RECOMMENDATION FOR THE AWARD OF THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL TO J. FOSTER COLLINS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84M00127R000200030040-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 2, 2007
• Sequence Number: 40
• Publication Date: September 16, 1982
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2007/05/02 : CIA-RDP84M00127R00020
Director 2 2 OCT 1982
Intelligence Community Staff
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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20220
September 16, 1982
MEMORANDUM FOR:_ Chairman, Intelligence Community
Awards, BRview Panel
FROM: o l >ulh{"lland,pecial Assistant
to th Secretary (National Security)
SUBJECT: Recommendation for the Award of the National
Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal to
J. Foster Collins
Under the provisions of Director of Central Intelligence
Directive 1/18, I highly recommend the award of National
Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal to J. Foster Collins
(SES 4). Mr. Collins, who retired at end of June this year,
was one of the long-time leaders in development of a true
Intelligence Community. and
from 1973 to 1982 he served the Community and the Department
of the Treasury, first as a deputy to the Special Assistant
to.the Secretary.(National Security) and, from 1977 to 1982,
as the Special Assistant to the Secretary. He served as
Treasury's alternate representative to the National Foreign
Intelligence Board (NFIB) from 1973 to 1977 and from 1977 to
1982 he was the Treasury representative on the Board.
In 1973, Foster Collins was assigned to the Department of
the Treasury as the Assistant to the Special Assistant to the
Secretary for National Security. Mr. Collins was charged
specifically with developing Treasury's role in the national
intelligence process. He carefully put together a team of
Treasury professionals and detail officers from the Central
Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the State
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Department to improve the integration of Treasury expertise
into the Community's effort to analyse the increasingly
complex international economic environment. He expanded
and formalized Treasury participation in the Intelligence
Community.requirements process. Mr. Collins also constantly
emphasized the importance of feedback to the intelligence
collector, and great strides were made in improving the flow
of Treasu v reaction back to the collectors.
In 1977 with a reorganization of the office of the
Secretary of the Treasury, Foster Collins was appointed the
Special Assistant to the Secretary (National Security) and he
became Treasury's representative to the NFIB. As head of the
Office of intelligence Support, he was faced with a fifty
percent reduction in staff and increasing requirements for
intelligence from within the Department and for increased
participation from the Intelligence Community. By priori-
tizing the efforts of his remaining staff, he was able to
meet these requirements with great success. His own dedication
and professionalism set the example.
One important new field of requirements was intelligence
support to law enforcement in several areas directly relevant
to US security interests. In the area of protective security,
Mr. Collins was a leader in the effort to assure that the US
Secret Service got all the intelligence from whatever source
that had bearing on the Service's protective security mission.
In the area of the responsibilities of the US Customs Service
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to the trade embargo against Iran, narcotics, and the transfer
of technology to potential enemies of the United States,
Mi.. Collins played a pioneering role. In the case of the
trade embargo against Iran, his relentless effort culminated
in.a memorandum of understanding whereby NSA product could be
judiciously sanitized and used for enforcement purposes. In
the strategically vital role of stemming the flow of critical
technology, he began the effort to increase the flow of intelli-
gence to target Customs interdiction efforts.. He encouraged a
closer sense of cooperation between the Customs Service and the
Intelligence Community to serve their mutual advantage. Through
Mr. Collins' efforts, a Customs Officer now serves on the
Technology Transfer Intelligence Committee staff.
In carrying out his NFIB responsibilities, Mr. Collins
constantly pressed for broader Treasury participation in the
intelligence process. While representing Treasury, his broad
experience ,allowed him to contribute to NFIB deliberations on
a wide range of matters.
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During his years serving the Intelligence Community,
Mr. Collins always had foremost in mind the human dimension
of the effort. Under the press of reduced staff and increased
responsibilities, Mr. Collins never lost his warm, personal
concern for the welfare of those he worked with and those who
worked for- him.. He was a highly dedicated professional in
every sense, and his genuine concern for others made him a
highly respected friend to all those who had the opportunity
to-know h?m. The award"of."the National Intelligence
Distinguished Service Medal is an-appropriate symbol of
recognition. for Mr..-.Cbllins, a stalwart of the Intelligence
Community, upon.his retirement. .. .
No-.Treasury Department award has been recommended covering
the service cited above.
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Proposed Citation to Accompany
the Award of the National Intelligence
Distinguished Service Medal
J. Foster Collins is hereby'awarded the National Intelligence
Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of his exceptionally
meritorious service to the United States and the Intelligence
Community-during his tenure on the Board of National Estimates
and his.appointment as Special Assistant (National Security) to
the Secretary of the Treasury. In the latter capacity he most
ably represented the Treasury on the National Foreign Intelli-
gence Board. His extensive knowledge of all aspects of the
intelligence process, his demonstrated ability to provide
leadership through his own exceptional professionalism, and
tenacity in making the intelligence product relevant to She
policymaker resulted in great improvement in the Intelligence
Community's ability to serve the United States Government. He
constantly strived to focus the efforts of the diverse elements
of the Intelligence Community on the economic dimension of
America's strategic posture. He was particularly instrumental,
in establishing a flow of intelligence to those Treasury elements
with a capacity to interdict the illegal transfer of critical
US technology to potential adversary nations. His sage and
thoughtful'support to the National Foreign Intelligence Board
on a wide range of issues is highly noteworthy. His excep-
tionally meritorious service reflects the highest credit upon
himself, the Intelligence Community, and the United States
Government.
!UIVCtASS1FIED