STUDY OF THE CAREER IMPACT OF TWO-YEAR HARD LANGUAGE TRAINING ON DO OPERATIONS OFFICERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-00896R000100190001-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 22
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 31, 2001
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: July 11, 1976
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Releas"L2001/03 rIt -RDP81
-' YlC-
DD/A Registry
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director of Central Intelligence oTR Registry'`
FROM : John H. Waller
Inspector General
SUBJECT : Study of the Career Impact of Two-Year
Hard Language Training on DO Operations
Officers
1. Action Requested:
Your approval of the additional incentives for hard language
training, stated at paragraph 4, is requested.
2. Background:
In the course of our recent survey of East Asia Division,
I received a complaint from a group of officers in the Station
that their promotions had been delayed or denied because promotion
panels did not credit the two years they spent in "hard" language
training. As a result, this Office has investigated their complaint
and prepared a study of the general issue of the impact of long-
term language study on the careers of DO operations officers. A
copy of this study is on the right-hand side of the attached folder.
3. Conclusions:
This study concludes that:
a. While operations officers may have been set back
in promotion considerations in the past because they were
enrolled in a two-year, full-time language course, they
are currently faring well in comparison with their con-
temporaries. It is recognized that, in individual cases,
selection or nonselection for promotion may have occurred
for other reasons. However, as a group, their prospects
have improved markedly during the past year. Further,
there is evidence that the attainment of hard language
proficiency is an asset in later career prospects.
25X1A
All portions of this
memorandum are classified ORIGINAL CL BY 055636
SECRET ^ DECL 2'9EVW ON July 1999
SECRET EXT BYND Y 2, 5636
HH13~U
REASON
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP81-00896R000100190001-7
 Approved For ReleasY2001 /03/04: SEC
CIA-RDP81-0089600100190001-7
b. The personal attention of the Deputy Director for
Operations and his Chief of the Career Management Staff
in instructing Directorate promotion panels to consider
time spent in long-term language study as equal to case
officer work has been successful in ensuring equitable
treatment. There is a need to strengthen formal guidance
in this area.
c. These efforts and the new language incentive award
program proposed by the Office of Training will provide
additional incentive for operations officers to study hard
languages. While this may be sufficient, I believe that a
more substantial reward, such as a one-time step increase,
on completion of a two-year course of hard language study
may be needed. This need may not be so apparent now when
there is so much attention being given to language incentives
and management and promotion panels are keenly aware of this
problem, but the natural dynamic will be for special attention
on linguists to lapse and for promotion panels to make their
judgments on more observable accomplishments than language
proficiency. [Copies of the Deputy Director for Operations'
comments on our study and the Deputy Director for Adminis-
.tration's proposal to you on the new language incentive pro-
gram are on the left-hand side of the attached folder.]
4. Recommendation:
That you approve the recommendation at paragraph 15 of the
attached study and discussed in paragraph 3.c. above to award a
one-time step increase to officers who successfully complete a two-
year course of study in a hard language.
(signed)
John H. Waller
John H. Waller
Attachment:
As Stated
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
cc: DDO
Approved - Release 2001/03/04: CII-RDP81-00896R000100190001-7
C Pf1
 Approved For Relpaij 1S0Mt03MASMQT 1FW 1-00896R000100190001-7
T0: Name, office symbol, room number,
building, Agency/Post)
EA/TR
Initials
Date
2.
DTR
4.
C/LS--~~
C S
0 ~~
!3.
DDTR
Q'
on
File
Note and Return
roval
For Clearance
Per Conversation
Requested
For Correction
Prepare Reply
irculate
For Your Information
See Me
mment
Investigate
Signature
Coordination
Justi
ILLEGIB
DO NOT use this form as a RECORD of approvals, concurrences, disposals,
clearances, and similar actions
FROM: (Name, org. symbol, Agency/Post)
Approved For Ihdg ~0Q1,t0A40,4~:,~~~Q-RDA
6669100"0001-7
 i -~ UNCLASSIFIE INTERNAL CONFIDFNTIAL x SECRET
u ^..:, L' ONLY I ^
F--Approvea., or a ees %7ff A;;~, 0-9 "
SUBJECT: (.Optional)
Study of the-Career Impact of Two-Year Hard Language Training on
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
1/18 ` /26
U2~-Zr
OFFICER'S I COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom !
26V A I Io whom Draw a hne across column aner each comment,)
'~C.Y'1 A
1t-
QQ~ a(r(
25X1,
LASSIFIED
 ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (Optional)
Study of the Career Impact of Two-Year Hard Language Training on
DO Operations Officers
FROM:
Ins
ector Gener
l
EXTENSION
NO.
- -- -
p
a
6E19 Hqtrs. Bldg.
6565
DATE
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
DATE
OFFICER'S
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
INITIALS
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
1. DDA
7D18 Hqtrs. Bldg.
3.
6.
10.
11.
12.
13.
- -
-
14.
15.
-
4 7
FORM
3-62
gtt'For Re eesi lfOd#03/04 : CIA-RDPa~ilO kQA J1bb190001 L SECRET
off DV EDITIONS NF1DENTIAL USE ONLY UNCLASSIFIED
 Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP81-00896R000100190001-7
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP81-00896R000100190001-7
 2001/03/0 DP81-0089GR00010019 fWY7?71: N .
Approved For Rele
w $~_
~--7 11-:~ ~,q
MEMORANDUM FOR: Inspector General
FROM John N. McMahon
Deputy Director for Operations
SUBJECT Draft Study on DO Hard Language
Students
1. The IG study on the career impact of two-year hard
language study on DO operations officers covers a problem
with which we have been concerned for some time. As your
report states, this situation is improving as a result of
the emphasis which we are now placing upon the acquisition,
maintenance and use of foreign languages, particularly the
hard languages.
2. An interdirectorate task force chaired by the
Director of Training has just completed a study on language
incentives. The recommendations of this task force are
pertinent to the IG study.
3. This Directorate is in the process of establishing
a program of cash awards for those officers who acquire and
maintain a high degree of proficiency in the hard languages.
It is our expectation that officers who spend two years in
such training will no longer suffer in comparison with
their peers "on the street" when being considered for
promotion.
4. One point which I should like to make is that I
feel that the comments in paragraph 9 (page 11) concerning
the attitude of the previous Deputy Director for Operations
toward the need for foreign language training is not fair or
accurate. It is my understanding that, on the contrary, he
was very much concerned about the lack of language ability
in the Directorate.
25X1A
ohn N. McMahon
DERIVATIVE CL BY 001701
^ DECL M REVW ON June 1999
Approved For Release 2001/03/0~`C
F_ DPBIQO~t91R~000100~01-7
 Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP81-00896R00010b190001-7
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP81-00896R000100190001-7
 Approved For Rele 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP81-0089GR000100190001-7
0TR 79-3722
M24ORAND M FOR: Deputy Director of Central irtelli ence
FROM: Don 1. Iortman
Deputy- Director for Administration
SUBJECT.. proposed Agency Notice re C:IA Language
Frogran
3. Attached is the proposed Agency notice announcing
a new language incentive --rogram. It has been agreed to by
~' ' ''F4 t':.;
t't',~rc3sCt31t~tt,lY+~3 sa'om V he Di.O, a? , D :~~iS2.'i t and t. e P...DA, who
serve on a worhtng Iwve3 implementiino ittoe. a'raft
copies were also sent to the Comptroller, the Legislative
%ounsel, a.-id t -4e 01"ffics9 of I inane- for their information.
f. This notice w `l' serve as a `r-=ewcr k within w ich
each directorate will issue Its owu additional guidance
prior to I October 1979 concera.iu trio specific implcrnenta-
tio n of the awards proaran.
3. Concern has been expressed by the coittee
embers r egardisng the financing, of the i ew program; the
directorates appear to be incapable of funding the program
without s=plezeatal funds. ;sing FY 1973 statistics, the
range of first-year costs for language use awards is esti-
natcd to be between $813,000 and $1,710,000. The first
flauro re.-resents language use payments of S1,300 per year
for the 629 Unit Language R3quirer:ents (UT..JL) filled by
qualified personnel, and the latter figure could be the cost
is all 1,315 ULRs were to qualify for award payments. The
iirectoratos will uadouhted;.y redefine the UL Rs which may
result in an increase in the total number of potential
cos arils. Achievement awards d.uriug the first year nay aunt
to an additional S1SO,CO0. No maintenance awards will be
.,aid during the.initial year of the prograa. The co=ittee
wishes to alert you to the funding requized for this program
the next fiscal year.
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP81-00896R000100190001-7
 Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP81-0089GR000100190001-7
`s,IBJLC:": Proposed Agency 'otica r:` CIA LanZ~uage Program
4. Questions related to airec __oratc focal points of
resx ons ibility for the program, t e mean of natii.y ing the
Off3ca of : inauce of beginning and ending iswgsagz: usw award
participa ts, -find other procedural issues are still to be
resoly i. These procedures nuit be -;.,r i?or~c among the
directorates.
S. Upon' your approval and si 3ntur e, the tics will
be lss=d.
Dan 1 W'ortzan
At tack an.t
Distribution:
Orig F
1
- Addressee, w/att
1