Anonymous asked if I would do it over again?

Q. Given a choice, if you could do it all over again, would you still be a NOC or would you be official cover? Most importantly, can you please state why? Is NOC life considerably more dangerous / satisfying / difficult than official cover? For someone with a spouse, how much more difficult is NOC life? Does the spouse have to be more in the dark or are they involved at times?

A. I had a choice! I had previously served as a Special Operations (Paramilitary) CO in Vietnam for several tours, then I served as a official cover CO at CIA headquarters on a country desk as the person responsible for managing the NOC program in that country. Yes, I was a bureaucrat for a while! I was given the opportunity to enter the NOC program and happily accepted. Anything to get back in the field and far away from the bureaucracy at headquarters! I was able to plan my own first NOC tour, find my own cover, plan the budget and training for myself – all the administrative and cover requirements. This put me far ahead of other NOC officers who have never seen the inside of the bureaucracy required to be a NOC. Yes, I would do it again, and again and again!!

NOC life for me was more of a challenge than being an inside officer! Yes, it is also potentially more dangerous mainly because of the lack of diplomatic immunity! For the same reason it is also more difficult and time intensive than that of an inside officer. Since the NOC lacks diplomatic immunity, he/she must be considerably more conscious to “live your cover” than the inside officer under official cover whom many people will suspect is “CIA” anyway just because he/she works in the embassy! As a NOC you have the responsibility not only to protect your personal security but also to protect your cover company, since it has the potential to loose financially and even be barred from the country should you be exposed.

It is also a challenge to pass yourself off as a legitimate employee of the cover company, which requires that you develop new knowledge in the business area of the company. You must come off as a knowledgeable employee to foreigners with whom the company has business dealings as well as to other employees of the cover company. This requires a lot of time on your part to study and learn something new and to continually upgrade your skills relating to the business area of the cover company.

I was fortunate to have stayed in the field as a NOC with the same cover company living in four countries for a continuous 18 years and working in over 30 countries for both the CIA and the cover company during that period. I could have never done this as an official cover officer. So at the core of your question, for me it was the challenge of the NOC lifestyle that was more satisfying and gratifying than that of the inside officer! Regarding your follow-up re a NOC spouse, please refer to an earlier blog posting on the role of the spouse that should answer this question. Bottom line is that your spouse should be a valued partner – abet uncompensated –in your CIA activities.