The Langley Files: CIA’s Podcast

PART THREE: FINDING BIN LADEN. On May 2, 2011, officials with a “need to know” monitored the highly sensitive US operation against the most wanted terrorist in the world in real time. But for a CIA officer named Kevin watching that night, the mission against Al Qaeda’s seniormost leader had a uniquely personal resonance. Because as a young Navy officer working in the Pentagon, he had nearly died on September 11th, 2001. Sustaining extensive injuries in the attack, he was rushed to Walter Reed Medical Center, where doctors were unsure whether he would survive; later, in recovery, he would flatline twice. But his story was far from over. Because Kevin would overcome his injuries, join the CIA, and ultimately take his place on the CIA team tracking down the terrorist leader who oversaw the attacks: Usama Bin Laden. And on this special, three-part episode of The Langley Files, Kevin returns to CIA Headquarters to share his incredible journey.

In this third and final part of FILE 018, Kevin's story comes full circle. As the clock ticks down to perhaps the most famous special forces mission in history, Kevin shares with you a one-of-a-kind, insider's look at the final chapter of the search for Bin Laden. Hear what it was like in one of the designated centers watching the operation unfold live, the unique role Kevin played in the aftermath of the raid--and about the first phone call he made upon learning its outcome, to a person he met on September 11th, 2001. It's the powerful conclusion to a part of this story that's never been told--until now.

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Kevin discussed the extreme secrecy in which the mission against Usama Bin Laden was planned, but you can now see a replica of the model of Bin Laden’s Abbottabad compound that was used to prepare for the operation: Model of Abbottabad Compound - CIA.  It stands today in the CIA Museum.

US forces recovered an enormous amount of material from Bin Laden’s compound—and you can see much of it for yourself here, after public releases by the CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in the interest of transparency and to enhance public understanding. The materials were sent all the way from Abbottabad to the United States for analysis—and you now know the CIA officer who brought key portions of it back to Langley just days after the raid.

PART TWO: JOINING CIA'S MANHUNT. On May 2, 2011, officials with a “need to know” monitored the highly sensitive US operation against the most wanted terrorist in the world in real time. But for a CIA officer named Kevin watching that night, the mission against Al Qaeda’s seniormost leader had a uniquely personal resonance. Because as a young Navy officer working in the Pentagon, he had nearly died on September 11th, 2001. Sustaining extensive injuries in the attack, he was rushed to Walter Reed Medical Center, where doctors were unsure whether he would survive; later, in recovery, he would flatline twice. But his story was far from over. Because Kevin would overcome his injuries, join the CIA, and ultimately take his place on the CIA team tracking down the terrorist leader who oversaw the attacks: Usama Bin Laden. And on this special, three-part episode of The Langley Files, Kevin returns to CIA Headquarters to share his incredible journey.

In Part Two, Kevin recounts returning from the hospital - and what he did next. First, turn his focus to understanding the events behind the attacks, by serving as an investigator for the 9/11 Commission. Then, turn his focus to tracking down and stopping future threats - by joining the CIA. It's the chapter of his story that will see him join CIA's HVT1 Team - the CIA team tracking down High Value Target #1. If you've ever wondered what the search for Bin Laden was like inside the team spearheading it, you won't want to miss this episode.

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Are you interested in a career as the kind of “high-tech CIA detective” that Kevin described? Check out the Agency’s Targeting Officer role here. 

Kevin just shared with you a firsthand, insider’s account of a pivotal chapter in CIA’s search for Usama Bin Laden. You can read more about that search—and see photos of the AC1 compound for yourself—here. 

PART ONE: SURVIVING 9/11. On May 2, 2011, officials with a “need to know” monitored the highly sensitive US operation against the most wanted terrorist in the world in real time. But for a CIA officer named Kevin watching that night, the mission against Al Qaeda’s seniormost leader had a uniquely personal resonance. Because as a young Navy officer working in the Pentagon, he had nearly died on September 11th, 2001. Sustaining extensive injuries in the attack, he was rushed to Walter Reed Medical Center, where doctors were unsure whether he would survive; later, in recovery, he would flatline twice. But his story was far from over. Because Kevin would overcome his injuries, join the CIA, and ultimately take his place on the CIA team tracking down the terrorist leader who oversaw the attacks: Usama Bin Laden. And on this special, three-part episode of The Langley Files, Kevin returns to CIA Headquarters to share his incredible journey. In Part One, Kevin recounts his experiences on 9/11: the US Navy service that led to his posting at the Pentagon, his fight to survive amid the chaos of the attack, and how a stranger saved his life on that dark day. You may have heard of some of the people involved in the search for Usama Bin Laden, but you haven’t yet heard this part of the story—until now.

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A memorial to those lost on September 11th, 2001 stands on the grounds of CIA’s Headquarters in Langley, VA: a steel column from World Trade Center Building Six that still carried the smell of smoke from that day over a decade later. You can read about that solemn tribute here. 

Kevin discussed following news of the United States’ response to the 9/11 attacks as he recovered from his injuries; CIA played a key role in that response, with a legendary CIA team “first in” on the ground in Afghanistan just 15 days after the attack. The helicopter that carried that team now sits at CIA Headquarters at Langley, Virginia, but you can see it here.

Johnny Micheal Spann, a CIA paramilitary officer serving in that initial Agency response to the 9/11 attacks, was the first American killed in combat in Afghanistan. His last act was to warn a CIA colleague of imminent danger, helping that colleague get to safety. You can read about Johnny’s story and sacrifice here.  A sign in Afghanistan honoring him still resides at the CIA Museum today. 

CIA’s digital systems need to process some of the most sensitive data in the world—intelligence that is vital to keeping Americans safe and must be kept from falling into the wrong hands. But who is responsible for ensuring the security of those systems? And do they have any best practices that you could incorporate into your own tech life? On this episode of The Langley Files, you’ll find out. Dee and Walter are sitting down with Jennifer Link, CIA’s Chief Information Security Officer, to discuss her background and responsibilities, and how she goes about keeping herself cyber-safe in everyday life. So, from mystery phone calls and online pop ups to the increasing world of cyber-enabled home appliances—this is an episode chock full of CIA cyber safety news you can use.

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Want to dive deeper into today’s episode? Here's a look into more of Langley's (unclassified) files:

Interested in cyber security and want to take your skills to the next level? Put them to the test defending CIA—and the nation—from cyber threats. Check out career opportunities as a CIA Cyber Security Officer here.  

Looking for handy factsheets on keeping yourself, your family, or your business safe online? The US Government’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has you covered. 

Did you know that Morocco borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea? Learn incredible facts about places near and far with CIA’s World Factbook. 

PART TWO: CIA OPERATIONS. In Part One of this special two-part episode, George E. Hocker, Jr.—the trailblazing Black CIA operations officer who joined the Agency in the 1950s and ultimately rose to its seniormost ranks—shared with Dee and Walter the trials and triumphs of undergoing CIA operations, paramilitary, and survival training—and doing so as the only Black officer in his class. But George’s career with the Agency was just getting started—and only going to get more intense. In Part Two, you’ll hear about the CIA operations George led overseas—directly from this legendary CIA officer himself. Tune in to learn how George ended up on the wrong end of an AK-47 rifle, in the middle of a mystery that had beguiled the local CIA station for years, and tasked with getting a key Soviet officer sharing information with CIA to safety under cover of darkness. It’s a journey that’ll see George overcome discrimination and break down barriers at Langley, serve as a trusted advisor to not one but two Directors of Central Intelligence, and ultimately achieve a feat still considered a Cold War espionage first.   

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Want to dive deeper into today’s episode? Here's a look into more of Langley's (unclassified) files:
 
Read more about George E. Hocker, Jr.’s remarkable career—and see photos from his time at CIA, including his original Agency job offer letter—here.

Want to follow in George’s footsteps and become one of the CIA operations officers gathering intelligence across the globe to keep Americans and others around the world safe? Apply here.  

Interested in the other high-impact CIA Directorate of Operations jobs? Check out the Collection Management Officer, Targeting Officer, Staff Operations Officer, Directorate of Operations Language Officer positions.

Does this episode’s trivia have you curious about the adventures of Mischief the Fox and Secret Squirrel? Check out this article.

PART ONE: CIA TRAINING. George E. Hocker, Jr. joined CIA in the 1950s, as one of just a few Black employees in the Agency’s records office. Over three decades later, he retired from CIA’s senior ranks as a veteran clandestine operations officer with a series of intelligence successes to his name—including a Cold War espionage history first. Now, for the first time ever, hear about those espionage feats—and the barriers George broke as he rose through the Agency’s ranks back home—directly from the CIA officer who lived them. In part one of this special two-part episode, George returns to Langley to share with Dee and Walter the path that led him from a childhood in a still-segregated Washington, DC, to the CIA; what inspired him to apply for the Agency’s clandestine service; and the challenges and triumphs he experienced as the only Black officer in his CIA operations training class. From a moment of revelation watching Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech to overcoming the elements in some of CIA’s toughest trainings, this is a story you won’t want to miss.

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Want to dive deeper into today’s episode? Here's a look into more of Langley's (unclassified) files:
 
Read more about George E. Hocker, Jr.’s remarkable career—and see photos from his time at CIA, including his original Agency job offer letter—here.

Want to follow in George’s footsteps and become one of the CIA operations officers gathering intelligence across the globe to keep Americans and others around the world safe? Apply here.  

Interested in the other high-impact CIA Directorate of Operations jobs? Check out the Collection Management Officer, Targeting Officer, Staff Operations Officer, Directorate of Operations Language Officer positions.

As part of The Langley Files’ ongoing focus on tech at CIA, Dee and Walter sit down with CIA’s Deputy Director for Digital Innovation, Juliane Gallina, and CIA’s Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, Lakshmi Raman, to talk about the ones and zeros of spycraft in the 21st century, and how CIA is applying the latest in digital technology to help protect America from threats around the world.

Want to dive deeper into today’s episode? Here's a look into more of Langley's (unclassified) files:

CIA Names Juliane Gallina as Deputy Director for Digital Innovation

For more about the trivia answer:

Want to know a little more about Nathan Hale – American patriot, Army Ranger, spy? Check out this article. 

Read more about the Nathan Hale statue here. 

Do you think you have what it takes to join a team of world-class experts in digital innovation and artificial intelligence? Check out CIA’s career offerings here.

In the private sector and have a tech idea to share with CIA? https://www.cia.gov/tech/

From glittering capitals to active warzones, CIA operations officers work across the world to uncover the information needed to keep Americans safe -- and ultimately, they’re all overseen by the Agency’s Deputy Director for Operations at CIA Headquarters. It’s a position traditionally shrouded in secrecy, but on this premiere of The Langley Files Season 3, Dee and Walter sit down with the CIA official who recently assumed that mantle, a veteran CIA operations officer who played a central role in CIA’s efforts to help Ukraine defend itself as Russia’s full-scale invasion commenced. In his first-ever public remarks, you’ll learn what CIA operations officers actually do, what the Agency is looking for in its next generation of them, and why human intelligence remains vital in the era of AI—all straight from the spymaster-in-chief of the world’s premiere foreign intelligence organization.

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Want to dive deeper into today’s episode? Here's a look into more of Langley's (unclassified) files:

Want to become one of the CIA operations officers gathering intelligence across the globe to keep Americans and others around the world safe? Follow in Tom’s footsteps and apply here. 

Interested in the other high-impact Directorate of Operations roles Tom mentioned? Check out the Collection Management Officer, Targeting Officer, Staff Operations Officer, Directorate of Operations Language Officer positions.

Read an overview of CIA’s Directorate of Operations, which conducts human intelligence (or HUMINT) operations and—as directed by the President—covert action, here.

*Nothing in this podcast should be construed to be an endorsement by the CIA or the US Government of any particular company, product, or service.*

PART TWO: EXFILTRATION. In this conclusion to the two-part finale of The Langley Files Season Two, Dee and Walter follow the thread of the “Argo” operation to rescue six Americans stranded in post-1979 Iran to its final moments—because for CIA master of disguise Tony Mendez and the previously-unidentified second CIA officer who undertook this daring mission with him, getting into Iran was just the beginning. Once in Tehran, they’ll have to train six Americans with no background in clandestine operations to impersonate a film crew convincingly enough to get past revolutionary Iranian security forces at the border. An additional twist: they’ll have just one night to do it. Tune in to learn how, and hear about the conclusion of this legendary CIA operation from a perspective that’s never been public until now.

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Want to dive deeper into this two-part episode? Here's a look into more of Langley's (unclassified) files:

For an overview of the ARGO operation, check out this story.

Want to see some of the artifacts from ARGO operation for yourself? Watch The Debrief: Behind the Artifact - ARGO.

For additional details on these unique ARGO artifacts, check out what the CIA Museum showcases on our website.

Can you find the references to ‘Julio’? Now you know the identity of the previously unidentified second CIA officer who joined Tony Mendez on the Argo operation, chronicled here by Tony himself.

The skills of the CIA officers who worked to exfiltrate those six Americans continue to live on in today’s CIA. Check out FILE 012 for an exclusive conversation with two currently serving CIA disguise specialists.

Interested in the art of disguise? See a piece of CIA disguise history with this disguise kit. 

Curious about some of the occupations CIA has to offer? Check out our website CIA.gov for more information. 

PART ONE: INFILTRATION. In this two-part finale of the second season of The Langley Files, Dee and Walter open up the Agency’s vault on one of the most famous declassified CIA operations in history: the plan to rescue six Americans stranded in hostile post-1979 Iran, under the cover of scouting for a film called “Argo.” The first twist: the most commonly understood version of these events is missing a key piece of the picture. When CIA master of disguise Tony Mendez snuck into Iran to exfiltrate the six Americans, he didn’t go in alone: a second CIA officer went in with him. The officer’s identity and role have never been revealed—until now. On this episode of The Langley Files, you’ll hear the inside story of this mission from a CIA historian, from the director of the CIA museum—and, for the first time ever, from that previously-unknown hero of the Argo operation himself.
 
Look Inside FILE 013

Want to dive deeper into this two-part episode? Here's a look into more of Langley's (unclassified) files:

For an overview of the ARGO operation, check out this story.

Want to see some of the artifacts from ARGO operation for yourself? Watch The Debrief: Behind the Artifact - ARGO.

For additional details on these unique ARGO artifacts, check out what the CIA Museum showcases on our website.

Can you find the references to ‘Julio’? Now you know the identity of the previously unidentified second CIA officer who joined Tony Mendez on the Argo operation, chronicled here by Tony himself.

The skills of the CIA officers who worked to exfiltrate those six Americans continue to live on in today’s CIA. Check out FILE 012 for an exclusive conversation with two currently serving CIA disguise specialists.

Interested in the art of disguise? See a piece of CIA disguise history with this disguise kit. 

Curious about some of the occupations CIA has to offer? Check out our website CIA.gov for more information. 

You might’ve seen spies use disguises in movies, but for real-life CIA officers, masks, wigs, makeup, and clothing are just the beginning. So what else do Agency officers need to transform themselves into someone else? How do they pull off such sleight of hand under pressure—and under surveillance? And most of all, who makes their disguises and how? On this episode of The Langley Files, Dee and Walter sit down with two of CIA’s disguise specialists to pull back the curtain on those questions and more. Tune in to learn some of the tricks of the disguise trade—and hear how they’ve made all the difference in real-world CIA operations. 

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Want to dive deeper into today’s episode? Here's a look into more of Langley's (unclassified) files:

Want to read about the life—and surprising second career—of another CIA master of disguise? Check out this profile.
 

CIA’s disguise technology has had an impact on more than national security—it has also benefitted the world of custom prosthetics. Read about that and other CIA contributions to modern technology.

How does CIA test applicants to its disguise team? One way has been to ask them to sculpt an ear.

See a piece of CIA disguise history with this disguise kit. 

Did the CIA really create a fake Hollywood production company to exfiltrate six State Department employees from Tehran? Watch The Debrief: Behind the Artifact - ARGO.

For more information about ARGO, check out this story.

Are you curious about some of the occupations CIA has to offer? Check out our website CIA.gov for more information. 

CIA’s workforce has a mission unlike any other, where mental and physical resiliency are often put to the test. So how does an organization like CIA best take care of its people? On this episode, Dee and Walter sit down with the surprising duo who helped drive a change in how CIA answers that critical question: Paul, a former CIA operations officer who survived a terrorist attack overseas, and Dr. Jennifer Posa, an industry expert in workplace health who in 2022 became CIA’s first Chief Wellbeing Officer. They’ll discuss how wellbeing is changing at the world’s premiere intelligence organization—and how anyone can build a bit more of it in their lives, too.

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Want to dive deeper into today’s episode? Here's a look into more of Langley's (unclassified) files:

CIA Announces Chief Wellbeing Officer Dr. Jennifer Posa

To learn more about recent efforts to increase accessible fitness at CIA, check out this story about The Langley Field House.

For more about today’s trivia answer, check out The CIA World Factbook page all about the world.  

How do CIA officers stay safe while traveling to some of the most dangerous places in the world? And how can you apply the CIA’s best practices to help stay safe during your own travels? On this episode of The Langley Files, a CIA security expert talks Dee and Walter through a notional trip abroad to reveal how he watches his back on the go—and shares how you can, too. 

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Want to dive deeper into today’s episode? Here's a look into more of Langley's (unclassified) files:
 
Looking for a handy checklist of CIA’s travel safety tips? Check out the “Ask Molly” column on the topic .

Going abroad? U.S. citizens can establish comms with their home base by registering with the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). 

Put CIA’s world knowledge to work for you—check out the CIA World Factbook’s travel facts before you go, for key information on everything from climate to local tipping practices. 

CIA is known as America's first line of defense - but who protects CIA? On this episode, Dee and Walter sit down with a member of CIA's protective service - the unit charged with keeping CIA personnel and facilities safe. They'll discuss what it takes to qualify for that team, the training its officers undergo, and the importance of not calling a day "quiet" until it's over.

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Where did David learn to master a controlled vehicular spin? Check out the FLETC website.

Interested to joining CIA's protective service cadre? See the requirements and desired qualifications.

Looking for more on today’s trivia answer? Your friends at the CIA World Factbook have you covered. 

In this episode of The Langley Files, Deputy Director of CIA for Analysis, Linda Weissgold, joins Dee and Walter to discuss what makes a good CIA analyst, the unusual working hours required to be the President's briefer, and the importance of the Agency's apolitical assessments. Along the way, she shares lessons from her decades-long career with CIA - and what it's like delivering bad news to the most powerful person on the planet.

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Overview of CIA’s Directorate of Analysis and the analytic positions available at the Agency

Is perhaps the most exclusive publication in the world still delivered on paper? Check out the evolution of the President’s Daily Brief (PDB)

Curious about the women OSS members Linda mentioned? Read stories from the “Sisterhood of Spies”

See the iconic words inside the final President’s Intelligence Checklist (PICL) ever produced by CIA

Want to try your hand at searching out the answer to today’s trivia question? Head over to the CIA World Factbook—where that information, and much more, awaits.

In 2022, CIA announced its first-ever Chief Technology Officer: Nand Mulchandani, a Silicon Valley executive with 25 years of industry experience. Since then, he’s been charting CIA’s course on technology—and now, on the Season 2 premiere of The Langley Files, he sits down with Dee and Walter for his first interview on being CTO of the world’s premiere foreign intelligence agency. Tune in to hear him discuss accelerating technological innovation at CIA—and whether his habit of wearing jeans to work is catching on at Langley.

CIA Files on FILE 007:
If you'd like more information about topics from today's episode, here's a peak into Langley's (Unclassified) Files to help you learn more:

CIA Announces CTO Nand Mulchandani

In the private sector and have an idea to share with CIA? https://www.cia.gov/tech/

For more about today's trivia answer:
From the CIA Museum
Argo Artist Concept
The Debrief: Behind the Artifact on Argo