We immediately contacted the personnel unit and began reviewing hundreds of 201 files. Each of us separated the records of people that we thought would make good candidates. We then looked at military aptitude scores, current training courses, education and general backgrounds to make our final decision on who we would interview. The few individuals that remained were first gathered in a group while we explained what we were doing and let them know about WHCA and the process that we would follow to make our final decision and what it would take to qualify. We did give everyone in the room a chance to withdraw from consideration with no questions asked. For the next three days we conducted personal interviews asking many direct questions about their lives and background. As we completed the individual interviews we discussed the merits of each candidate and made our final selections.
We met with the final seven candidates the next day to have them complete the administrative paperwork, which also included the forms needed to perform an extensive background investigation and obtain top secret security clearance. Once they graduated and received their security clearance they would receive their assignment in WHCA.
While I was in Fort Bliss Texas on this recruiting trip the 1968 the Republican National Convention began in Miami Beach FL, and even though there were demonstrators, there were no violent incidents like what would erupt in Chicago in a few months. Richard Nixon the Republican nominee surprised everyone by choosing Maryland Governor Spiro Agnew as his running mate. I would have never imagined the events that would take place in the next couple of months would forever change the Presidential election process.
Memories
of Individual experiences of the WHCA recruiting process
Roger Zabkie
remembers that in 1955 when I was near the end of my
30-some weeks of microwave school at Ft Monmouth, two guys in civilian clothes
interviewed several people in my class. Three of us were selected for WHASA,
WHCA's predecessor. One went to High Point then Mt Weather, one stayed
in DC, and I went to Camp David, where I served for five years. No
polygraph until three years later.
John Cross In 1965, while I was attending 26 wks. of Microwave
Radio Repair training at Fort Monmouth NJ, a WHCA recruiting team was looking
for recruits when they graduated from training. I was more than halfway through
training when I was pulled out of class for my Interview. After about an hour
of rapid-fire questions I returned to class.
The next day I was sent to another meeting
with about a dozen people there. We were given the paperwork to fill out for a TS
security clearance, since I already had a secret clearance, I had all of the
necessary information to quickly fill it out. I was then told about the Poly
that would be scheduled in the near future.
About a week later I took the Poly. After I
was all strapped in, I was asked about twenty five questions (many the same as was
asked during my interview) everything was going well until the last question,
which was “Have you answered truthfully all of the previous questions” when I
answered yes, the machine went wild.
After a short consolation with the
administrator I was given the test over and PASSED!
When I graduated from Training, I had not
heard anything about my security clearance. I was assigned to a Holding company
and given the task of showing up every morning in uniform at Reveille and
raising the flag. And then show up again at retreat to lower the flag while
hanging around home the whole day. This lasted about three weeks when I
received my orders to report to a street address in DC.
From the dozen that had filled out the paperwork only three of us,
Chuck Duval(who joined me at Camp David), Marty Schorn who went to Cadre/Creed,
and I made it to the agency—a small number considering the pool of 1000
trainees.
Charles Heyman comments I had the same Basic Training experience at Fort
Dix NJ, Sept 1965. Initially the first presentation was outdoors. From that 13
of us went on for a second interview and 3 were accepted, I was the only one
that actually went on to assignment. I spent four months at Ft. Gordon in
switchboard training and a couple of months waiting for security clearance.
Steve Weber and I left Ft. Gordon for WHCA about the same time in Feb 1966.
John Tiffen said I was interviewed during Basic
Training at Ft. Ord in August or September of 1966. Charlie Graffius was one of
the interviewers (can't recall the other person). What Kerry Pinkerton said below
was what I was told also, except I don‘t recall the part about waiving my AIT
school (but then, it's been close to 60 years).
I know of one
other guy from my Basic Training company who was chosen and he wound up working
the switchboard (can't recall his name right now, either). Didn't get the final
word until well into my AIT at Ft. Gordon.
Mark Edwards In
1966 there was no question about bestiality, but I
was asked about any homosexual activities.
Donald Cammel When I
was recruited their were about 30K Signal Corp Trainees at
Fort Gordon in March 67. They screened records and invited about 350 to attend
the first hour. After two breaks the number was about 150, and after lunch
faded to about 60. During interviews they invited 11 to fill out packets.
There ended up being 3 of us coming out the other side of the funnel! The other
two people did their tour and got out.
William Sauder I was selected in 67 Ft Benning of the 6 that came
for the interview only myself and Newt Shannon who went to work at the Signal switchboard
made it all the way through unbelievable odds.
Harland Priddle
I enjoyed reading the selection process of the WHCA enlisted staff.
Congratulations as one of the very, very few who were selected to serve in WHCA.
I
participated on a couple of these recruitment trips. As I recall, we were
always looking for a reason not to select based on some preset criteria,
some of which made no sense.
My
selection to WHCA as Deputy Commander was a result of General, Director of
Hdqtrs Air Force Communications at the Pentagon recommending me to current WHCA
Commander, Col Al Redman, later BG Redman, who I served with at the Joint
Chiefs 1965-1968. Al was only the 3rd Commander since WHCA established in 1942,
Replacing MG Jack Albright.
Needless
to say, this was the best Air Force assignment with an outstanding group during
historical times--Pres Nixon trips to China and ISSR 1972.
I
took the Poly from CWO Corky Dever (I think--he worked for CWO Len Stephens). I
loved my Angus show animal and we didn't own any sheep, so I was clean and
passed the Poly.
General
Redman later ask my opinion about taking the Poly in about 73 and I said it was
probably a good criteria for WHCA, just to show we were a cut above other
assignments, but doubt if it had any value in identifying security threat
people.
WHCA
did use infiltrated people in comm center as I recall and did have a few
successes, but this was also discontinued later.
AND
NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY
Kerry Pinkerton When I was in basic in 69,
WHCA personnel came to Ft Benning and looked at 40,000 trainees AFQT scores
looking for category 4s that had enlisted. Iirc, that was an IQ over 120. Then
then looked at other stuff and decided who to invite for an interview. There
were 80 of us at the interviews. 8 made it through the day after the windowing
process. .
The windowing
process consisted of being told we'd
1. Have to waive our schools
2. Couldn’t have ever been
arrested even if later released.
3. Couldn't have more than 3
tickets.
4. Couldn't have ever had sex
with a family member or an animal.
5. Couldn't have ever smoked
pot or taken drugs.
6. Had to pass a polygraph.
7. Failing the
poly meant you were turned back to the army, which meant you were going to be
dragging an M14 through the jungle.
Jerry Nichols and I ( both went to AV), and Bruce Mills
(radio) made it to the agency. Pretty small group out of 40k.
I heard that not too many years later, they had to drop
the pot requirement. And then at some point I heard that they dropped the poly
and WHCA was on their way to becoming just another assignment.
Mike Ebbing
adds the recruiting team came to Ft. Campbell, KY, around February
of 1970. As I recall, a group of close to 500 attended the first day. Only 75
were invited back on the 2nd day. Not sure how many packets were issued but I
do know only 3 of us made final cut. All recruited for Signal, and we headed to Ft. Gordon
for switchboard school. Terry Brewer and Dennis Munger both got their
clearances and orders for WH Signal a couple months before me. When I reported
to WHCA HQ in Georgetown, I was told I would also be at WH Signal. The next
day, they changed their mind and assigned me to Camp David switchboard. I
remained close friends with both Dennis & Terry. I spent my 2 weeks of
Signal training (one week at Terry's apt in Arlington and another week at
Dennis' apartment (also in Arlington). Karen and I stayed with them at the WHCA
Xmas parties as well!
Gary Paul My
experience was similar at Ft Knox in '72. They went through about 10,000, DD-201
files, interviewed 75, and picked up 1. A very lucky day for me.
Charles Easter
In Apr or May of 1973, I was working in the Comm Center at
Wright Patterson, AFB, when word came down that there was a recruiting team
from Washington DC that was going to hold a briefing at the base theater, and I
was asked if I wanted to go. I almost said no, as I had no desire to go to
DC, so why bother, but I changed my mind and went, mostly just to get out of
the comm center for a while. Anyway the base theater was pretty well filled up
and we listened to what they had to say. I don't remember how the weeding went,
but I ended up having a face to face interview with the recruiters. After the
interview they asked if selected would I be interested in going to DC to work
in the White House. I couldn't turn that offer down,
so of course I said yes.
So after all
the paperwork was processed, I was told that I would have a hold put on my
records and could not be reassigned until I was either accepted or denied.
About 5-6 months later I got the call that I was accepted. As far as I can
remember, only myself and Eugene Edgerson were the only ones selected from that
group. Glad I was at work that day and glad that I decided to go to the
briefing.
John Harris
My time in the service was 78-93 and of course long after the draft ended. The
recruiting team scanned about a thousand records at Fort Polk and interviewed
about 50. They picked up four of us. I never saw a poly.
Chris Morgan
recalls that Dave Lytle recruited him from Fort Gordon in early fall,
1980, the theater was packed and only 2 of us were selected. During the
interview with Dave, he apologized for having to ask me if I ever had sex with
an animal. I
asked him if anyone ever said "yes". There was no response.
Richard LePere
In 1981 there was recruiting team in Germany. We were invited into the NATO
HQ Theater in Heidelberg. The theater was filled with troops standing in the
aisles, and along the back wall. Mark Schmidt was on that trip. We received the
security briefing before breaking for lunch. When we returned, there were
13 people left in the theater. The 13 were whittled down to 5. Of the 5, that
were selected to go to WHCA, only 3 went to WHCA and made it through training.
Dave Meyers (AF) was my training NCO, and Ricky K. Harris and I went through
training together at Signal 015, with the Western Electric 608D cord Swbd. I still have the color coded
training paper mockup of the 608D cord switchboard. Each day we started with
the switchboard mockup, practicing calls. Then we moved onto the crash position
for movements and EA crash conferences, Echo/Fox, Crown Control Radio
Console. Then after lunch we were put on one of the Controller positions, with
Dave sitting next to us to monitor our call processing. After about a week, an
SAO sat in between us, and we moved onto the paging system, the IBM database
for name lookups. The EA procedures were hammered into our heads, along with
the authentication codes for authorizing a non-secure EA conference call across
non-dedicated 1FB circuits. I was told that I had to go through every level of
training, including being trip Swbd Lead certified within 12 months, and that
included stateside and overseas qualified. Best job ever!
Barry Bracken, I wish I would have paid more
attention to events that happened early in my career. I was a "buck
sergeant" stationed at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex in Colorado Springs
in 1982. I got a call from my first shirt one afternoon telling me that he
did not know what I had done, but I better be in my service dress when
reporting the next day to the Pete Field Base Theater. Pat Bell is the only one
I can remember being on the recruiting team - she was the one that did the
interview. I got a call a couple of weeks later asking me if I would be willing
to come to WHCA without my clearance being completed to work on a "special
project". I said yes and PCS'd (permeant change of station) a week or so later
just a message, no orders...quite an experience. I think I only had to have one
person call the "special" number on the message. I only heard one
side of the conversation; it was pretty much "oh....yes sir....yes
sir...thank you."
I
arranged for my buddy to ship my HHGs and the wife and I drove across the
country; her in our car packed to the hilt and me on my motorcycle. I was
assigned to the special projects office, affectionately known as Albertson's
Animals, and started work building the REVCON coaches.
I
echo the sentiments of those that say they were lucky to have an opportunity to
come to WHCA. Every job I have had since leaving the USAF has been because of a
WHCA Alum vouching for me.
Jill Beatty Andershonis
Chris Woodard and
I were the only 2 to complete the process at Pearl Harbor in 84(?). The Chapel
at PH started out full and the questions were the same during the weeklong
process that included a photo and fingerprints. Questions weren’t really
much different than what I was used to for security updates.
Marlene Chiatovich Mika
I was a recruiter '95-'00 those questions were still asked during interview
- crazy answers sometimes!
The
poly was gone, the pot question was back .
Jeff Massa
I was at HQ Air Force Personnel and got a call one day asking if I would be
interested in working at WHCA (I didn't even know about the White House
Communications Agency), I asked what it was and said sure. A couple of days
later I was interviewed by several people over the next 2 days. During the
interview I asked them how that got my name, I was told that if I got the
assignment, they would let me know. # months later that offered me the
assignment (which I accepted), once I got to WHCA I asked again how they got my
name, and I was told that the person who would know was no longer at WHCA. I
still don't know how they found me, but I was glad they did!
Larry Bethea
I was stationed at Andrews AFB communications center, when I was ordered to
attend a briefing. I'd guess about 60 Airman attended the briefing, 5 of us
stayed and 2 of us joined WHCA. I got the same questions, no Poly. In
fact I held TS clearances for over 30 years and never had a Poly. As a DOD
Contractor I considered working for the CIA and heard they required a poly.
Then I heard they fail 80% without question and for no reason creating the
illusion of the cream of the crop. I declined so I didn't have to answer for a
failed poly.
In today’s
environment recruiting is done online by downloading an application to serve. WHCA is
currently accepting applications from personnel on active duty in the grades of
E4 with less than eight years in service (on a case-by-case basis) and grades
of E5 to E6 with less than 15 years in service. for a 5 year tour, but must serve for a minimum
of 3 years, for all branches. Currently there is a recruiter assigned to each
branch of the service with a defined application process for each branch.
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