Brief History of Army MI - Fort Huachuca - U.S. Army

A BRIEF HISTORY OF U.S. ARMY MILITARY INTELLIGENCEwriter who had influence with Secretaryof War Newton D. Baker. Withsuggestions now coming from Scott’ssuperiors, he reversed himself a fewdays later in April 1917.When a separate Military IntelligenceSection was organized in May1917 by Brig. Gen. Joseph E. Kuhn,Chief of the War College Division, itwas given these functions:(a) The collection, collation anddistribution of military information.This will be understood to embraceevery class of military information,formerly handled by the InformationCommittee or by the War CollegeDivision as a whole.(b) The supervision of the dutiesof our Military Attaches abroad, insofaras those duties pertain to the collectionof military information.(c) Officers and Intelligence Officersat posts or stations and withcommands in the field in matters relatingpurely to military intelligence.(d) The consideration of questionsof policy to be promulgated bythe General Staff in connection withall matters of military intelligence.(e) The supervision and controlof such system of military espionageand counterespionage as shall be established,by authority of the Chiefof Staff or the Secretary of War, duringthe continuance of the presentwar.(f) Cooperation with the IntelligenceSections of the General Staff ofthe various countries at war with Germany,in connection with militaryintelligence work in the United Statesand with our forces in the field, eitherat home or abroad.(g) The preparation of instructionsin military intelligence work forthe use of our forces in the field.The new organization was morethan a staff agency, but an operationaldepartment with control of all fieldintelligence units in the Army.Van Deman was named the chief ofthe new Military Intelligence Section(MIS). Starting small with three officersand two clerks, it grew with theforce of an idea whose time had finallycome, with 282 officers and 948civilians in the outfit by war’s end.Van Deman benefited from his closeliaison work with British intelligence,particularly Colonel Claude Danseyof the British Security Service whoprovided a handbook on intelligenceorganization and methods. This gavestructure to the organization whichwas divided into positive and negativebranches, positive intelligencebeing information about the enemyand negative corresponding with thejob of today’s counter intelligence.The Military Intelligence Section wasmade up of these subsections:MI meant military intelligence,with “intelligence” replacing “information,”a British usage that nowbecame institutionalized in the U.S.Army, although there were examplesof its use at least back to 1907 whenan appointment was made for an “IntelligenceOfficer for the HawaiianIslands.” Earlier in American history,intelligence was a synonym for“news.”The MIS would later become responsiblefor training all of the officersand NCOs needed inEurope in each battalion intelligencesection and those sections in regimental,divisional and corps headquarters.The Military Intelligence Section alsofilled the AEF G-2’s request for 50sergeants with investigative experienceand the ability to speak French. Thisbecame the nucleus of the Corps ofIntelligence Police (CIP) organized inAugust 1917. The CIP had 750agents in France, where they wereheadquartered near Bordeaux, and 500in the United States. They would becut back to 28 in the year followingthe armistice.Van Deman had ultimately accomplishedhis goal of restoring intelligenceto equal footing with theother general staff sections in the WarDepartment, as had originally beenenvisioned in 1903.The intelligence organizationwould undergo yet another reformation.Taking over as the new chief ofstaff in March 1918, Maj. Gen.Peyton C. March viewed the MilitaryIntelligence Division as “a minor appendageto the War Plans Division,”which was not quite true as it was assignedto the Executive Division ofthe General Staff. March wanted toplace MI back on the General Staff.In his 26 August 1918 reorganization,there were four divisions on the generalstaff: Operations; Military Intelligence;Purchase, Storage and Traffic;and War Plans. Replacing VanDeman who was on his way to France,Marlborough Churchill was promotedto brigadier and appointedDirector of Military Intelligence. Hisdivision would:have cognizance and control ofmilitary intelligence, both positiveand negative, and shall be in chargeof an officer designated as the directorof military intelligence, who willbe an assistant to the Chief of Staff.He is also the chief military censor.The duties of this division are to maintainestimates revised daily of the militarysituation, the economic situation,and of such other matters as the Chiefof Staff may direct, and to collect,collate, and disseminate military in-Write Fort Huachuca Museums; U.S. Army Intelligence Center and Fort Huachuca; ATTN: ATZS-PAM; Fort Huachuca, AZ 85613-6000.17