LETTER TO LIEUTENANT GENERAL DANIEL O. GRAHAM FROM SAMUEL V. WILSON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M01133A001200060013-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 18, 2005
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: February 3, 1975
• Content Type: LETTER

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1
3 FEB al e ..
DCI/IC 75-001
Lieutenant General Daniel O. Graham, USA
Director, Defense Intelligence Agency
Washington, D. C. 20301
Dear Dan:
This letter follows up on one of our conversations while
we were visiting Forts Leavenworth and Sill last week--subject:
"Intelligence Support for Service School Instruction on Soviet
Tactical Doctrine. "
My basic letter to Phil Davidson of 14 September 1971
(enclosed) is probably still as valid as when it was written. The
point is that the young Infantry or Armored School instructor musing
his way through a Soviet military book stall would know what he was
looking for. The same individual in a cocktail conversation in
Moscow with a senior Soviet officer would know what questions he
would like to ask. In either instance, our attaches don't know.
While I am addressing only part of the problem here, it
seems to me that this is a situation whiab is easily correctable and
at relatively low cost. And Bill DePuy would bless us for doing so.
I am more than ready to help any way I can.
Sincerely,
%s/ Sun.~t i V. Wilson
Samuel V. Wilson
Lieutenant General, USA
Deputy to the DCI for the
Intelligence Community
Eaclorssres:
Orig - addressee 1 - D/DCI/IC chrono
I - DDCI w/att 10- IC Reg w/att
D/DCI/IC/SVWilson/hf 3 Feb 75
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f"_
1. September 1971
Major General Phillip Davidson, j:.-,,,
USA
Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence
Department of the x r Y. y
tlashington., DC 20310
Dear General Davidson:
This letter marks a kind of surfacing for air after my first three
months on station. Unfortu a G .';_ ' may be somewhat vague in certain
areas since, as you will recognize, much of the current information
~,> necessary for a thorough analysis of ;icy role here in contributing to the
f and of required knowledge: on t 1,a Soviet Union is not available at this
end. Therefor:, want I am providing is essentially only an educated point
of vie-.y with some preliminary suggestions. If I am wrong, then the
experts and you -- my sureriors ~- can tell me so. On the other r
if I am right in v:ha t I say', n ?ohen. the same people can pick uo the
problem and s -art doing some v ;' ` about it.
The subject of this 1ett_^ co.: --
_.- ~~"co coinaresent, state of kno-v:lecge,
or lack thereof, of So'' (..-round ' or'ces tactical doctrine and those
measures we might cons idei' to :~ ove this situation. I would submit
i, .at t e average tactical CGY(i?'ander in the US to division
Army
(company level) does not know,, iae should about the Soviet Army, how it is
an 'zed , armed,
eCuinpod, tiueponteci, trained, led and fought. 4nd
fe:r mador
coax anuers ( ith the possible exception of CIT1 CIJSARFUR/Seventh
Army; are ensuring that their subordinate commanders are being educated.
and. 'i T'2 fined in this subject area, j Material -Jut out on this subject at
our major combat a:ms S hog F'orcin`, ^,nox and Sill -^- is spotuy,
k~ Ol ' do v r nt.z
s' elfisa~ and '' 7 c ~_ches little in this area (or
I. the t a : ; ~- ,? e in ~~pas -:: ); and, she senior service colleges generally
'; 1 that this is so
Coviously, e.re are a n u...:e-_ cf reasons for the existing state of
:firs, ass- i ( my ,,,..,.,_.7 is correct in the first place. I
::G fill n_)..
a
e
ou^ :;tense L:.-ion ri;L''vl? Viet-Nam, the very real
d1C-- es in obt^._ni> t ? elligence on the Soviet Armed
c c .9 our c 1 ten 1' :.O i:::`- in :iitli being able to man
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CO 7? _
,__ , .i ,
VGl,. .:~~. a JG w'J 10 Ji'.. .~.~
J.,ion of eii:.n:- t?:e Zinser an'
1. T
a f.e=-:?; In this connection,
c ~~.: .,.a -, ny las ~, itt ee assie n-,tents,
Co,,,..,,,.Tndor, Assistant Commandant,
irhoroc n. So, we were
as an-,,one else, because i also did
oirt The ] i :t _....;i : hould be done about iJ-?
'Gv: y ' -Sc IS C l:~ i..i_ ?i noV 1 or new in this thesis, nor
am I in ~.rny7' sense to ..'i to it It has come un a number of
T,i ::;e:: CBioi i ,3 iV have t7 ed -- and still -are
tying - to do sofmac; hLne , For e uil+ole'
, years ago I. October 1951,
;.C e ase ), ' e i e y -ry;f '
. o , .- t , l.t t. 7
rt jor General Alex Polling,, Sr.,
c'r'?["oveci t C'.; tabla, ,:'..., of _:ii p:roue of highly qualified ex-
Soviet off. c-ers in :,r oLd =ost L)1... ice building in do,., nto':':1 :,r
1shi
to act as co'nsulta.nt :O he U"d r V on cuiestions pertainingto the
-.is r"ro"Lio enjoyed its greatest r7ro-
ducti'ilty he to ;....'t? of ',ther of your illustrious Predecessors. jor G nera:L 'Toil a ill iii priority on the develop-
;
rant and 'lrublication o` SEi"'ie o handbooks on the Soviet Armed Forces
i t is my est i_' . ^-.se OSOC t;:JOiCS, developed I ith the 'help of
these ex ovie , o f?ice `y J.%,,C .. . e 1. received throng hoi;et t he f
i= you may know, i 11.5 in existence in IN A called, r
believe, the but its value has been
d. mi n ish i through ,.... i O gin al members and their SL` ,.cti
ti.o_1 with i . _.Gi'i l r ::.~. " rii2. .`?_..'ieJ ex-So'riet and r s +,
+..a .urone n
military personne- es in the 1950, s and 1960
J
^. ... ;b.]_am area occurs: e.d in the S.. Spring of
9 3, L~isi'J the Yugoslav Deputy Chief of S"af
:i- '
-
e
n vedero -e ?nErat KVeder, a
pos -,:a graduate of !`; 01"0 _._+]V , 'ne, a.l : toff Academy in Mosco.V'
ti. ,
i s ited and le c leu ad a L se vices -~ shho':1s and col1ees
_ g c.,~
during ? is ... y in left behind his lecture notes
.n i slides ._ :_
v o
i r
small staff section'sy
on l,._ _i. +,..i .a. __? e suric: school
.e which con-
GO ;r be sic question is -- does their
speci fically, is UST?' o/
C, 0
almo_t I",
-~ ..1 ,/) C D;' wart of the .iT ob e ; s
in e ^.r a o i Soviet `r_'iund
'S a
!?, of "G't1l? _ i 71
a actg. i.` 3
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_ r 5 ;iC ~.
C
So t
U.' as T-eGSr?. hic
E
S.:
v' SIC?, t ;ice . ( r
;r. . rich pert,ai n to spec~i is
#: L L. f C'L'C11 c.a t LY Include sub--rec.airs--
;~t6 ,: v:. _..a i::i~ C:1.?`~.`: lc- urban-',-;GVC"..''nti'.C'.u.1 and
nand
.. v.! $U? C ia:v u j a''ur Jli. ': y :.?1 .::"o- t t do ;: e o T or one thing, a tells
ells
cl. rl t ' 1 ~j v we 1:;. z,.. ho-- :),'.-.?.C:C home who is going to do
to his reouesto On the
GL le_ hand, the absence y a:-rcit S.f.1 R t s on Soviet tactics :ioul
cn ces - tip,, there a ^~ no t' L ., a ers fcr such a collection effo": t
and' i have ho rd time
cc _ s He=ro, vapid.
C' .. f:-c! U.L on at Z 11S juncture. T t
u to .,.... Ge.._._._ ^o,:rvont. in the Soviet TTnion,
_C t;_ons Placed on our activities
i ._. ._ i'"v ?'u v"/ :' :4e;, 1;. .. ~_i? ;fir es::lr u
US a.dminist.t,ratiG:ns t s
a l'z,uc;e ec:: rd ne nen to 'u.ri possib'Llity o.-:' Getenie
U. ; .,,,.< ti I c) ; and 'ed. oseraticna~_ uiu.elY nes are
ti0' CUi0n aCt- 's9 to avoid
to efforts
S
?^, ,- may-.
Lhas we are trying very
or not -- we have .+i.h
h t ? ? ~ ,...,_ h
..... c._c~ / ~ ;/_ ;~, 'i;~`.... _. ,.,, ., .,:5'i'.'~;"i;~ i ri our local reiatio is :ri'C/
-"'a-- this 14nor treno
and i
,
.
vt.l on station.)
All
le
the cinit of ; s s
c ..,_~.. _. _... a'. *,-;i;,1 the banes i-
h
L
is a boo;{ S GJ.r^
\.. \ 11 its reads and understands
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substantive and relatively non-
vUi ..'\~-'i~..L...r....._ I'D L.t._.. ~, ..._i.., {.,.t .~ ._,..._U .... .1 cc c_1?1niCs a glass it tn a SV?iet
G
_.L Y l t', a V has u('c i1 my e erience, as el i
as that of i"ii i St ovi t Officers on occasion
disc : ,s c`_c som reedom0 But weapons s rstens?
e e "_. o t :is letter for some sample ideas
of ..ii. l we can do .ir on t .,.coil scene,)
This GQ S not _:t :..__ : t'G .,_... ) is in a position now -- or ever
s.._l ? oe --- t:o o 'ovr3 . ,.._. _ .l reams of reports on Sovie
Prod "Forces tactical and related ^ubjectsc T Te have never
been able to do :~n..Ly or any ?ubjj-Cto ~'Te can focus here,
ho rieve r, on daps carid 'iTi~i:i.s in v... .:.no:?lledge of Soviet !'Tround Forces
tactical doctrine, hi ii rot been able to fill by other mean s
0
To do this, "et .- e d a .='t=? __ .,'i1_, -' " 3.._car -an-a' definitive statement of L?ll
t e _,_Lnly on those specific cuestions to which
ans':rers are uir d i.: doc ~~;:?':.._:>? area , And that is the real purpose
of t
s a related a soul Ct ca-~.',. to your attention and
that of informational 'I I__ I- h . for er Tr'.i LA!P , Colonel
N 1: ia: F Scott, on station as 4IRA, since my
~rrival) ar re,,~^= _. L:r tie in the related field o_
o-triet military s -_?r,. co-- d o ti _ ne, he patterns and trends of
So ie V / N.: 1,.: `_~_. `: 'L~~ )u '_'U3 ... ?7 _... .. .. ...:.rch and Clial,~'T L. cal VI. oced Ares in
!c S . 'hee _C by key Soviet, military figures
as e ?~'Jnent5 G O _ ` p r o p o s i t i o n , etc. That no
vroduct is rather nu-zling to Pic,
. i:.: reaction to his efforts ce
_ c_a ~?'':e ..,_ c. sup olon l Scott would endeavor
ll v' cc re soon J lfl VG .j \. ..._ _..r :: J' .l .,_?v ~..J concerning Soviet s V1^ateg
to him
i.i~Y?' =-; i?.:~. in ?^^~_ 7 y
' .^?1'. 1'?l. V::c.~ ..i'./.:l ]^ ! Lc T,LJ shop G~
O V the ' ^~ :e '
..' he could c re i i01133A001200060013-6
DANI-ZC
Brigadier General Samuel V. Wilson
one, is the instruction provided at our schools and command emphasis
after schooling has been completed. I am examining the adequacy of the
training provided at the Army Intelligence School and the intelligence
instruction provided at other Army schools. A major task currently
under study is the reorientation of our instruction from a relatively
low-intensity conflict in Southeast Asia to a high-intensity one in
Europe. Information on Soviet tactical doctrine is becoming more
important as this shift occurs.
I appreciate your thoughtful suggestions and welcome any others you may
have in the future.
Sincerely,
PHILL;' B. DAVIDSON, JR.
Major General, GS
ACofS for Intelligence
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r-:.,nc--+
PeL,~:l~il . y : . 1' C ilez
that T did rot fri-, to rcr e you Prior
to tt fro .?. Vf.~_lN ~.:!7ti Ir or the other., .1.. hope- that VII:L
his in your
this. twotr., n cvex~, ;.~>x raps by. your ti:f;
",:Ice tells its Orn stor This
i ut arm T am hCmtnf for c
--QL. l~t~~f e~rr~_G?f:f., tyt
. 'r i1:'. 1. '{, v-?': ~:+ ter' - r v ''' > ;i:_i (~ rofess ( ?} .
IOS"1 in
T T"
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Y?.t'ti ;' '.'1 ,d :~o ,'i tl:~c?QCs
. ..?E_ _Y. / j5_ s
r. sn9 TS ..its lA
s you 1: ill '"-d+1 t'' ieLtr.'.r ? `'i ihil id ..11?
-{
I'm. tt~.Ln '~iP s~d. :