Now Watching:

The Debrief - Wild Bill's Gun

During WWII, General William Donovan was the head of the CIA’s predecessor, the Office of Strategic Services. We recount just one of the many stories which would reinforce his nickname: Wild Bill.

Now Watching:

The Debrief - Abbottabad Model

Learn how CIA leveraged the exceptional model-building capabilities of NGA so that CIA could brief POTUS and build a full-scale replica of the Abbottabad compound to plan and practice one of our most critical missions.

Now Watching:

The Debrief - President's Daily Brief (PDB)

Learn more about the most critical and classified document to come out of this country, the President’s Daily Brief (PDB).

Now Watching:

The Debrief - Zawahiri House Model

CIA worked in partnership with NGA model builders to create a model of the Zawahiri compound, which played an essential role in briefing POTUS and ensuring the success of the U.S. Government’s precision counterterrorism operation against Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Now Watching:

The Debrief - Helms Letter

In May 1945, an Office of Strategic Services (OSS) – the predecessor to today’s CIA – officer Richard Helms wrote a touching and eloquent letter to his young son on a captured sheet of Adolf Hitler’s stationery. This letter aligned with Richard’s commitment to making the world a little safer. After writing this letter, Helms’ career took him from desk officer to executive leadership. On June 30, 1966, Richard Helms was appointed as the Director of CIA.