CIA ESTABLISHES 35 AS AGE LIMIT FOR NEW SPIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000201560040-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 20, 2012
• Sequence Number: 40
• Publication Date: May 10, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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WASHINGTON TIMES
lU May 1985
CIA establishes 35 as age limit
for new spies
-By Tom Diaz
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
, James Bond - the famous agent
"1007" - needn't bother applying to
.the CIA these days.
He's too old.
Acting under a special law passed
by Congress, the super-secret intel-
'7igence agency has set 35 as the
maximum age for people newly
hired to work in its "operational
positions." _
The age limit applies to persons
hired from outside the agency for its
operations training program.
But it's much easier to find out
what the age limit is for an "oper-
ational position" than precisely what
it is one does in such a position.
An agency spokesman said "raper]
ational officers" are people who
;work in the agency's Directorate foil
Operations, in '-bureaucratic par-
lance, the DDO.
"The DDO is responsible for clan-
destine collection, which involves
humans in some capacity, and
nationally is responsible for U.S.
counter-intelligence abroad, and for
covert operations," the spokesman
said.
That sounds pretty much like
James Bond stuff to the popular ear,
but for details one has to refer to
other published sources. The CIA
has a policy of not even admitting it
is involved in any specific covert
operation, much less commenting
on the details of it.
But given the American fascina-
tion with the CIAs operational-
exploits - which actually account
for only a small part of its personnel
and resources - there are plenty of
books, novels and magazine articles
available that purport to provide the
inside story.
Some may even do so.
The latest annual oversight report
of the Senate select intelligence
committee provides an official, if
roundabout, insight into the murky
world of "certain positions" that the
committee says demand "highly
motivated individuals capable of
being trained in unique skills:'
The age limit, requested by the
CIA, was justified, said the commit-
tee, because "the stresses and
strains of uneven and uncertain
I hours of work, of duty in unhealthy
locations, and of arduous assign-
ments performed under difficult
and often dangerous conditions
require personnel who possess
vigor, vitality and endurance, as well
as emotional maturity."
By setting the new age standard,
the agency clears up a point of
criticism raised in the 1984 over-
sight reports of both the House and
Senate select committees on intel-
ligence:
Both committees took the agency
to task for not acting on special legis-
lation passed two years ago to allow
the agency to set age standards for
the positions.
The committee reports noted that
the CIA's delay in taking advantage
of the new law might make Congress
skeptical of the agency's need for
similar special legislation.
A spokesman said earlier this
week that the matter has been
cleared up now, after an internal
debate over exactly what the age
level should be.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/20: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201560040-7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/20: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201560040-7