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DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
US ARMY INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY COMMAND
FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, MARYLAND 20755
PAR
ENSE
IAFM-OPS-HU-SA
10 March 1980
MEMORANDUM FOR BRIGADIER GENERAL THOMAS J. FLYNN
DEPUTY COMMANDER, INTELLIGENCE
SUBJECT:
The GRILL FLAME Scientific Evaluation Committee Report
1.
The report of the GRILL FLAME Scientific Evaluation Committee has
now been released. I have taken the liberty of copying portions of the
report for your review.
The complete report, some 90 pages, is available
if you so desire.
2.
TAB A is the complete executive summary of the report.
3.
TAB B is that portion of the report dealing directly with INSCOM's
program.
2 Incl
as
CHAD B. WHITE
Colonel, GS
ADCSOPS-HUMINT
Regraded UNCLASSIFIED when
separated from SECRET inclosures.
CLASSIFIED BY: DIRECTOR, DIA
REVIEW ON: 10 March 2000
EXTENDED BY: DIRECTOR, DIA
REASON: 2-301C, 3&6
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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CHAPTER 1
Introduction (U)
1.
(S/NOFORN )
Background. In June 1979 it was suggested
by Dr. LaBerge, then Under Secretary of the Army, that a
Scientific Evaluation Committee be appointed to review the
Army's parapsychological activities. In early July 1979,
Dr. Ruth Davis recommended that because of the special
interest of the Secretary of Defense, that the Committee
review the total DOD posture and report directly to the
GRILL FLAME Oversight Committee. ( "GRILL FLAME" is the
unclassified code word for any DOD or intelligence
community association or involvement with parapsychological
activities or interests; definitions of scientific areas
discussed can be found in Chapter 5.)
2.
(U) Mission and Organization. The Committee was
organized by the Chairman (see Annex 1) and highly qualified
members were invited to serve from various scientific
disciplines. All members enjoy a reputation for an extremely
high integrity and bring to the Committee a wealth of
experience in experimental design and evaluation. The
areas of expertise of Committee members include Psychiatry,
Biostatistics, Psychology, Physics, Engineering, and
Operations Research. Committee members were carefully
screened to avoid any persons with preconceived notions for
or against the subject under investigation, so that an objec-
tive assessment could be evolved. All Committee members
represented themselves and were selected on their individual
merits; therefore, views expressed are neither implicitly
nor explicitly associated with their employing organizations.
The listing of the organizational affiliation in the Annex is
for identifying purposes only
a.
(S/NOFORN) The mission of the Committee, known as
the"GRILL FLAME Scientific Evaluation Committee" was as
follows :
To review the parapsychological research, investi-
gations, and applications within DOD and the intel-
ligence community.
To assess the validity of claims made for the
alleged existence of the PSI phenomena; with
particular emphasis on the experiments which were
instituted to approach the "proof of principle".
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To recommend a course of action for DOD in
future parapsychological activities.
b. (S/NOFORN)
The Committee visited all DOD installa-
tions involved in any aspect of parapsychological efforts
and conducted additional visits and interviews with non-
government sponsored investigators (see Annex 2) .
In
addition, a large amount of classified reports, intelligence
summaries, and open literature was reviewed. A collection
of all such documents is stored in the Chairman's office
and was made available to Committee members as required.
In addition, available documentation applicable to the
particular investigations in process or related materials
was made available for inspection at all installations
which were visited.
c. (S/NOFORN)
Because of the DOD interest for
eventual application and also because of the considerably
greater activity, the bulk of the Committee's work was
concerned with that portion of PSI research and applications
known as "Remote Viewing" (RV). The work on Psychokinetics
(PK) was also reviewed; however, since these investigations
are concerned with the production of physical effects,
there is considerably less controversy from the point of
view of measurement techniques, but PK investigations share
with RV the perplexing problems of understanding, controlling,
and, indeed, proving the existence of a general phenomenon
and the lack of ability to characterize the effect.
d.
(S/NOFORN) Actually, the government-sponsored
work in the area of parapsychology represents a very small
portion of the total worldwide activity in this field. 29
"Since 1972, the combined funding for DOD and the intelligence
community was less than a total of $1.5M.
3.
(S/NOFORN) Report Overview.
The following remarks
pertain to the organization of the report and are intended
to help the reader locate relevant information:
Chapters 1, 2, and 3 together constitute an Executive
Summary of this report.
Chapter 2 - Major Findings
Chapter 3 .- Recommendations
Chapter 4 is a chronological overview of parapsychological
activities, providing baseline information input to
the Committee. Any value judgments or critique
contained in the overview are not attributable to the
Committee's action, but are included in order to reflect
as accurately as possible the recorded status just prior
to the Committee's activities.
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Chapter 5 defines the specific fields of para-
psychology which are the subject of this report.
This chapter also attempts to establish the
intellectual gaps which exist in trying to relate
various phenomena under the umbrella of para-
psychology.
Chapter 6 is both a practical and tutorial approach
to experimental evaluation, with emphasis on the
role and limitations of statistical analysis vs.
good experimental design and execution.
Chapter 7 summarizes the existing intelligence
assessments of parapsychological activities in
the Warsaw Pact countries.
Chapter 8 summarizes various theories proposed to
describe paranormal functioning. The material is
included primarily for the sake of completeness
and also offers some editorial comment with respect
to their collective merit.
Chapter 9 reviews and critiques the remote viewing
work as carried out by SRI. This material is included
in the main body of the report since the RV work at
SRI is either directly or closely related to all RV
experiments carried out by the DOD and the intelli-
gence community under contract or in-house.
Annex 1 and 2 furnish detailed information on the
Committee's members and their activities.
Annex 3 through 9 furnish background information
and critical comments on many of the programs
which were reviewed.
Annex 10 contains specific suggestions for the
production of an improved protocol for any future
research in RV.
Annex 11 - References
4.
(U)
General Observations
a. S/NOFORN) All members of the Committee perceived
a real need to carry out the assigned mission and approached
this task with great diligence and utmost sincerity. The
very diverse backgrounds and experiences of the Committee
members assured that a wide spectrum of objective views
was brought to bear on the subject. The prime motivation
for the professional commitment invested by the Committee
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members was based on the high potential payoff which
the parapsychological phenomena could have for the
military and intelligence communities, if, indeed,
such effects could be harnessed, controlled, and
further advanced.
b. (U) The Committee in the course of its work
gained a very great respect for the sincerity and
dedication which the individual investigators brought
to their respective tasks; in several cases, functioning
under the handicap of a non-sympathetic management.
c.
(C/NOFORN) On balance, the Committee has indeed
been persuaded that there is some probability that effects
attributed to the RV phenomena exist under unexplained
circumstances and in conjunction with particular individuals.
However, to date, the experimental techniques have not
been adequate to document such effects.
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CHAPTER 2
Major Findings
& Observations (U)
1. (U) Assessment of RV Phenomena.
a.
(U) RV research and investigations thus far
have not proved the existence of the phenomena and have
not conclusively established any parametric dependencies.
The same may be said about overall results based on
current application-oriented activities.
b.
(U) Many of the anecdotal events reported to
this Committee as potential evidence of the existence of
RV do not adequately sustain their claim under careful
scrutiny. A few of the examples are subjectively
spectacular; but lack of scientific procedures precludes
their consideration as scientific evidence of the phenomena.
c. (U)
On balance, the Committee has indeed been
persuaded that there is some probability that effects
attributed to the RV phenomena exist under unexplained
circumstances and in conjunction with particular individuals.
However, "to date, the experimental techniques have not been
adequate to document such effects.
d. (U) Even when granted the existence of the
phenomena, careful attention to the consequences of
false alarm rates in the achievement of useful performance
levels would be paramount.
2.
(C/NOFORN )
Critique of Parapsychological Programs.
a ..
(C/NOFORN) Inadequate documentation and failure
to apply adequate controls are the most frequent causes
which limit the credibility that can be given to reports
of "success" attributed to RV applications. In the
judgment of the Committee, sole dependence on SRI-like
protocols to resolve the RV issue will not be fruitful.
Specifically, all RV programs reviewed included some form
of subjective judgment of the degree of correlation; this
factor and the ambiguous roles of the experimental designer,
viewer, and interviewer are the two principal shortfalls.
b. (U) Operational programs, that by their very
existence assume the reality of RV as given, may'
inadvertently establish the assumption in other communities
that RV is real.
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c. (U) The possibility that present efforts can
evaluate the existence of RV is seriously reduced
because the work is carried out often by persons naive in the
area of human experimentation at low budgetary support
levels, with fragmentation of investigative efforts, using
deficient experimental designs, and suffering from a lack of
proper management direction.
(Removing these deficiencies
does not, however, guarantee that proof or quantification
of the RV phenomena can be obtained. )
d. (S/NOFORN)
Lack of proper management involve-
ment, direction, and review was evident at all activities
surveyed; and the government-sponsored RV program lacks
focus, objectives, and top-down management review and
control.
This reflects in ambivalent direction and
support at all agencies visited.
e.
(S/NOFORN) Most DOD and government-sponsored
work in the area of parapsychology has been application-
oriented; in relation to the worldwide effort in this
area of investigation, it represents a very small portion.
There are currently more than 15021 individuals, research
institutes, universities, and professional societies in
this country alone involved in parapsychological research
and teaching activities. (Much of this work is also done
under poor scientific procedures and in uncontrolled
environments, especially as it concerns RV investigations. )
f.
(U) The Committee found no evidence or any
suggestion of fraudulent intent in any of the work.
examined.
3.
(U)
Parapsychological Research Standards.
a. (U) The conduct of parapsychological research .
to obtain scientific characterization and credible evidence
of the parapsychological phenomena, would require an:
extremely disciplined and dedicated approach including:
(1)
(U)
Management commitment to a program
which is sustained for an indefinite period of time at
a cost of several million dollars per year.
(2) (U) Building essentially a new program,
structured on an uncertain foundation, since very little
data developed to date is suitable for further scientific
extrapolation, except that previous research has estab-
lished substantial knowledge of what not to do.
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(3) (U) Attracting a sufficient number of
reputable and well qualified scientists from a variety
of disciplines who are willing to dedicate substantial
portions of their professional careers to this research.
(4) (U) Accommodation with substantial inhibitions
in our society to this type of research, resulting in
significant difficulties: (a) for conducting scientific
investigations overtly; (b) recruiting and maintaining the
. high quality personnel required for this research; (c)
publishing reports and exchanging data; and (d) establish-
ing sufficient competition to obtain the required empirical
replications.
(5) (U) Establishing test plans and procedures
which are acceptable to the scientific community, which can be
monitored by the sponsor for scientific and human-use integrity,
and which are sufficiently rigorous to allow for experi-
mental replication.
b. (U) Correct "statistical analyses" are a
necessary, but not a sufficient condition for proper inter-
pretation of data resulting from experiments of para-
psychology. It is necessary to demonstrate more than
statistical improbability; the quality of the data and
the application of high scientific standards in the
conduct and reporting of parapsychological experiments
are at least as important as the statistical procedures
used in evaluating the credibility of the results.
4. :
(U) Psychokinetic (PK) Activities.
a.
(S/NOFORN) The Army-sponsored experimentation
at MICOM and the related contract with SRI, as a stand-
alone effort to assess the potential effects on a
computer-generated random bit stream, will not prove or
disprove the existence of the PK phenomena.
b.
(S/NOFORN) Research work in PK-related topics
and detailed experimental planning has been carried out
in several scientific institutions, including the
investigations by Dr. Hawke at Livermore Laboratories,
Dr. Jahn at Princeton University, and Dr. Phillips at"
Washington University. Committee members who visited
Dr. Hawke's laboratory were very impressed by the
scientific approach used in his investigations. His
type of PK experiments (see also Annex 7) is seen as
considerably more valuable than PK effects on random
number generators, such as is planned at MICOM.
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5.
(U) Status of Theoretical Knowledge.
a.
(U) The Committee found that to date no adequate .
theory has been proposed to explain the mechanisms of the
remote viewing process. Several basic mechanisms have,
however, been suggested to explain psychoenergetic
processes. To date, none of these theories is sufficiently
persuasive from a scientific point of view or precisely
congruent with empirical evidence to dictate the construc-
tion of a set of experimental designs that would lead to
a verification of such a theory. (Most of the Committee
believes that an understanding of parapsychological mechanisms
is of secondary importance at this time. )
07
b. (U) There is no evidence of any unifying para-
psychological concept or even a speculative notion which
provides a basis for assuming that further understanding
of any sub-category of PK or RV will help explain other
phenomena associated with these parapsychological areas;
for instance, obtaining statistically significant results
in affecting the atomic collision process in a random
generator device bears no known relationship to making
remote viewing more reliable and repeatable. Positive
results from unequivocal PK experiments would significantly
increase the confidence of the scientific community to
conduct other parapsychological experiments.
c. (U) The Committee was not exposed to any programs
or suggested programs, which were adequately structured to
prove or disprove the existence of the RV phenomena. Also,
the Committee has not attempted to generate such a program;
however, if a program were to emerge we would be very
sympathetic towards recommending its implementation, since
that would provide the justification for a serious scientific
effort.
6.
(C/NOFORN )
Intelligence Considerations.
a.
(S/NOFORN) Intelligence estimates of the quality
and amount of parapsychological research activities in
the Warsaw Pact countries are, admittedly, highly specula-
tive, since insufficient and incomplete data are available
for evaluation.
b.
£
(S/NOFORN)
Operational tests of RV are principally
justified because of their potential high value in
obtaining or supplementing intelligene information; however,
the primary risk is that the test results may not be con-
clusive, either positively or negatively, with respect to
the value of such techniques in an intelligence application.
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7. (C/NOFORN) Program Considerations. There are three
potential major avenues of exploration available to DOD,
which could be explored individually or in concert.
a.
(U) Proof of existence experiments.
b.
(U)
Characterization of phenomena experiments.
c.
(C/NOFORN )
Demonstration of utility through
intelligence applications.
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CHAPTER 3
Recommendations (U)
The
1. (S/NOFORN) Proof of Existence. Work to demonstrate
existence of the RV and PK phenomena should be supported
if a credible approach were to emerge; however, it may be
=
preferable to do this in some other agency other than DOD
in order to more readily conduct the work in an open forum,
which is necessary to subject the research to peer review.
2. (C/NOFORN)
Characterization of Phenomenon. Para-
psychological research (RV & PK) or related activities
which have as their goal the scientific understanding and
quantification of the phenomena, should not be sponsored
until existence is established.
3. (S/NOFORN)
Operational Applications.
The Committee
agreed that continuation of the operational endeavors
does not necessarily imply that scientific proof has been
demonstrated; however, the Committee was divided as to
whether operational applications for intelligence programs
can be carried out in an adequately controlled manner,
sufficient to determine the usefulness or non-usefulness
of the results. (See page lla for minority opinion. )
(S/NOFORN) The majority (5 out of 8) believed that
operationally-oriented RV activities aimed at determining
the empirical value of RV to intelligence (like those at
INSCOM and AFTAC) should continue, provided the following
are done:
1
1
a. (C/NOFORN) Work must be monitored by an
oversight committee that can review the work for its
adequacy and guard against self-fulfilling prophecy. It
should have members from the scientific and intelligence
communities who can evaluate the adequacy of performance
and reliability, as well as the requirements established
by the user and provided to the operators. The false
alarm rate should be considered in assessing the usefulness
of the technique. Adequate review should occur periodically.
b. (C/NOFORN)
Dependence on SRI approach should
be phased out.
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c.
(C/NOFORN)
The attaining of useful data should
not necessarily be attributed to the reality of RV
phenomena .
d. (C/NOFORN)
"Human-use" implications must be
understood, properly authorized, and complied with, if
applicable.
€. (C/NOFORN)
Work should include adequate controls
so that either value or non-value can be established.
<. (S/NOFORN)
Current Programs. The RV work at AMSAA
and the PK experiments at MICOM, along with the associated
contractual supports from SRI, should be discontinued and
terminated in the most cost-effective manner.
5.
(C/NOFORN) Additional Future Activities.
a. (S/NOFORN) Although no significant military
threat from parapsychological applications has been
evidenced to date, the intelligence community should
continue their collection efforts in this field in order
to avoid any surprises.
.
b.
(C/NOFORN) The progress of the parapsychological
research being undertaken by the private sector in the
U.S. and, elsewhere in many laboratories and academic
institutions29 should be monitored and periodically
reviewed via a DOD-assigned mission to an organization
with competence in all relevant areas of science, with
the view towards supporting or sponsoring such work as
may be of interest to DOD.
6. (S/NOFORN)
Management. A central DOD authority
should be established to manage and fund the para-
psychological program and monitoring activities. Manage-
ment commitment to activities included in such a program
should be unambiguous.
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MINORITY OPINION (U)
(Orlansky, Holloway, Tang) (U)
(C/NOFORN )
Operational Applications.
1. (C/NOFORN)
Full evaluation of operational tests of
"Remote Viewing" would require valid ground truth data,
reliable scoring procedures, preliminary trials to
establish adequate experimental procedures and whatever
lead times are needed to conduct adequate tests wherever
and whenever they may occur. Since operational tests
can occur with little warning, it is difficult to assure
that most of the conditions noted above can be satisfied
in that type of program. ; Further, such tests cannot be
varied systematically in order to provide a basis for
evaluating the sensitivity of the results to operational
procedures or variations among observers.
2. (C/NOFORN)
"A minority of the Committee believes that
a test program in an operation-like environment is not likely
to provide useful or reliable data. We sec little to be
gained by recommending operational tests.
3. : (C/NOFORN)
Such tests can also be dangerous.
By
encouraging the conduct of operational tests, this Committee
enderses actions which have dubious scientific validity at
best and can have dangerous implications for those who may
rely on its products. At the very least, this Committee7
would be giving scientific credibility to operational
activities exploiting phenomena that it elsewhere notes
have not been proven or disproven.
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ANNEX 5
Comments Pertaining to INSCOM Investigations (U)
1. (U) History.
a.
(S/NOFORN)
Tasking. In the fall of 1978, the
Intelligence and Security Command ( INSCOM), Ft. Meade,
MD was tasked to establish a program to examine potential
use of psychoenergetics for intelligence purposes. Initially,
specific interest has focused on that element now called
Remote Viewing (RV). The INSCOM project (IGFP) has been
and will be evolutionary in nature:
(1)
Establish a training familiarization program
utilizing specially selected INSCOM subjects (RVers) .
techniques.
(2)
Establish RV intelligence collection
(3)
Establish a system mechanism for responding
to intelligence collection requirements (tasking by intelli -
gence producers like DIA) so that RV-produced data is
quickly and efficiently used,
b. (S/NOFORN) Selection of RVers.
(1) To accomplish the mission it was necessary
to locate people who might possess requisite psychic talent.
The approach here was to match a large body of candidates
against a number of subjective traits observed by SRI
over the years (an RVer profile) .
(2)
A total of 251 INSCOM personnel in the
Baltimore/Washington area were considered. Out of the
251, 117 were interviewed in a "survey" which purported
to determine attitudes about possible use of psychic
phenomenon in intelligence collection.
(3) IGFP managers/interviewers were alert for
individuals who were: well thought of by peers and
supervisors, above average intelligence, self-confident,
articulate, adventurous, open-minded, career successful,
mature, and "emotionally stable". Additionally, artistic
ability was desirable. Those who displayed unreasonable
enthusiasm for or against psychoenergetics were eliminated
from consideration. Also culled were those who, for
personal or professional reasons, were uncomfortable
with the concept of collecting foreign positive intelli-
gence by psychoenergetics.
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c.
(S/NOFORN)
Lessons Learned During Selection
Process.
(1) Of the 117 interviewed, 30-40 met the basic
criteria outlined in paragraph 1b(3) above. However,
it was impossible to reduce this number further based only
on the RVer profile. Another round of factoring down
was done by application of a criteria based on assignment
availability (relative permanence in the area).
The
number of the candidates dropped to 12. The lesson here
is that should an expansion of the IGFP be required, it
will not be difficult to locate people who will do well
-
in RV.
statement!
(2) More than 90% of all those interviewed
considered psychic phenomenon to be real, and of practical
value.
2.
(U) Training.
a.
(S/NOFORN)
At the time the IGFP began, SRI was the
only major serious organization exploring psychoenergetics.
INSCOM was directed to conclude with SRI, a contract which
called for a certain number of RV specialists to undergo
SRI familiarization training.
e
clearances etc
b.
(S/NOFORN )
In February 1979, SRI researchers
intimately familiar with the subject matter selected six
of the final twelve candidates to train. This phase began
1. April and is expected to end in December 1979.
In-house
familiarization and training at Fort Meade started in
February 1979 and is expected to continue indefinitely.
c.
(S/NOFORN )
INSCOM has generally followed the RV
protocol first established by SRI, with an orientation
toward collection of foreign positive intelligence.
(Note: The Army Surgeon General's Human Use Review Panel
for GRILL FLAME found this protocol to be "technology
transfer" rather than R&D. ) As of 1 Oct 79, more than 150
RV tests have been conducted at Fort Meade. Project
personnel assess the results as moderately successful.
Some of the RV cadre now routinely provide useful intelli-
gence data with the RV technique. These individuals have
progressed far beyond so-called "beacon" and basic
geographic coordinates work, and are now engaged against real
world intelligence targets -- a kind of OJT.
d. (S/NOFORN)
Lessons Learned During Training.
(1) There are a number of factors which appear
to help successful RVers. First, they must sense a
"seriousness of purpose" for the on-hand task.
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Frivolous coffee table tests seem to produce less usable
data. The RVer must know and be motivated by the knowledge
that his information is important, and that the reason for
conducting a test goes beyond merely proving ( "one more
time") his ability to perform RV.
(2) The physical and social environment has a
significant impact. The individual must feel that it is
"OK" for him to perform this unique task; that he is not
somehow considered an aberration or "kook". Physical
surroundings must be comfortable, pleasing to the senses,
and offer privacy, security, and quiet.
(3)
If the RVer knows or believes that the
viewing task is the most important event of his day, he is
much more likely to develop good intelligence information.
Outside influences (e.g., family problems, illness, job-
related conflicts) have detrimental effects on his ability
to do well.
The bottom line is that the RVer must be
totally committed to achieving positive results and
allowed to achieve absolute mental concentration.
(4)
It cannot, at this point, be said that
familiarization training improves one's ability in RV.
The collective data shows no training improvements,
possibly because the whole organization is in a learning
curve.
Individually, however, there is noticeable improve-
ment in specific RV abilities following such training.
(5)
All persons involved in doing RV say they feel
that they have learned much about the "process"; and are
beginning to be able to distinguish between relevant
(presumably psychoenergetic) target impressions and noise
(fantasy, "analytical overlay" or whatever).
(6) Experience shows that a major problem is lack
of suitable physical space. The project's present location
is such that high levels of noise influence or abort
RV sessions. Also, due to lack of appropriate office space,
operational flexibility has been somewhat constrained. - We
this.
10-18 =
(7)
A serious problem surfaced during this phase:
the availability of "Sunday hire" RVers to engage in sessions.
The IGFP essentially operates on an ad hoc basis, with
little or no promise of even minimal permanence. Existence
or demise of the IGFP in fact rests on which way the winds
that control scarce resources (time, funds, and people) blow.
All RVers have other, normal duties in their parent
organizations. As might be expected, this leads to
Taken one of
This is still
A MAJOR
drawback ,
One operational.
triste han ded
17
Influenced;
Including
to retling
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considerable scheduling conflicts.
Because IGFP enjoys
what amounts to second priority, sessions are often cancelled
or are impossible to schedule. It is fair to say that this
issue has hindered progress and has been dysfunctional to
the RV process itself. The latter point is that the RVer
finds it difficult to muster requisite positive attitude
and "seriousness of purpose", knowing that RV tasks rank
below those of his primary duties.
not a problem
anymore - They
have people assigned
where i could
1
3.
(S/NOFORN) Operations.
Introduction of the RV process
into actual operations has been accomplished several times.
This is not to say that the IGFP is ready for full opera- q fd = Ax
tional employment. A great deal of further work is
necessary to establish intelligence collection techniques. not!
Also, no mechanical system for responding to tasking
exists. Optimistically, some operational utility can be
expected in 1981. First utilization of this special
technique will most likely be along the lines of tip-off
(or cueing) to other collection systems. These could then
be brought to bear on the target of interest.
4. (U)
Comments.
a.
( S/NOFORN )
The INSCOM activities are being guided
by common sense and disciplined procedures. We should not
lose sight of the fact that INSCOM is not engaged in a
venture into science, but rather one of a utility nature.
Personnel involved are professional intelligence officers
representing the three major disciplines:
human, photo, and
signal intelligence.
0
(S/NOFORN). Notably, the IGFP gauges how good
individual sessions are based on strict operational judgments
(how much usable intelligence is produced). This is in
stark contrast to projects in other places which rely on
exotic, often flawed, statistical methodologies to evaluate
the results.
c.
(S/NOFORN)
The body of wisdom being accumulated
is not grounded on stagnant repetitions of the basic SRI
RV drill first developed in the early 1970s. It is
impressive that the project is moving into type tests
in which several interations (they call it "building an
intelligence pyramid") on the same target seem to provide
a more accurate, detailed picture of the site.
d. (S/NOFORN)
Data on each session is impeccably
maintained. In addition, the managers have developed
several visual tools that lay out clearly the number of
failures, successes and in-betweens. One is not forced
to guess, or have to pry out, what has gone on at INSCOM
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5.
(U)
Suggested Improvements and Observations.
a.
(S/NOFORN )
The current level of personnel assets
should be immediately stabilized for at least two years.
Intelligence analysts should be a direct part of the effort.
Because of disruptions caused by TDY trips, other job
commitments, etc., personnel involved in GRILL FLAME
should be fixed into some organization configuration
controlled by the project officer. (Note:
It is only
fair to recognize that one cannot spend his whole day
doing RV. Common sense should prevail and whenever
possible project personnel should be released to work
whenever needed. )
4)
b. (U) An adequate work and administrative area is
needed. It should meet the general criteria established
in paragraphs 2d (2) (6) above.
c.
(S/NOFORN) Because of the uniqueness and
sensitivity of the project, extraordinary measures should
be established, followed, and inspected, to ensure that
those individuals involved in the project do not lose
Career standing in relation to peers. For example; a
general officer review of all OERs and EERs appears to be
warranted. . There is no small danger that an individual's
career, particularly under the present ad hoc personnel
situation, might be irreparably damaged by rating officials
who feel robbed of control of people under their supervision.
If a problem which
it currently tant-
then we can do it.
()
d.
(S/NOFORN) Regardless of the apparent near-term
potential offered by RV, the INSCOM's project status
should remain one of familiarization and training. The
work should not be prematurely thrust into the operational
arena.
For the next two years, INSCOM should be permitted
the "luxury" of tightening up procedures and attempting
product improvement (see Chapter 3, para 3). The project
should have, should it be needed, support of any resources
within DOD. An example might be USAF support in development
and analyzing intelligence targets.
7
e.
(U) INSCOM is to be commended for its logical,
level-headed, and professional approach to a most curious
problem.
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