The Chameleon Soldier: NOW AS AN ALIEN BLUE HE CANNOT DIE. by D.B. Silvis Page B

United States armed forces, foreign policy, and the intelligence community? The act also established the National Security Council, whose function was to advise and assist the president on national and foreign policies. In addition, the act established the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the United States first peacetime intelligence agency. The CIA was set up as an independent civilian agency, with responsibility for providing national security intelligence assessment to the senior United States policymakers. Intelligence gathering was performed by non-military commissioned civilian intelligence agents. The CIA was also to oversee, and at times engage in, tactical and covert activities. This new agency replaced the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) that had been formed in 1942, during World War II, to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for the branches of the United States Armed Forces.
    The military was not happy with President Truman’s new CIA. It took power from them, and placed national security intelligence in the hands of civilian agents. This is what caught Kip’s attention. One of the groups that came under the CIA was SAD, the Special Activities Division. Within SAD there were two separate groups, one which centered on tactical paramilitary operations and another for covert political action. It was the former, the Special Operations Group (SOG) which Kip zeroed in on. SOG was an operation that undertook the collection of intelligence in hostile countries, and regions that were a high threat militarily or were intelligence areas which, the United States government did not want to be associated. The members of the unit were called Specialized Skill Officers, who did not normally carry or wear any items of military clothing or equipment which might associate them with the United States government. If they were captured or killed during a mission the United States government could deny all knowledge of that person or of any operation.
    Kip saw this unit as the best fit for Killian. In it, he could be most useful to the country. The SOG was the most secretive special operational force in the United States. Most of their operatives were selected from other special operation forces within the United States. The head of the National Clandestine Service (NCS) was the senior United States government official in the US Central Intelligence Agency. The person holding the position was known as the Deputy Director for Plans (DDP). Kip knew the current director, who had been appointed in 1951, as he was a family friend.
    Kip was daydreaming about these things when his secretary entered his small, unpretentious office. She informed him he had a telephone call from an old friend. He wondered which old high school or college classmate was now calling him for a favor. Ever since he had been elected to the congress, it seemed at least once a week he’d receive a request for some favor or other. With some exasperation, he laid down the ink pen he been idly tapping on his desk.
    “Who is it this time?” he asked.
    “It’s someone different, sir. He’s never called here before. He said his name is Killian.”
    Kip jumped up out of his chair and stared at her. She had never seen the congressman so excited. Kip snatched up the telephone.
    “Killian!” he half shouted. “I’m glad you called! How are you?”
    Kip waved for his secretary to leave the room. She turned and left, closing the door behind her.
    Kip learned that Killian was at the National Airport in Washington D.C., which was only four miles away. He told Killian to grab a cab, and come to the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel; he’d book a room for him and meet him there.
    Minutes later, Kip left his office in the Cannon House congressional office building just south of the White House. When he arrived at the hotel, he paced anxiously back and forth in front of the main entrance. He couldn’t wait to see his good friend. A yellow cab pulled up and the