CIA Director Petraeus, Image via Wikipedia
From Denny: At this point, now one month into his job, the word is that the new director is horrified at the lack of acquiring and keeping good people. He is shocked that even the children of
CIA officers do not -
and will not - apply to the agency. In contrast, in the military tradition it is commonplace for generations to serve.
The intelligence community has long known that the children of CIA officers absorb the mindset and understanding of the intelligence world from growing up in it, creating an easier transition to get an employee ready for the environment.
What they did not calculate is how the tension and dangers of the intelligence environment takes its toll upon the family of CIA officers too. Who wants to spend your childhood as a soft target for assassins only to choose that same career as an adult and then turn around and do it to your children? Many have discovered what a bad idea that was and counsel their children against joining the agency.
The dangerous political atmosphere of the CIA where your own colleagues are setting you up to take the fall for more than just a career move for them has soured many on the CIA. There is little team integrity and team loyalty. Few can trust each other.
The children of CIA officers view this up close, choosing another path away from such intense emotional burnout. It's safer to live in a poor neighborhood with drive-by shootings, gangs and drug cartels. At least you can identify who is your enemy. In the CIA, anyone can be your enemy, even fellow Americans here or abroad.
Now that
Gen. Petraeus has retired from the military and
taken up the post as CIA Director, "his eyes are uncovered." And he thought he knew it all. Uh huh. Welcome to my world.
