The Farm's training isn't that big a secret. People who have been through the training have written books.
It's a lot like other military-type training facilities. There are classes, and then there are places to practice what you were taught in class. One book mentions their having a large airport customs area setup, with lots of people in lines and loudspeakers blaring in a foreign language, to get people used to passing through customs with fake credentials.
The military has a different approach to education than the private sector. The military is willing to construct elaborate setups so trainees can practice. They build dummy towns for urban combat training. They build bridge simulators where crews learn to operate a ship. When training for building bridges, bridges will be built.
This allows the military to train average people to produce above-average performance.
> For nearly 25 years, neophyte spies have left Washington to attend what some call Spy U., a training base here operated by the Central Intelligence Agency to prepare its agents for real-life cloak-and-dagger work overseas.
Seems bonkers to train spies in one location like this. Much better to move the teachers/curriculum. Foreign governments must have most of their reconnaissance aimed right here, at least back in 1980.
The response from the public official at the end of the article was pretty entertaining. I picture his glee at the phone occasionally ringing.
It's close to Langley and therefore doubtless has many advantages, especially in the 1980s. For example, subject matter experts are a short drive away and could appear as guest speakers. I don't work for the government, so I'm just speculating here, but surely there is a reason to keep the training facility so close to the headquarters.
It's not that hard for someone with physical ground presence, satellite surveillance etc to figure out who CIA FTE's are, but the CIA employs numerous contractors who have no requirement to be trained or located in a particular location.
If you have ever thought, "why hasn't the CIA done this before?" then they probably have.
It's like laymen discussing algorithmic finance. "Why don't people just trade the mean reversion?" They've been trading mean reversion since you were in diapers.
It's important to remember the Dunning Kruger effect regarding intelligence agencies like the CIA, those in the business of what's known and unknown, because their job is to keep you and everyone else in the world on the wrong side of the curve.
> If you have ever thought, "why hasn't the CIA done this before?" then they probably have.
You're right: I figured that whoever they were bringing in to this spot so close to HQ must be someone they don't care about disclosing. Maybe "Official Cover" / Embassy personnel.
its also important to realize that permanently funded government activities are not infallible by definition, omniscient "since you were in diapers" or given divine rights apart from the rule of law.. in other words, Daylight is the best Disinfectant (in a Democracy)
> Contacted recently, Turnicky said there was nothing he could reveal. "My job's very enjoyable. It's very simple. Goodby," he said politely, hanging up the phone.
Sounds like the CIA is using the same playbook as my country's public services.
It's a lot like other military-type training facilities. There are classes, and then there are places to practice what you were taught in class. One book mentions their having a large airport customs area setup, with lots of people in lines and loudspeakers blaring in a foreign language, to get people used to passing through customs with fake credentials.
The military has a different approach to education than the private sector. The military is willing to construct elaborate setups so trainees can practice. They build dummy towns for urban combat training. They build bridge simulators where crews learn to operate a ship. When training for building bridges, bridges will be built. This allows the military to train average people to produce above-average performance.