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..LB<NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

HA.NOLE VIA . 

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THE NRO STAFF January 5, 1971 

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MEMORANDUM· FOR THE NRO STAFF 

' SU~J~CT: Functional Responsibiliti_es of the_ Staff 

PURPOSE: 

This memorandum outlines the majorfμnctions and 

responsibilitiei:; of the NRO Staff. Its purpqse is 

twofold: 

1. To_ refine understanding and cno_peration 

·within the.Staff by def:i.ning the major functional 

responsibilities of each Staff element. 

2. To encourage a cooperative, effective 

relationship<with elements outside the ·staff by stating· 

single points of contact for major_. Staff functions. 

GENERAL MISSION OF THE STAFF: 

A. The NRO Staff is charged with providing staff 

suppm;t to the DNRO/DDNRO in the implementation of the 

National Reconnaissance Program. The Staff provides 

such information, assistance, and services regarding 

the conduct of the NRP as the DNRO/DDNRO may require. 

To this end, the Staff has full access to information 

on all programs, projects, studies and activities 

within the NRP ·. 

B. The NRO Staff also assists the various NRP . ( . 

participants in fulfilling their assigned responsibilities. 

This includes assistance in s·ecuring non-NRP resources 

from DOD elements,· the coordination of NRO plans and 

activities with non-covert· DOD programs and liaison with 

various government agencies. 

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C. · With the exception of the Satellite Operation 

Center translating USIE requirements i_nto ope:i;ational 

direction and the scheduling of film processing and 

production.the staff exercises nti direct line or 

management responsibilities. 

n·. The NR0 Staff has .no contracting authority 

nor does it exercise technical direction over contractors. 

Any co.ntracts · let on ·behalf of the DNRO or the NR0 Staff 

are·negotiated, administered, and technically .directed for ·:them by one of the NRP Program Directors. · 

MANNING CONCEPT : 

A. The NR0 Staff is a national group composed of 

personnel from participating departments and agencies 

in the National Reconnaissance Program. Manpower space 

authorizations for the Staff are provided by.the 

department or agenS!Y from.which the individual is 

assigned. 

B. Personnel assigned to. the Staff are· :responsible 

to the Director, NR0 Staff, and are responsive to his 

dire~tion. ~valuation reports on Staff personnei are 

written by ·the Director, NR0 Staf°f, or his de.signee. 

These· reports became a· part of the permanent · file in 

the parent.organization.from which the individual is 

assigned. 

C. In manning the NR0 Staff, an-attempt is made 

to maintain a reasonable. balance o.f professional personnel 

drawn from all of the NRP participants. Occupants of 

specific position·s will be .selected from the NRP participants on the basis of the particular skills needed, the 

capability of the various NRP participants to provide 

these skills, and the balance o-f representation of the 

.NRP participants on the Staff. 

D. The NRO Staff, as a security cover, operates 

as the Office of Space Systems on the Staff of the 

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Secretary of the Air Force. The OSAF provides office 

space and administrative support, the bulk ·of·the 

support personnel, and travel/temporary· duty funds, 

except where other·arrangements ar~·mutually agreed 

to by the principal par\ties concerned~ 

ORGANIZATION AND MANPOWER: 

A. The NRO Staff is organized into six major 

elements including the Executive, the Assistant for 

Sec~rity, the Deputy for Satellite Ope~ations, the 

Deputy for Plans and Policy, the Deputy for Analysis 

and. t:he Deputy for Programs.· · .Manpower generally' 

authorized is set forth in Attachment.I. 

B. In fulrillme.nt ·of the Staff mission, the 

el,~ments c,f tri.e ~O Sta:Ef perf9rm t:1:le g~l:l.erc:1~ functions 

set forth in Attachment 2. 

2 Attachments 

· EDWIN F • SWEENE¥'· 

Colonel, USAF 

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cONlROL ·sv·sTEM 

DIRECTOR (SS-1) 

1-0-1 

EXECUTIVE (SS-2) -.1-5-1 

DEPUTY FOR OPERATIONS (ss~4) 

· 9-10-9 

DEPUTY FOR PLANS AND 

POLICY (SS-5) 

3-0-2 -

ASSIST FOR SECURITY (SS-3) 

1-0-2 

DEPUTY FOR PROGRAMS (SS-7) 

6-0-4 

DEPUTY FOR ANALYSIS (SS-6) 

3.:.0.,.3 

LEGEND: AUTHORIZATIONS i 

OFFICERS - ENLISTED - CIVILIAN_ 

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FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF NRO STAFF ELEMENTS 

Director, NR() Staff (SS-1) 

. Responsible to the DNRO/DDNROfor all activities of 

the NRO Staff. 

· Executive Officer (SS-2) 

Responsible for the establishment of administrative 

.practices and procedures and the provision of administrative services to the NRO Staff .. Responsible for NRO Staff 

manpower and personnel actions. Also provides assistance 

to .the Direct.or,· SAFSP,. for the acquisition and for control 

of necessary USAF manpower resources. 

Assistant for Security (SS-3) 

Responsible for insuring that DCI secuiity policies, 

·established for the protection of sources and methods, are 

properly implemented by the NRO. Acts for the Staff as 

required on all matters involving.the investigative and 

secut·ity facilities of the OSD, Military Departments, CIA, 

and NRO Program Directors. Provides Secretariat services 

for the Inter-Agency Contingency Planning Committee and 

serves as the NRO Staff member of :t;:he ICPC Working Group; 

Deputy for Operations (SS-4) 

Responsible for operation of the Satellite Operations 

Center (SOC). 

Provides NRO'representation to the Committee on_Imagry 

· Requirements and Exploitation (COMIREX) and SIGINT Overhead 

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Reconnaissance Sub:-Cornmittee (SORS). Responsible for 

defining current collection capabilities to the USIB, 

assisting in the formulation of collection criteria for 

new systems, interpreting all collection requirements and 

translating them into spec_ific collection tasks and into 

specific relative priorities, recommending the overall 

number of required successful collection missions, and 

selecting optimum mission profile from data generated by 

the System Program Directors; Maintains a data file of 

all satellite actions and compiles reports to apprise the 

DNRO and the USIB of the status of tasks .and performance 

levels of satellite .missions. 

R!:?sponsible for selecting satellite orbits for particular missions in order to satisfy USIB requirements and 

for maintaining a library of orbits attainablewithin the 

hardware limits of a system. 

Responsible for operatfng a 24:-hour Operations Center ! . 

_for certain missions and for modifying ongoing mission 

objectives .and collection criteria in order to optimize 

USIB requirement satisfaction. 

Prepares the DNRO's Monthly Forecast of NRP Activities 

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for submission to the 40 Committee and maintains a cumulative 

record of requests for overflig_ht approval including the 

monitoring of overall results of aircraft and drone activities. 

Prepares and disseminates the NRO Reports Control Manuals 

to exchange information.regarding the operation of individual 

satellites. Develops and maintains the NRO Satellite 

Contingency Plan to be used in the event of overt and covert 

.. acts against NRP. satellites. 

Deputy for Plans and Policy (SS-5) 

Responsible for all general planning, policy and management matters of concern to the NRO ex_cept for DCI security 

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policy which protects sources a.nd methods. Acts as intrastaff policy interface, briefs incoming Staff and high 

level. officers on prevailing policy, acts as focal point 

for Staff .and·Program Offices on NRO policy matters and 

serves as office of r~ord. 

J: . . 

Maintains the principal interface with the Executive 

Department, Congress, DOD and NASA on matters pertaining 

to the NRO. Serves as the NRO focal point on SALT matters. 

Responsible for monitoring all public information matters 

of concern to the NRO consistent with DCI security policy. 

Coordinates and provides input data for the UN Space 

Registr.y, · provides· synchronous satellite parameters to 

ODDR&E. 

Responsible for preparing the Directdr's Reports for 

the DNRO's ·submission to the Executive Committee, preparing 

reports to the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory 

Board, monitoring and· disseminating NRP reports prepared 

by the Program Directors, and preparing reports as required 

pertaining to contracts, such as the K-23 Report. Prepares 

letters appointing new Program Directors and staffs letters. 

of delegation of procurement authority from the DNRO to 

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Program _Direct.ors. and staff actions· pertaining to Determinations 

and Findings . · 

Obtains black contract numbers, military and industrial 

priority .assistance requests; coordinates actions on labor 

disputes which interface with NRO programs; and prepares, 

coordinates ,and monitors interagency management and operating· 

agreements. se·rves· as ·management focal point within the 

Staff for outside agencies. 

Responsible for assisting the Director in managing 

· the N:RO communications network. 

Deputy for Analysis (SS-6) 

Responsible for analyzing and assessing new and long 

range requirements .for.overhead collection activities, 

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determining the impact of requirements on existing and 

proposed NRO_systems and advising the DNRO on the technical 

feasibility of new collection systems, including.those 

program options presented by organizations external to 

the Staff. · 

Responsible for developing plans and system mix studies 

for the DNRO and, as required, for the Executive Corrnnittee. 

The studies include rational objectives, trade-offs, alternate courses of action, and financial considerations irt 

coordination with the Comptroller. 

Interfac~s with the NRO Staff and·collection requirement 

organizations to contextualize. requirements, to assess 

potential duplication of effort, and to address system 

consolidation efforts. Interfaces with Government committees, 

contractors and scientific committees as required. Represents 

the NRO on the Intelligence Requirements Ad Hoc Working Group, 

the COMIREX Ad Hoc Crisis Analysis Task Group and the DIA/ 

·SAC Crises Simulation Group. 

Deputy for Programs (SS-7) 

· Responsible for monitoring and coordinating all NRO 

Program matters, preparing programming directions and 

guidance, defining operational capabilities·for systems 

. necessary to support USIB tasking, translating future needs 

into preferred options or proposals, and providing technical 

information .and guidance to the DNRO and_the.Staff. Interfaces with other agencies to obtain and provide information . . 

on research and technology and other program matters. 

Conducts short·range analyses, studies, and evaluations. 

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Serves as liaison with NRO Comptroller on budget estimates 

and financial plans, prepares justification data and advocates 

selected options to the DNRO; Prepares annual Consolidation 

Intelligence Resource Information System (CIRIS) data for the 

ASD(A). Evaluates program projections for balance and 

feasibility in.relation to anticipated availability of resources 

and for.compatibility with DNRO policy and guidance. 

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Responsible for monitoring NRO advanced technology 

and R&D programs, for providing program guidance, 

coordinating and issuing program approvals and recommending 

priorities on R&D programs. Performs definitive analyses 

of new R&D programs determining need, technical feasibility 

·and cost· effectiveness·of each. Identifies potential 

technological applications which will resolve operational 

deficiencies 3:nd provides guidance to the Program Directors 

for their development. Insures that systems throughout the 

development, acquisition, operational testing, and operational 

cycles meet capabilities defined in requirements documents 

are met or·that acceptable trade-offs are made; 

Responsibl.e for film procurement, processing and 

product ion as well as as·sociated research and development. 

Provides theNRO representative to the Contractor Coordination 

Board, the COMIREX Committee ·fo.r. Exploitation Research and 

Deve·lopment, COMIREX Mapping, Charting and Geodesy Working 

Group and. the ARGO Committee of the President's Office of 

Sci~nce and Technology. · 

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