The Real Q

The Gadget Spooks

In the James Bond movies there was a character at Headquarters called Q. Q did all the gadgets for 007 and had fun showing off his toys. In the CIA during the 60’s and 70’s, the group responsible for all the gadgets was called TSD, Technical Services Division. This was the department that my Dad worked for. TSD was a very small group of dedicated agents that had to support all the field agents and CIA stations around the world. Since TSD people did not grow on trees, they had to travel a lot to deliver devices, install them, and train others on how to use them. When my Dad joined the agency he had to undertake a several year intensive training program in all the tradecraft that the CIA uses. The Government spent $250,000 training him, which was big money in 1960.

Here is a partial list of the types of things TSD did:

Field Support of Agents

Wiretapping of Telephones
Audio Surveillance and Transmitters (Bugging)
Visual Surveillance (Tailing)
Setting up OP’s (Observation Posts)
Concealment of objects
Black Bag Jobs (breaking into consulates and embassies)
Disguises
Forged Documents
Forged Identity Papers
Mail Interception (Flaps and Seals)
Microdots
Propaganda (White, Grey, and Black)
Psych Ops (Psychological Operations)
Exotic Weapons
Questioned Documents Examinations
Counter Terror - Counter Sabotage
Photography (Surveillance, Copying Documents)
Comm Gear (Communication Equipment)
Safe houses

This entry was posted on August 21, 2007 at 2:14 am and is filed under Background. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.