA assistance) was 70 percent.
By moving the military biographic operation and the
associated staff manpower to CIA, the man-hours saved in
file maintenance could be used to stimulate field reporting
and to prepare additional self-initiated reports.
A potential problem in moving the military biographic DIA
operation to CIA is the danger that will25X1
not respond adequately to requireme
Several DIA biographic analysts, supervisors and
customers of the service who were interviewed during the
survey indicated this was one of their main reasons for
opposing transfer of the program to CIA. We believe,
however, that with cooperation from DIA/DC and increased
effort in preparing requirements for and providing feedback
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to collectors, military biographic reporting can be improved
substantially -- even with the requirements coming from a
civilian organization. If we'did.not believe that this
could be done, we would not be willing to attempt to handle
the program; we view improved collection as one of the most
serious needs of the military biographic program.
Several DIA biographic analysts .and supervisors stated
that they believed militarybiographics should be coZocated
with order of battle analysis and record keeping. We found
that, except for the Eastern European naval analysts who
handle both responsibilities, the biographic and order of
battle analysts operate nearly independently of one another.
We did not see any coordination between the two groups that
could not be handled through the mail or over the telephone,
nor did we note any significant improvement in efficiency in
the one instance in which the same analysts handle both bio-
graphic and order of battle data.
Adjustments could be made in the CIA report formats to
meet specific DoD requirements. Customers and operators of
the DIA biographic program frequently mentioned that the CIA
narrative report format is not as well suited to the needs
of military users as the DIA outline, telegraphic format.
On the other hand, we found some DoD customers who prefer
.the CIA narrative format. CIA does not see any potential
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problem in adjusting formats to meet DIA requester needs.
We already publish some reports,
in a format similar to that used by
Finding space in CIA/CRS to house the additional files
and the additional analysts, lAs and clericals would be a
serious problem for CIA. After screening the DIA files we
probably would select between 250 and 500 cubic feet of
material for integration into our existing holdings.
Finding space for additional employees would be extremely
difficult.'
CIA/CRS would be able to take on the military bio-
graphic operation provided that DIA would:
(a) Provide manpower equal to the amount of new
work caused by the transfer. The amount of manpower
would depend primarily upon the amount of file input,
amount of collection guidance, amount of service and
quality of service DIA would want.
(b) Hold the workload to that agreed upon at the
time of the transfer or provide additional manpower to
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handle possible future increases in requirements on the
program.
(c) Give CIA/CRS direct access through military
communications channels to DoD human source intel-
ligence collectors.
(d) Allow CIA/CRS to evaluate the overall mil-
itary biographic reporting 25X1 DIA
(e)- Assist CIA/CRS in upgrading military bio-
graphic reporting by increasing the priority given to
collection efforts in this area.
(f) Not cut back any existing military biographic
collection programs without agreement from CIA.
Provide promptly to CIA/CRS
reports, NMCC cables and other military bio-
graphic information it does not now receive.
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DE_t r "ISE INTELLIGENL