CIA Paramilitary Operations Officers: CIA’s Elite Operatives

CIA Paramilitary Operations Officers deal with covert, clandestine operations, with many of which are considered black ops. While this line of work is just a tiny sliver of the entire CIA, their efforts make a giant impact on U.S. intelligence and operations. 

Keep reading as we’re going to go over what you can do as a Specialized Skills Officer, the training, requirements, and much more.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CIA PARAMILITARY OPERATIONS OFFICERS: CAPABILITIES

CIA PARAMILITARY OPERATIONS OFFICERS: DIRECTORATE OF OPERATIONS (DO)

CIA PARAMILITARY OPERATIONS OFFICERS: MISSION

CIA PARAMILITARY OPERATIONS OFFICERS: TRAINING AND REQUIREMENTS

CIA PARAMILITARY OPERATIONS OFFICERS: CONCLUSION

CIA PARAMILITARY OPERATIONS OFFICERS: CAPABILITIES

Paramilitary Operations Officers, or PMOO’s for short, are a select cadre that is motivated by camaraderie and selfless service. These are the guys who possess extensive military tactical experience and sets of specialized skills. They’re former special operations personnel, from Tier Two to Tier One units, who are the tip of the spear in this line of work. They possess all the clandestine skills to collect human intelligence and recruit assets from among the indigenous troops receiving their training.

PMOO’s operate in remote locations behind enemy lines to carry out direct action, including raids and sabotage, counter-intelligence, guerrilla and unconventional warfare, counter-terrorism, and hostage rescue missions, in addition to being able to conduct espionage via HUMINT assets. If you don’t know, we’ll clarify what HUMINT is for you in the following part of this blog post.

CIA PARAMILITARY OPERATIONS OFFICERS: DIRECTORATE OF OPERATIONS (DO)

 

PMOOs serve as a distinct occupation in the Directorate of Operations (DO), using their military experience to conduct air, ground, and maritime paramilitary operations, covert action, as well as intelligence collection in austere and dangerous environments. The Directorate of Operations  is also commonly known as the National Clandestine Service. The DO is one of the smallest components of the CIA, which only highlights the fact of how small, competitive, and highly regarded SSO’s really are.

The Directorate of Operations “serves as the clandestine arm of the CIA and the national authority for the coordination, deconfliction, and evaluation of clandestine operations across the Intelligence Community of the United States”

It handles the collection of intelligence acquired by human sources, which is referred to as Human Intelligence, or HUMINT for short. HUMINT is the “on paper” term for sending people covertly behind enemy lines to gather intelligence and information. When necessary, and under unique circumstances, the CIA conducts covert action as directed by the president.

CIA PARAMILITARY OPERATIONS OFFICERS: MISSION

PMOOs lead and manage covert action programs, at the direction of the President of the United States, and collect foreign intelligence vital to national security policymakers. As an action and results oriented professional, they take on demanding responsibility, accept significant personal risk, and maintain accountability for results. They are expected to be leaders and program managers, running paramilitary and intelligence operations in the field.

Where else can PMOO’s find themselves? Here’s one for you: They can serve in the CIA’s equivalent of a U.S. military Tier One unit: the Special Activities Center. As the primary action arm of the DO, this unit is everything you’d imagine a top secret unit to be.

Another area PMOO’s can serve in is the Global Response Staff, or GRS for short. The Global Response Staff is made up of former members of U.S. special operations forces, or those who have served in SWAT teams. Their mission is to guard spies, but their operations have expanded to include critical security at drone bases, defending Special Collection Elements in the field, and transporting intelligence assets in combat zones. While at least half of the GRS consists of contractors, PMOO’s can serve as permanent GRS officers. Global Response Staff Teams have become a critical component of conventional espionage, providing protection for case officers who find themselves on missions with a high degree of risk.

 

CIA PARAMILITARY OPERATIONS OFFICERS: TRAINING AND REQUIREMENTS

PMOO’s go through the 18 month Clandestine Service Trainee Program, or CST for short. They begin their careers spending one to two years learning the foundations of clandestine operational tradecraft via classroom training, practical exercise, and on-the-job experience. If you want to become one of them, you must successfully complete the required foundational training. That training is all thought to be performed at “The Farm” in Camp Peary, Virginia. 

All in all, as a PMOO, you’ll most likely be trained for the following:

• High level proficiency in modern weaponry, explosive devices, and firearms 
• Hand to hand combat 
• Tactical driving 
• Apprehension avoidance 
• IED’s
• Cyber warfare 
• HALO/HAHO parachuting
• Combat diving 
• Vehicle hot wiring
• SERE
• Wilderness training
• EMS training
• Tactical communications & tracking 

So, what about the requirements? 

According to the CIA, these are the minimum requirements to be considered:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably a 3.0+ GPA,
• Served active duty in U.S Military Special Operations/Combat Arms/Aviation, 
• Successful completion of specialized paramilitary training with high level of physical readiness, 
• Willingness to serve in hazardous and austere environments overseas,
• Personal integrity & the ability to operate with minimal supervision, 
• Strong interpersonal and communications skills (verbal and written), 
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team as well as work independently,
• Flexibility, adaptability, and commitment to the mission of the CIA and the Directorate of Operations, 
• Ability to meet the minimum requirements for joining the CIA

Those were JUST the minimums. Here are the desired qualifications:

• Minimum of 8 years of active duty experience, 
• Served in multiple leadership positions, generating a proven record of responsibility and critical decision-making in stressful situations,
• Experience serving in combat and conducting combat operations; multiple tours, particularly in leadership positions, are highly desired, 
• Currently on active duty or within three years following departure from active duty, 
• Non-combat overseas deployments with real world impact, 
• Foreign language, foreign travel, and area knowledge, 
• Experience in advanced combat skills,
• Experience conducting military/combat diving and underwater operations

As you just read, becoming a CIA Paramilitary Operations Officer is no easy feat, and you’re going to most likely have to spend years in a SOF unit before you can even think of becoming one.

CIA PARAMILITARY OPERATIONS OFFICERS: CONCLUSION

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