Blog
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Dec 01, 2018 Honoring the Legacy of George H.W. Bush—the 11th Director of Central Intelligence
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Oct 29, 2018 DCIA Haspel Presented with the 2018 William J. Donovan Award
On Saturday 20 October, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society presented DCIA Haspel with the William J. Donovan Award in recognition of her service to the United States of America. The purpose of the award is to recognize someone who has exemplified the distinguishing features that characterized General Donovan’s lifetime of public service to the United States as a citizen and soldier. Director Haspel is only the second woman and ninth CIA Director to be bestowed with this honor.In its introduction of Director Haspel, the OSS Society showed a film that honored the impact and influence of women in the OSS, who paved the way for Director Haspel to lead the CIA. In her acceptance speech, the Director highlighted the achievements of America’s intelligence officers, including US efforts in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and the operation to track down Usama bin Ladin. In accepting the Donovan Award, the Director acknowledged and thanked the men and women of the CIA who came before her and those who serve today.
To learn more about the OSS, click here.
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Oct 11, 2018 National Disability Employment Awareness Month at CIA
At Director Gina Haspel’s first public address on 24 September, she highlighted diversity and inclusion as one of her top priorities. In line with that priority, CIA leadership is working to raise awareness of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).
CIA is hosting keynote speakers and holding weekly panels in October, focusing on topics such as blind/low vision, deaf/hard of hearing, physical/mobility challenges, and hidden disabilities. These sessions allow officers to learn about what they can do to make CIA’s culture more inclusive. Each session consists of Agency officers telling their unique stories, sharing their accomplishments, and discussing what they wish everyone knew about their challenges.
While NDEAM may only last for one month, CIA is working hard to increase awareness and making our online tools more accessible. As part of our recruitment efforts, CIA recently created an Ability Talent Broker position and posted new Personal Assistance Services to ensure CIA applicants with disabilities are given reasonable accommodations during their hiring process.
At CIA, National Disability Employment Awareness Month is an opportunity to continue acknowledging and celebrating the vast contributions of CIA officers with disabilities, promoting cultural understanding, and highlighting disability employment issues.
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Oct 03, 2018 CIA Director Gina Haspel's Speech at the University of Louisville
On September 24, 2018, CIA Director Gina Haspel returned to her home state of Kentucky to speak at the University of Louisville, as part of the McConnell Center's Distinguished Speaker Series. Director Haspel shared her perspective on leading the Agency and outlined her six strategic priorities.
A transcript of the Director's speech is available here.
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Sep 26, 2018 Mi-17 JAWBREAKER Helicopter Arrives at CIA Headquarters
On September 26, 2001, CIA was “first in” taking the fight to al-Qa’ida following the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The JAWBREAKER team – led by Gary Schroen — flew this Mi-17 helicopter for the mission.
The Mi-17 helicopter arrived at CIA Headquarters this month to serve as a symbol of the Agency response.
For more information on the JAWBREAKER mission and CIA’s response in the aftermath of 9/11, see:
- On the Front Lines: CIA in Afghanistan
- FLASHBACK: Sept. 26, 2001--CIA is "First In" after September 11th Attacks
- Booklet: Devotion to Duty
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Sep 25, 2018 Alyse Nelson visited CIA on Friday, September 21
Alyse Nelson, Co-Founder, President and CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership, visited CIA on Friday, September 21, for a workforce engagement on leadership. Ms. Nelson shared leadership lessons from women she has worked with around the world and discussed the Vital Voices Leadership Model. She emphasized the importance of having a personal mission statement, leading from a place of empathy, connecting across lines that divide, taking risks, and paying it forward. CIA officers lined up after the session to chat with Ms. Nelson one-on-one. Ms. Nelson also met with members of the Director’s leadership team, the implementation lead for the Diversity in Leadership Study, and representatives from the Diversity and Inclusion Office to discuss the subject of women in leadership.
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Sep 09, 2018 CIA Unveils Memorial to Agency K9s
Down a winding path just beyond the Agency memorial pond—home to a cadre of colorful, fat, lazy koi—a new memorial dedicated to CIA’s K9 officers humbly sits upon a small hill, surrounded by grass, trees, and stones.
Earlier this year, the Agency unveiled a new stone monument to honor the dogs who have spent their lives in service to their country.
Carved from a roughhewn boulder, the monument features a paw print, the Agency seal, and an imprint of the Security Protective Service badge.
A simple, poignant inscription reads: “Dedicated to the past, present, and future canines of the Central Intelligence Agency. Their loyalty, courage, and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
To learn more about CIA’s K9 officers, see our 2017 CIA K9 Series, where for 16 weeks we followed the journey of a new “puppy class” as they learned the ins-and-outs of becoming CIA Explosive Detection Dogs.
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Aug 20, 2018 CIA Hosts Tony Dungy & James “JB” Brown for CIA Speaker Series
On Thursday, August 16th, CIA’s Office of Public Affairs hosted Tony Dungy, former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and James “JB” Brown, host of CBS Sports’ The NFL Today, for a CIA Speaker Series event at our Headquarters in Langley, VA.
During their visit to the Agency, Coach Dungy and JB met with officers from CIA’s Talent Center to discuss opportunities and challenges related to diversity and inclusion, as well as how to dispel common misperceptions about CIA to potential candidates.
Later that afternoon, JB interviewed Coach Dungy about his philosophy on leadership, teambuilding, dealing with setbacks, and living an “uncommon” life.
As they began the discussion, both JB and Coach Dungy acknowledged the work of the CIA officers and highlighted how much they had learned through their time at CIA.
“My eyes have been opened today,” Coach Dungy said. “Both James and I have a great deal more sensitivity—and frankly—just a sense of gratitude for what you do for our country.”
Coach Dungy discussed the lessons he learned from the most influential people in his life, including his parents, who were educators.
“My father taught me that the most important quality in a leader is humility,” Coach Dungy shared.
Coach Dungy also reflected on his time with Chuck Noll and the Pittsburgh Steelers—where Dungy played for two years and later served as an assistant coach—and the impact Noll made on his life.
When asked what lesson has guided him through his life, Coach Dungy remarked, “If you really want to do something good, do something that helps others. Don’t look for sympathy. Look for what you can do to make the situation better. To be good at what you do, you have to be able to reach everyone.”
The CIA Speaker Series was established in 2014 to provide CIA officers with the opportunity to hear leadership insights from private industry and national security though leaders.
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Aug 01, 2018 CIA Hosts Inaugural STEM Camp to Bolster STEM Recruitment
Today, CIA’s Directorate of Digital Innovation kicked off its first annual summer STEM Camp—a two-day series of engagements at CIA Headquarters designed to expose high school students to the ways in which a career in STEM can be leveraged at CIA.More than 35 high school juniors and seniors from around the country were selected to participate in the inaugural camp—which will include a series of engaging workshops, hands-on STEM challenges, presentations from senior officers from around CIA, mentoring sessions, as well as simulations designed not only to expose them to potential CIA careers, but also to encourage them to continue their STEM-related studies.
This event is a part of CIA’s continued effort to introduce the next generation of mathematicians, computer engineers, scientists, and individuals with foreign language capabilities to career opportunities at CIA.
To learn more about CIA careers, visit the Careers page on Cia.gov.
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Jul 26, 2018 That Time CIA Used Tiger Droppings as a Covert Tracking Device
July 29th is Global Tiger Day, an annual day to celebrate the tiger and to raise awareness for the approximately 3,900 wild tigers left in the world today. Found primarily in the rain forests, grasslands, and savannas of Asia, wild tiger populations have dropped 97% over the last hundred years, making tigers an endangered species. During the Vietnam War era, however, the Indochinese tiger population was healthy and thriving, providing the CIA a creative way to covertly track the movement of the Northern Vietnamese and Viet Cong.
Starting in 1955, the Vietnam War was a decades-long conflict between the communist government of North Vietnam and the government of South Vietnam. Considered a proxy of the Cold War, the North Vietnamese army was supported by communist allies like the Soviet Union and China, while the South Vietnamese army was supported by the United States, South Korea, and other anti-communist allies.
During the war, the US needed a way to monitor the opposition’s location and movement, which was instrumental in strategic planning.
That’s where tigers came in.
CIA technologists invented what is known as the seismic intruder detection device. It could be strategically placed to monitor movements up to 300 meters away. However, our scientists had to disguise the technology as an object that would blend into the natural habitat, while at the same time repel interest. Since tigers are native to Vietnam and were found in larger numbers 50 years ago, they provided the ideal cover.
The detection device was designed to look like tiger droppings.
- Seismic intruder detection device. Photo by CIA Museum.
Today, we continue to develop creative technical collection systems to further US national security objectives. Whether it’s a reconnaissance satellite circling the earth, invisible ink concealing coded messages, or a seismic intruder detection device hidden inside faux tiger droppings. Throughout history, CIA has always utilized cutting-edge technology to tackle the nation’s hardest intelligence challenges.
- George HW Bush
The men and women of the Central Intelligence Agency join the nation in mourning the loss of one of the most influential and beloved directors in the Agency’s history.Thirteen years before becoming the President of the United States, George H.W. Bush served as the 11th Director of Central Intelligence (DCI). Many believed leading the CIA would mark an end to his political career. Instead, Bush became the only US president to have previously held the position of DCI, which gave him a unique perspective on both providing and receiving intelligence.
George H.W. Bush served as Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) from January 1976 to January 1977, just ten days shy of one full year. Though his tenure was limited, his accomplishments were not. Bush joined the Agency at a tumultuous time when morale was at an all-time low. He believed strongly in the mission of the Agency, and he believed in the CIA officers serving their nation. As DCI he immediately established himself as a leader who restored the morale and reputation of the CIA.
Legacy at Langley
George H.W. Bush is remembered as one of the CIA’s most impactful and significant directors. His tenure provided a meaningful and helpful “calm between the storms” for the Agency in the 1970s. As the first DCI who had served in Congress, Bush had the political influence to reshape the way the Agency was viewed among its most important stakeholders—the President of the United States and US Policymakers. He did this by focusing on protecting the objectivity and independence of the CIA. Bush truly loved the job of DCI and frequently referred to it as “the best job in Washington.”
In 1999, by Congressional order, the CIA Headquarters compound in Langley, Virginia was renamed the George Bush Center for Intelligence, honoring Bush’s life’s work as a public servant and for setting CIA on a positive trajectory after a time of great troubles at the Agency.
George H.W. Bush was the only producer, as Director of Central Intelligence, and consumer, as President of the United States, of intelligence in a single career. The respect and admiration that still exists 40 years after Bush’s short tenure as DCI speaks volumes to the legacy he left at CIA.
Though we grieve the loss of a remarkable man and leader, we are honored to have had the privilege to serve under his leadership.
To learn more about George H.W. Bush’s tenure as DCI, click here.