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Mission

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an independent US Government agency responsible for providing national security intelligence to senior US policymakers.

To learn more, visit CIA Vision, Mission & Values.

 
Central Intelligence Agency
The Work of a Nation. The Center of Intelligence

Support to Mission

History

Mission support was integral to CIA’s activities even before the official founding of the Agency in 1947. Organizational alignment has evolved with the challenges of specific eras, but the basic support disciplines have remained the same:

  • personnel resources
  • logistics
  • global communications
  • information services
  • finance
  • facilities
  • acquisitions
  • security
  • medical services
  • general support management

 

Support functions were initially carried out under the purview of an Executive for Administration and Management. In 1950, offices for Administration and Personnel were established. Beginning in the 1950s, CIA support officers were forward-deployed with analysts, scientists, engineers and clandestine service officers, a tradition that continues to this day.

During the 1990s, various support offices underwent changes in the way they do business. Support functions were administratively dispersed across the Agency. Selected support activities adopted a cost-recovery model, charging mission partners for services, mirroring their commercial counterparts.

In response to accelerated post-9/11 national security needs, the majority of business lines were reunited under one governance structure with an emphasis on integration, agility, and global capabilities. Recent structural adjustments continue to improve customer service.


Posted: May 04, 2007 06:50 PM
Last Updated: Aug 23, 2012 12:55 PM
Last Reviewed: Aug 15, 2012 06:08 PM

Over the course of your career as a support officer, you will have the opportunity to serve in a variety of locations and an assortment of positions. You will enhance your skills by progressively tackling more challenging duties within an area of specialization, or by building on your experience and contacts to coordinate support activities.

Support officers generally serve alongside their customers. They rotate to new posts every few years according to their interests and experience. Career opportunities for Directorate of Support officers reflect the complex duties and support requirements across the Agency and the Intelligence Community.