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USCIB: 4/65 

29 June 1953 

MEMORANDUM FOR THE MEM8ERS OF USCIBEC: 

Subject: 

References: 

COONT Clearance Standards and Procedures. 

(a) USCIB 13/333 dated 15 ~ 1953. 

(b) USCIB Directive Number 5. 

1. As an initial step in solution of the problem set 

forth in reference (a), the enclosure is .forwarded for consideration at the next regular meeting of USCIBEC. 

2. It is felt that additional revisions or reference 

(b) in the light of categories provided in the new Append.ix B 

to the BRUSA Agreement, when approved, will be desirable. 

This will be a time consuming process. Therefore, it is 

recommended that we get on with the enclosure as quickly as 

possible in order to bring the procedures and practices now 

in use with regard to clearance for COMINT under better I control. 

I 

24 

,,,.-...-__.-""'~s/~_/ DFUS L~~.RtlK 

aptain, U. • Navy 

ecutive Secretary, USCIB 

Enclosure 

Draft Revision of 

USCIB Directive No. 5. 

USCIB: 4/65 

SECRET 

Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 04-17-2014 pursuant to E.O. 1352B 

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SE-e\:IRl'f'I' 114l'ORMA I ION 

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SBeuRI'P.l lNFORMA'i'ION 

PROPOSID UNITED STATES COMMUNICATIONS INTELLIGmCE BOARD 

DIRECTIVE NO. 5 

uscm STANDARDS AND PROCEDURE 

FOR CLEARANCE OF PERSONNEL FOR OOMINT 

1. The elements of the procedure for clearing a person for COMINT are, 

consecutively: 

(a) Determination of the "need to know". 

(b) Investigation, and evaluation in terms or USCIB clearance 

standards. 

(c) Approval for indoctrination. 

(d) Indoctrination (and "debriefing"). 

2. DETERMINATION OF THE "NEED 'ro KNOW". 

(a) The "need to know."" exists. only where COMINT is essential to a 

person for the performance of his official duties. The number of 

persons cleared for OOMIN'l' will be held to an absolute minimum. 

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BBe!tE1' • 

ffi!lOl:JRI'fY INFORMA'l'IQt: 

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8EElc:IRFFY 1Pff6RM2'%'fl01<1 

ill!!!! responsibility for determining the "need to know" ~persons 

in !:h!. performance of duties under ~ direct cognizance and 

supervision of !. USCIB member department £.!: agency rests ~ 

the USCIB member department £!: agency concemed. 

hl The responsibility for determining ~ "need ~ know" of 

civilians under contract and employees and representatives . .2f 

commercial firms and civilian research institutions which are 

to engage in research, ~the design, developm.ent_, £!: manufac-

~ of equipment, pertinent to COMINT production rests ~ 

the USCIB member department .2!:_ agency directing 11!! project, 

which shall~ in,!!!!! coordination?!!!:!!, any other member 

departments .2!: agencies concerned~~ project. 

ill The responsibility for determining ~ "need to know" .2! persons 

in the performance or duties under the exclusive cognizance £!. 

the Department _2! Defense rests with the Secretary of Defense. 

W The "need to know" ~ !1!_ other individuals !!!! £!. detennined 

!?z USCIB. 

ill !h!. "need ~ knmW' .2! boards, committees, councils !:!!!! other· 

activities £!. inter-departmental .2!:_ inter-agency nature under 

the exclusive cognizance of~ Department of Defense~!?,!!, 

determined El ~ Secretary of Defense. 

(g) .!!.!! "need !2, know"' ~ inter-departmental ~ inter-agency boards, 

committees, councils and other activities ~ ~ government not 

under fil exclusive cognizance ,2! ~Department of Defense ~ 

other member department ~ agencies .2! USCIB :!!!,! !?.!. determined 

Ez. USCIB. SECRET 

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~CUftI1"! INFORMATION 

fil No person !1!!_ be deemed 12, have ! "need 12, know" solel.y El, 

virtue . .2! performance ·or duties .!?.!! !!!. inter-departmental .2!: 

inter-agency board, committee, council, ~ other activity 

unless ~ board, committee, council _2!: other activity shall 

!'.!!.!! been determined to h!.!! ! "need ~ know" !,! ! whole El 

competent authority !! ~ forth herein. 

J. USCIB INVES'rIGATION AND CLEARANCE STANDARDS. 

(a) USCIB standards for clearance of a person for COMINT are as 

follows: 

(1) The person shall be of excellent character and discretion, 

and of unquestioned loyalty to the United States. 'lhere 

shall be no exception to this requirement. 

(NOTE: On 15 September 1950, by USCIB decision, the provisions 

of this subpar~graph were relaxed to grant a waiver in 

the cas-e of Nationals of countries providing Armed 

Forces in Korea in support of the United Nations in 

order that they might be used solely as translators of 

intercepted North Korean plain text traffic. (Ref er 

to. USCIB: 4/.38)) 

(NOTE: On lJ July 1951, by USCIB decision, the provisions of this 

subparagraph were further relaxed to permit the use of 

certain Japanese Nationals for the same purpose and under 

the same conditions as the citizens of Nationalist China 

and the Republic of Korea, provided for by USCIB decision 

of 22 June 1951.) 

(2) The person should be a native-bom U.S. citizen. 'lhe 

members or his immediate family should be U.S. citizens. 

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(.3) No member of the person 1 s immediate family and no person 

to whom he may reasonably be supposed to be bound by ties 

of affection, kinship, or obligation should be of dubious 

loyalty to the United Stateso 

(4) No member of the person's immediate famil.y and no person 

to whom he ma.y reasonably be supposed to be bo'l.llld by 

ties of affect~on, kinship, or obligation should be a 

resident of a ~oreign country having basic or critical 

national interests opposed to those of the U.S. 

(5) Exceptions to any of the foregoing requirements except 

the first may be made only in case of compelling need 

after every reasonable assurance has been obtained that, 

in the circumstances, the security risk involved is 

negligibleo 

(b) To permit evaluation on the basis of the foregoing requirements, 

each person to be c~eared for COM~T shall, prior to clearance, 

be required to furnish, 'l.lllder oath, a· Personal History Statement 

(containing information essentially similar to that called for 

in the sample form .attached hereto as Annex 1) and shall be 

subjected to a thorough investigation which shall include the 

following: 

(1) Check of the date and place of birth of the individual. 

( 2) Check of the national files of the FBI and of such other 

investigative agencies as may be pertinent to the investigation. 

(3) Local agency checks in areas where the individual has 

resided to consist as a minimum in every case of a check 

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SEC!t!f 

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SEC'=IRITY INFQIUIATIQ!)J 

SBEJURI'ff lNPOR:MA'fiON 

of the files or the appropriate field office of the 

Federal Bureau of Investigation, local police, local 

credit agencies (in the case of individuals over twenty.:. 

two years of age), the headquarters of the appropriate 

major subordinate command of the Department of De.f ense 

(if necessary), and such other agencie~ as may be 

pertinent. 

(4) Check of records of the person's military service, if 

any. 

(S) Verification of entries concerning education and affiliations in the Personal History Statement. 

' 

(6) Interviews with at least three character references, and 

at least mail checks with all employers listed in the 

Personal History Statement. 

(7) Interviews with at least three' additional character 

references found through the preceding steps in the 

investigation. 

(c) Officers of the Eepartment of Defense and of the Foreign Service 

of the United States with more than 10 years' continuous active 

commissioned service need not be subjected to the complete 

formal investigation as outlined above in paragraph 3(b). 

Before the indoctrination or such an officer, however, all 

pertinent records readily available in the Washington area will 

be scrutinized. with a view to determining whether any questionable trait& have been noted during his entire period off 

commissioned service. 

S'Et'RET 
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5EetJftITi' Im'O!MttTIOh 

(d) In each case the responsibility for initiating and conducting 

the required investigation and for making the evaluation based 

on the foregoing standards for clearance restg with the 

authority which has determined the ''need to know". However, 

where the Secretary of Defense or USCIBihas determined the 

"need to knowtt, this responsibility will be delegated by the 

Secretary of Defense, &P-8)J-US~i-Hi-•he-epeei~ie-ifte~ee to 

a member e11gaRiM'&ie1t department 2!:_ agency under !!!! cognizance, .£!: Ez. USCIS ~!!!appropriate memb~r department ~ 

ageney, in each specific instance. 

(e) In emergency, or when there is other compelling need to clear 

a person for COMINT prior to completio~ of the full prescribed 

investigation, and the responsible authority· has detennined 

upon such advance clearance (paragraph 4(c), hereinafter), 

such investigative checks as are immediately possible shall be 

made at once, and the full investigation and final evaluation 

shall be completed. at the earliest practicable moment. 

4. .APPROVAL FOR INDOCTRINATION .. 

(a) The ~sponsibility for approving the indoctrination of a 

person for COMINT rests with the authority which has 

determined. his "need to know". Where determination of the 

""need to know" has involved coordination with other departments, similar coordination shall precede the decision to 

-approve indoctrination. 

(b) In a case where the responsibility for approving indoctrination rests with the Secretary of Defense or with USCIB·, the 

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organization which has been charged with making the required 

investigation and evaluation (paragraph 3(d), above) shall 

furnish to the approving authority the follov.i.ng: 

(1) A certification that the person under consideration meets 

all USCIB clearance standR!"'ds; (or a statement to the 

contrary, with particulars). 

(2) A statement of all derogatory a.nd questionable information obtained through the investigation (or a statement 

that no such information has been found). 

(3) Any other reports of the investigation a.nd documents 

pertinent thereto which the Secretary of Defense or USCIR 

may require in the specific instance. 

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( c) In emergency, or when there is other compelling need, in the 

national interest, to indoctrinate a person for COMINT prior 

to completion of the full prescribed investigation, the . -

authority which has determined the "need to know" may approve 

such prior indoctrination. 

5. INOOCmINA TION AND DEBRIEFING. 

(a) INDOCTRINATION. Each per.son who is to be cleared for COMINT 

shall be thoroughly a.nd carefully instructed in the doctrine 

and principles of COMINT protection, and in the regulations 

which govern the dissemination and safeguarding of COMINT, 

- and shall be required to subscribe to an oath of secrecy. 

'lhe oath to be administered upon the indoctrination of a 

person to receive COMINT final productts shall be ess-ent i.ally 

s·imilar to that of the ~CRDattached as Annex 2'. 

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(b) "DEBRIEFING". When a person's "need to know" has ceased to 

exls~ he shall be debarred from further knowledge and 

required to subscribe to a final oath of secrecy. 'lhe oath 

to be administered upon the "debriefing" or a former 

recipient of COMINT final products shall be essentially 

similar to that of the sample form attached as Annex 3. 

(c) The responsibility for indoctrinating and "debriefing" a 

person and for administering the oaths of secrecy rests with 

the authority which has determined his ''need to know". 

Where the Secretary of Defense or USCIR ha.s determined the 

"need to know.", this responsibility may be delegated by the 

t.e-a-aemee11-e11sa1ti:1Nritri:ea ~!.member department ~ agency 

under !'.!.!! cognizance £!:. !?z. USCIB ~ !!!. appropriate member 

department 2!: agency in !!Eh specific instance. 

(d) Ea.ch USCIB member organization shall maintain current 

records of personnel indoctrinated by it· for CCJHNT, 

pur&uant to its own determination of "need to know", and 

shall keep USCim informed of the total numbers of auch 

personnel. The USCIB Secretariat will maintain a similar 

list of persons cleared for COMINT pursuant to determination 

6. APPLICABILITY OF 'IHESE STANDARDS AND PROCEDUR.l!S TO PERSONNEL OF THE 

COMINT OPERATING AGENCI:IB AND O'IHER PERSONS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE 

AGENCIES IN THE TECHNICAL PHASm OF COMINT PRODUCTION AND RF.SEARCH. 

Subject to ~ additional standards and procedures, not in conflict 

with !:.!!! above, !! may ~prescribed El_ the Director, National 

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SBeREY 

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SEGl,,JRITY l~JF9RM1HlmJ e 

&QURI'l'!' WOBHl.c'UON 

Security Agency, the standards and procedure herein prescribed apply 

fully to the personnel of the OOMINT operating agencies and other persons 

associated with these agencies: in the technical phases of Cc::MlNT production and research except as follows: 

(a) 'lbe existence of the "need to knov" of persons in these 

categories is inherent in the circumstances of their employment 

or intended employment. However, each person in these categories will have access to only such information as he needs for 

the proper performance of his specific duties. Person~ in these 

categories ma.7 be cleared for COMINT in numbers amply adequate 

for the needs of the operating agencies, but only the absolute 

minimum. number should have aceess: to the final COM.INT products 

or the operations or those agencies. 

(b) It isdesirable that all persons or these categories be 

investigated. and evaluated. according to the standards of paragraph 3. However, such of these as need not and positively-will 

not have knowledge of or access to operations (or pert:μient 

information) beyond the stages or raw-traftic intercept, collection, transmission, and· preparation; D/F bearing measurement, 

plotting and utilization; emissd.on identification; the design, 

development, and production or intercept, D/F, and emission 

identification equipment; and the more elementary phases o! 

traffic analysis may be investigated and evaluated according to 

!OWier standards at the discretion of the member organizations 

concemed. 

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(c) '!be secrecy oaths for COMINT recipients (exemplified in Annexes 

2 and .3) need not be used for personnel in these categories 

where they are inappropriate:.. Instead, the forms for their 

oaths of secrecy shall be as prescribed by the COMINT operating 

agencies and as appropriate to the duties which they are to 

perform .. 

7.. CONTINUING INV!STIG:ATIVE CHECKS AND SECURITY SURVEILLANCE. 

Persons cleared for COMINT and retaining that status permanently or 

over a long period of time shall be subjected to such continuing 

investigative checks. and security surveillance as are within the capacities of the investigative services of the UoS .. 

8.. PROVISION Q!:. COMINT TO INDOCTRINATED PERSONS. 

hl In providing communications intelligence ~persons !!:!!!! activities whose "need ~ knON'' !!!:!!: ~determined Ez. ~Secretary 

of Defense 2 the SECDEF ~designate! member department ~ 

agency under h!!, cogn.izance i2_ provide security supervision of_ 

the activity _2!: person being served with COMINT. The member 

d-epartment .2!: agency .!!?. designated !!!!!_ inform the ExecutiTe> 

Secretary, USCI:B;, !!!. writing .2!, ~ responsibilities !!!, ~ 

premises and fumish !1. ~!!!:!!~!.written description of' 

!:.!:!! rules ~ regulations under which ~ service !! being 

performed. 

(b) .!!:!, provid~g communications intelligence ~persons .2!: activilli! whose ttneed to know•t h!!. been determined !?z uscm, ~ 

member department 2!:. agency providing ~ service ?E:!! notify 

~Executive Secretarz, USCIB, !!!, writing ~its responsibilities in the premises and fumish !::!:_the!!!!!.~! written 

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description~ the rules ~regulations under whith such 

S"ervice is being per.formed. 

i!l.Member departments~ agencies~ USCIB which handle and 

disseminate COMINT will maintain a written set of rules and - - -- - regulations.for the handling and dissemination thereof, in 

accordance~~ policies of USCIB. F.ach member department 

and agency !!!! place ~ .fill with 1h! Executive Secretaq, 

USCIB1 !!! :!:!P. !:.2_ date ~ £!'., such rules ~ regula.tions, 

together ~ ~ changes !:!. may be made thereto ~ l!!!!. ~ 

time. 

2.!. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS GOVERNING INDOCTRINATION ~ DEBRIEFING. 

In ~~assist in administrative control .2£. duty assignments !!!2, 

travel ,!a foreign areas where recipients 2!, COMINT may be subjected ~ 

interrogation El hostile elements, ~ followihg procedures will bll' 

observed: 

l!2. ~person who is ! member~ the· organization o.r .E!!! member 

department 2!: agency and is supplied to another member department 

2!: agency ~ E!. indoctrinated !:!!,!!. debriefed EJ: ~ suppiying 

activity, if his duties will require lmowiedge of COMINT. 'nle 

receiving activity !!!!Z 1!!! such additional action ~ indoctrina-

~ ~ prior debriefing !!. M!, !!!Z ~ necessaq. 

ill The names £!'., !!!, civilian personnel debriefed !E£. !&. reason and 

~ names; £!'., military personnel debriefed &, reason 2!, separation 

~ active service !!!,! be .fumished. Ez ~ debriefing activity 

to !:.!'.!!. EDcutive Secretal"l, USCIB. ~ Encutive Secretary will 

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compile monthliy ! ~ of !!!!?h, names and f\irnish !!!! ~ ~ 

Special Projects Staff' (SPS) £!. 2 Department of Stateo SPS, 

State !!!!_ make suitable arra.ngements within the Department ~ 

State ~have SPS notified of the names of any individuals ~ ~ 

abGve mentioned list ~ may apply for ! passport o SPS will then 

notify ih!. Executive Secretary, USCIB, in the premises. ~ 

Executive Secretary will then consult ~member whose activity 

conducted !d!! debriefing !!!!!, advise SPS, State of !!!l. travel 

restrictions desired. SPS will,. according].y, make suitable 

arrangements within the Department ~ state for &pPropriate travel 

restrictions to be included in the passport. 

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