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~ATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE 

WASH INGTON, D.C. 

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THE NRO STAFF February 13, 1968 

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MEMORANDUM FOR GENERAL B~' SUBJECT: NRO Staff Action in Support of SAFSP 

Problem: 

To assess the NROStaff's performance i n providing assistance 

to SAFSP in solving a problem with DCAS. 

Background: 

Bill Bumm has sent us a TWX message which expresses, in 

restrained tones, his concern over a "leisurely" response by the 

NRO Staff to an SAFSP request for help (see Tab n. He thoughtfully adds my name to the end of his message as one who knows 

about the problem. My only "cognizance" was the knowledge that 

Bill was fairly unhappy over a recent series of events. To gather 

more facts on the situation, I called a meeting of Lou Mazza, Tom 

Haig, and Lisciotti this afternoon. 

The chronology of events runs something like this. During the 

week of 15 January, George Cooksey called Lisciotti to ask for 

assistance in establishing a beachhead at DCAS in conjunction with 

the need for overtime for government inspectors, who were to observe THRESHER qualification and acceptance tests at Airborne 

Instruments Laboratory. Lisciotti says he asked why SAFSP couldn't 

do this itself, pointing out "how difficult it is to do things of this kind 

at this leve l. II (Apparently he did not rece ive a reason or perhaps 

did not understand it: SAFSP must use a cut-out, like us, to deal 

with an organization like DCAS on its work at AIL, where the contract 

is black. ) 

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After some further discussion, Lisciotti attempted to contact 

our man in DCAS, Colonel Marshall, who is cleared. He got 

Colonel Schwab (uncleared) instead, who said he would call Captain 

Huebner, USN, (uncleared) who is Chief, DCA SO, at Garden City. 

Huebner needed more facts: who are the inspectors? how long is 

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this special activity to last? etc. Cooksey got the facts for Lisciotti, 

identifying two inspectors and'igning the overtime workload cost at 

about $5, 000. Huebner, when informed of this, said he was not 

authorized to approve that much overtime. Schwab offered to put 

Lisciotti in touch with DCAS' Chief of Quality Assurance. Lisciotti 

tried to get in touch with Cooksey, who was on leave. Lisciotti was 

called by Stevenson, during the next week, and, according to Lisciotti, 

agreed to hold, pending Cooksey's return. 

Lisciotti heard nothing more on this matter until 7 February, when 

he received a wire from Cooksey (see Tab 2) urgently requesting assistance. On 8 February, Mr. Mazza replied to Cooksey, recommending that SAFSP handle the matter. (Tab 3) 

Present Status: 

On 12 February, Bill Bumm sent a wire to you (see Tab 1) reiterating his original request, telling of our failure to achieve results, 

asking for a better cut-out link to DCAS, and a "more timely response" 

to future problems. Bill is unhappy with your staff! s performance on 

this entire transaction and has addressed his wire to you to invite your 

attention to what he sees as a rather complacent attitude on our part in 

this situation. 

Comments: 

I think Bill's wire is excellent. I appreciate hearing from people 

who are unhappy with us; they're much less a problem than those who 

live in private resentment. 

I am not particularly interested in how we look to ourselves. How 

do we look to SAFSP? And particularly to Bill Bumm? Did we run 

with the ball? Or did we drag our feet? Did we go to DCAS (it's only 

twenty-five minutes away)? Did we set up a solution? Or did we act 

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as a relay to report why something couldn!t be done? How does our 

WHIG 7324 (Tab 3) read to a man who has a problem? These are 

the questions we need to address. 

Recommendation: 

I recommend that we accept this experience as an opportunity for 

self-examination and self-improvement. We need to be reminded 

that: 

1. One of our primary functions is to help all program offices. 

2. Life gets easier for everyone if that help is given fraternally 

and generously. 

3. Our function is to find solutions, rather than report obstacles. 

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