INTERVIEW WITH(Sanitized), DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS, REGARDING HISTORY OF OC, 1953-1956.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00161R000100030026-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 7, 2002
• Sequence Number: 26
• Publication Date: October 30, 1958
• Content Type: MFR

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30 October 1958
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
Sf$JECT; Interview wit
Communications, Office of Communica
History of 00 56,
Also present
r- 11 1
that he would furnish additional material and would answer additional
qu$stions. The first question was: What were the consequences of the
reorganization of February 1955 as far as OC was concerned?
He said that the transfer of OC from O/DCI to DD/S did not make much
difference. Gen. Cabell asked him if he had any objections to the trans-
fer being made. Gen. Cabell explained that the Director did not have time
to supervise the Office of Training and wanted it transferred to DD/S.
ILLE~IBIA
It would look like discrimination if OC was not transferred also.
told General Cabell and he also told the Director that OC
would cope with the change. He asked the Director to explain the situa-
tion to the OC staff which the Director did. OC has always gone to DD/S
for administrative support on personnel, budget and materiel. When
busy
OC was in O/DCI, D/CO did not feel free to go to the/Director on many
things. Being part of DD/S does facilitate coordination with other
elements of DD/S since D/CO went to DD/S staff meetings. It was also
useful to be briefed by DD/S on meetings of DCI's deputies. The new
arrangement did not change the practice of DDCI calling D/C0 directly
when the occasion arose.
2. Question: Wkxt Was there any rotation of communications career
personnel with personnel from other parts of the Agency?
He said that in general career communications officers did not rotate
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with officers from other parts of the Agency. Occasionally, there
were thansfers from OC to other components. When an individual ik O c
1i0 r~ e
wants to become an intelligence officer, he may request a transfer
Col. White said that he wanted OC to detail an officer to his staff
for two years. OC is unique in that its people are technical special-
ists in the field of communications and can make their best contribution
in OC. He said there were no experts in communications outside OC.
As for the electronics specialists in OL, they follow the specifications
made by experts in OC.
electronics engineers in OSI and that if any of them wanted to rotate
in order to get added practical experience, he would be receptive.
He did not think that Col. White intended OC to rotate its personnel
with other components. Rotation, as far as OC is concerned, is internal.
OC has its career service, mechanics for assignment, rota ion, and pro-
mttion. Many people have made a career of communications.
The head
of Special Projects is a electronics engineer who was chief of communica-
The rule is two years in headquarters and
two years abroad. He regards all of his GS-14 and above as generalists
in communications and they may be assigned anywhere they are needed.
He is preparing these men so that one of them may ultimately take his
place as D/C0. The Career Service Board is anxious to broaden the
experience of the promising young men. A cryptographer is given a
chance to learn other skills. The Board tries to do what is best for
the individual and what is best for the Agency.
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3. Question:What were the main developments in communications
training during the period?
They expanded the scope of training to keep pace with technological
developments. A radio operator now has to have advance technical
training in how to operate more complex electrical equipment which
OC is now using. Advances have been made in cryptographic equipment
as well. For 1:::jeople have been sent to school with NSA.
(He added that there have been many developments since 1956.)
4. Question: What part has OC played in the career development
plan?? In the JOT plan?
He said that OC has only had a small part in the JOT plan. The officials
in charge of the JOT program have very seldom recruited graduate engineers.
OC's usual practice is to recruit engineers and send them to their military
service. Some members of OC have applied for JOT appointments and have
been turned down on the ground that they did not have the right kind of
academic background. JOT has rarely recruited persons who are qualified
in the communications field.
As far as career development program is concerned, OC had the first
CSB. It spearheaded the career service. The Career Council decreed
that the CSB of OC would be the pattern for the whole Agency. OC
welcomed the CS development since it provided an orderly procedure to
insure that the best qualified persons were promoted when they deserved
promotion and not just when thej~ happened to be headroom. OC also
has a senior officer review panel which reviews the top grades.?R He
showed me a memorandum which indicated the rotation assignments for all
the top personnel. (This memo was dated-24 Oct., 1958)
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5. Question: What were the important developments in relations
between OC and DD/I during the period?
Hg felt that DD/I complex had increased comprehension of what OC could
do to support them and that OC had increased understanding of intelli-
gence needs. OSI and OC worked closely together in connection with an
international conference. (It was not until 1958 that OC took over the
OCI signal center.)
6. Question: What were developments in the communications net-
work?
For the FY 1957 there was an increase of 149 in the ceiling because
of the increased traffic. They added tributaries to some of the base
stations. They switched from manual to radio teletype. He said
that h3--1-, 9fftce would_turnish exact fi uresf on the i cress d tr1 cc.
L, i= i 53.
In l95 there were arouict million group a month and
there were over,* 1#-)million.
7. Question: What steps were taken to improve the efficiency of the
Message Center operation.
The Message Center Operation passed to the 0/DCI before the period under
discussion. OC has had no responsibility for it since.
8. What important contritutions were made to the development of
technical aspects of
radio broadcasting?
He said that he would have the Engineering and Operations divisions
look up the dates for such developments. He mentioned as a sample
snuggling and mimicking.
9. Question: What were the relations between OC and uring
period?
ffj~ATSPEC
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He said that the relations had been good.
lines. Later this monitoring station was moved to the S. F. area.
CC has been kept well informed
and has cooperated in the formulation of evacuation plans. I STATSPEC
has its own engineers.
10. Question: What happened to the work load of OC during the Period?
He said that he would furnish us with exact figures later. Since the
amount of traffics went up, it was necessary to increase personnel.
His T,,/O went from 1,002 in F'Y 1953 to 1473 in FY57. The work load
also increased for his supplemental programs. As traffic goes up,
OC can figure the personnel requirements exactly since it is known
how many groups a cryptographer can handle in a given time. CC
has a yardstick which the budget officers accept.
11. What were them relationships between CC and the military
communications people during the period?
There was no change in these relationships.
aid that 25X1 A
he knew the communications operations of the armed services well and
he maintained good relations with his former associates. Trey exchanged
information on research and development programs, and they formalized
the so-called support paper with all three serv~ces . Since my 1952
there has been increased collaboration with NSCAiveMtvtrrg exchange
of technical information. CC engineers discovered
which could reclear traffic. The military were interested in this.
12. Question: What was the comparative development of Agency and
Communist bloc communications capabilities during this period?
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This is a question for OSI not for OC.
13. Question:What improvements were made in the security of communi-
cations?
He said that chief of the Security Division, OC, would answer this.
When the US Communications Board was established it meant additional
installations and more equipment.
14.
had to leave at this point. He said that his
Office would cooperate in everyway possible to give us the information
which we needed. He mentioned the history of the earlier period but
he did not ask for it.
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