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2012-12-03 Home Front: Politix

DIA sending hundreds more spies overseas

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Posted by tipper 2012-12-03 01:47|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 Nothing says clandestine like an announcement in a news release.

Posted by Besoeker 2012-12-03 01:56|| 2012-12-03 01:56|| Front Page Top

#2 A good move IMO.

I think political CIA spies in the Internet age is dumb, but military spies makes sense. You can't measure military morale from a satellite.

Posted by phil_b 2012-12-03 02:30|| 2012-12-03 02:30|| Front Page Top

#3 The services (Army, USAF, Marines, Navy) had trained human intelligence (HUMINT) personnel until DIA convinced the congress in the early 1990's that they could of course, do it better. Lost to DIA also was the vital service logistical support elements that enabled the HUMINT effort.

The services obviously ended the Military Occupational Skill (MOS) training for those positions when they lost they mission. Lost also was the excellent service connection and interface to the CIA. Military HUNINT personnel were senior folks who came with a wealth of prior training in languages, counterintelligence, and other skills. It was a sad time for the services, particularly the Army.

The DIA 'got by' with the power grab for with limited success for a time by hiring retiring or exiting service members. When those dried up, the started hiring college kiddies.

Training and "sending hundreds more spies overseas" is a somewhat misleading statement. Training a Foreign Area Officer (FAO) or Economics person to work out of an embassy and attend dinners and trade shows is one thing. Training and supporting someone who can clandestinely penetrate a foreign organization or network is quite something else again.

A "transformation" of DIA is indeed necessary and long overdue. As a US Government showcase for Affirmative Action and the advancement of wymin, along with being the employer of the largest number of Senior Executive Service (SES) of any agency in the gov't, I doubt change will come any time soon.

It takes a very long time to build a real spy. Good luck ye beltway bastids.

Posted by Besoeker 2012-12-03 06:27|| 2012-12-03 06:27|| Front Page Top

#4 Probably just an anouncement, no actual spies involved. At least it might get the enemy to waste time turning over a few rocks.

Posted by Glenmore 2012-12-03 07:54|| 2012-12-03 07:54|| Front Page Top

#5 "Nothing says clandestine like an announcement in the news"

Don't worry - they will all be wearing jeans and tank tops. No-one will spot them :-)

Posted by Raider 2012-12-03 10:47|| 2012-12-03 10:47|| Front Page Top

#6 Don't worry - they will all be wearing jeans and tank tops. No-one will spot them :-)
Posted by Raider

What will the DIA female recruits be wearing Raider ?

Posted by Besoeker 2012-12-03 11:51|| 2012-12-03 11:51|| Front Page Top

#7 Hey Besoeker - you have to remember than all the young kids watch NCIS on television. So they all want to dress like "those agents". And make the same jokes, too :-)

Posted by Raider 2012-12-03 12:53|| 2012-12-03 12:53|| Front Page Top

#8 Nothing says clandestine like an announcement in a news release.

Unless you want to strangle the idea before it gets enacted.

Posted by Pappy 2012-12-03 13:04|| 2012-12-03 13:04|| Front Page Top

#9 Right Pappy....or you wish to insulate the 'high-grades' and tenured career employees with a fresh crop of probationary new hires in advance of pending DoD cuts. Burn up the FY-2013 budget before it gets slashed.

Posted by Besoeker 2012-12-03 13:11|| 2012-12-03 13:11|| Front Page Top

#10 But if it's a repeat of the Clinton era GS-4 'local hires', you can guarantee that something else is going to be be cut.

Posted by Pappy 2012-12-03 16:16|| 2012-12-03 16:16|| Front Page Top

#11 Col. Flagg RIDES!

Posted by Shipman 2012-12-03 17:00|| 2012-12-03 17:00|| Front Page Top

#12 In this era of OWG + "Globalism", I'm interpreting this announcement to mean that Military + Civie INTEL are now officially one + the same, or at least in most aspects.

Truth be told, have been for a while.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2012-12-03 18:43|| 2012-12-03 18:43|| Front Page Top

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