REQUEST BY THOMAS LATIMER TO DISCUSS QUALITY OF YOUNG OFFICERS COMING INTO THE CLANDESTINE SERVICE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R001200030039-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Sequence Number: 39
• Content Type: MEMORANDUM FOR

Approved For Release 2006/11r O9: C`I;9,;.RDP81M00980R001200030039-4
MEMORANDUM FOR: John N. McMahon
Deputy Director for Operations
FROM Frederick P. Hitz
Legislative Counsel
SUBJECT Request by Thomas Latimer to Discuss
Quality of Young Officers Coming
into the Clandestine Service
1. (C) Thomas K. Latimer, Staff Director, House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, requested a
20-30 minute meeting with you sometime in the next two
weeks. He wishes to get your impressions on the
quality of the young officers coming into the DDO. On
the one hand he has heard from former DCI William Colby
that the number and quality of applicants to the Agency
has never been higher. On the other hand he has heard from
some of the "old hands" within the DDO that the quality
and numbers coming into the DDO are not all that they
might be.
2. (S) In my view, he is confusing some different,
although related, issues. Those are:
a. He has heard that the Agency (specifically
the DDO) is losing (through pink slips and
retirement) language talents and counter-
intelligence expertise. He has also heard
that it will take some years to tool up those
currently on board and those coming in to
replace that which we have lost and are losing
through pink slips and retirements.
b. He has heard that the DCI has insisted
that the Career Trainee classes be enlarged --
significantly. He has also heard that the
Office of Personnel is having trouble in finding
as many qualified candidates as the enlarged
objectives of the DCI call for.
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c. He has heard former DCI Colby talk about
the vast numbers of applicants for Agency employment
and the high quality of those applicants.
d. He has also heard that the incoming officer
of today is differently (less idealistically)
motivated than were those who entered on duty
twenty and more years ago.
e. Lastly, he has heard that certain language
capabilities are drying up on us -- this in particular
regard to Chinese and other exotic languages for which
native dominance is needed in order to process tapes
from technical operations, etc.
3. (C) Thus, while Mr. Latimer's questions are about the
Career Trainees, I think that you will find that the essence
of his concerns is whether the DDO has sufficient expertise
in certain linguistic and professionally specialized areas
to continue to perform the job that is expected of it.
Obviously, the backgrounds and skills that. CTs bring into
the DDO bear on the problem; as do the inevitable retirements
of individuals with specialized and frequently unique skills.
4. (U) Please advise me of your availability to meet
with Mr. Latimer sometime in the next two weeks. He fully
appreciates the fact that you are busier than he and
wants to accommodate your schedule.
Frederick P. Hitz
'cc: Donald P. Gregg (C/PCS/LOC)
Distribution
Orig - adse
1 - OLC Subject
1 - OLC Chrono
OLC:MMP:sf (20 October 1978)
Approved For Release 2006/11/09: CIA-RDP81M00980R001200030039-4