LETTER TO LIEUTENANT GENERAL VERNON WALTERS FROM (Sanitized)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01731R001900050018-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 17, 2003
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: July 24, 1972
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2003/07/29 : CIA-RDF)80R01731 R001900050018-2
STAT
24 July
Lieutenant General Vernon 'salters
Deputy Director
Central Intelligence Agency
.ashington, D. C. 20505
Thank you so much for your nice note and invitation to call dated
15 June. I received it when we returned from a marvelous two-week
n to Tangier so I could get II STAT
sojourn in Spain (with a side t.ri)
to "cone with me to the Casbail" - which we were fortunate enoug to
squeeze in between summer Reserve annual training evaluations and
tours. .re travelled both ways via "Space Available" - (from Mc Guise
"YOB, NJ to Torrejon A B outside I .drid; return from Torrejon to Dover
`tFB in Delaware) - and with the 30 day advance booking permitted 06s
and above it worked just as we planned! I e highly recorunend it:
.e were in >1ashington (at the Shoreham) for the Civil Affairs Association
Conference 21,-26 June - but the schedule was so tight and the flood waters
were so threatening we considered it best not to try to call you Friday
afternoon when we arrived - and of course we didnt want to disturb you on
the weekend.
I will be in rashinggton again on 15 August enroute to observe some reserve
civil affairs unit training at Fort Drag; (New York based control head-
quarters I advise). I expect to call on n the Pentagon STAT
(Deputy >ss't Sec Def - M:r,,i; a longtime friend, he's interested in obtaining
ny informal views on certain reserve matters), and i hope to at least chat
on the telephone with I - (Chief Colonels Div - OPO) about my
next (possibly last) Army assignment. (I must retire in 176 unless selected
for _a Colonel by the board now in session - then 17,). W'7e're hoping for a
return to the Far East or Southeast Asia in a meaningful roll in early 173;-
otherwise we'll ask for a California (Palo Alto is home) or Hairaii spot
(any kind) and begin to prepare for the next (civilian) career (whatever
that may be) while serving in a more comfortable clime.
I'm enclosing a copy of my unsolicited reply to the Army Chief of Staff t s
memo announcing amalgamation of the a7.itary Assistance Officer (Ma) and
Foreign Area Specialist (FAS) training programs which may interest you.
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24 July 1972
I sincerely believe that your firm should begin to take an active
interest in the training and utilization of FAOTB officers; not only from
the standpoint of improved mutual understanding which would derive for
both DOD (Army) and your Agency through exchange utilization of these
people in the course of their training and general professional develop-
ment, but also because they will ultimately provide a very useful skilled
manpower pool (even after military retirement) to satisfy special mission
or short term project requirements. (11,elatively inexpensive too!).
Reciprocal loan to DOD of some of your career people may not be a bad idea
either. If you don't want to become directly involved at this time
perhaps some of your personnel or recruiting people might look into it -
H former OSS Det 101 type -1 1 STAT
Intern=ational & Civil Affairs Directorate CTAT
Chief' ODCSOPS, DA., is a i ussian grad. with continuing personal and
professional interest in this program -; he may be the best infonial contact
if you wish to explore the subject now yourself. T believe
expects a new assignment soon., so contact should probably be made before
long. LTG Richard Stilwell., DCSOPS., DA, is - of course - the prime mover
for FA0.1Z in ODCSOPS I'm sure - and you may wish to make informal inquiries
directly to him in connection with other coordirp tion matters.
Sorry this is so long.
I'll try to call at least from the airport - during my mid-August passage
through /ashington.
1 Incl
as
STAT
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18 July 1972
SUBJECT: Foreign Area Officer Management System (FAO, S)
Chief of Staff, United States Army
ATTN: DAMII-.DSI_T
V.'ashington, D. C. 20310
I received may copy of your 19 June 1972 letter (copy enclosed) 'concerning
ralg ma.tion of the MAO and FAS programs yesterday and I feel impelled to
respond in Order to say that I an absolutely delighted to learn of this
decision.
Ever since I completed the FAST program (Chinese) in 1957.1 have been
disappointed in its implementation from the DA level. I have been able
to ensure repeated area specialization related tours of duty in Vietnam
c.nd Taiwan - and less directly related but uacful tours of duty in CONUS
(including my current reserve component advisory assi ment) for ZE21f
hrou h frequent correspondence and personal contact with OPO and not
i ."-?.rsuent "volunteering" for what may have appeared to others to have
.,:3 lc-:3s desirable duty assi gents (in Vietnam and Taiwan). I have
felt a growing suspicion ho, ever, that other FAST graduates nay not
h ve had such a variety of area specialization related duty assignments
34- i
)ly because they were not quite as aggressive in seeking them - or
P6 ap because they feared that failure to follow the traditional branch
car(;cr pa vtern might render them less competitive than their contemporaries
he c':est for higher rank and senior service school selection. This
conclusion - or tendency to "fol c.w the crowd" rather than the
die gates of logical career "specialization" training and experience - can.,
it seems to me, only be effectively prevented by strong and constant
guidance and supervision from the upper echelons of the DA staff. It
appears to me that this is what your recent decision concerning the two
programs clearly indicates for the future.
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18 July 1972
SIJBJ?CT: Foreign Area Officer Mana;emerst System (F/Oi4S)
While I fervently hope that OPCOL ,4 11 soon find a suitable
,octal ization related assignment for me in the Far East (in response
to y mcent. request), I applaud your arral amation decision not so
.retch for its direct affect on riy rcmainin active duty years, but
rather because I see in your action a clear indication that this
important tra3nnjn, and aalection program la - at long last ? to be
revitalized wand expanded, as it should be., in the interest of
enhancin both def n e and other govean,z;et agency effectiveness in
irplameftin