One of the most highly decorated field operations officers of his generation, he led from the front with compassion and conviction for those under his command. It validates the belief by those affected that something significant happened to them, and repudiates skeptics who chalked Havana Syndrome up to psychosomatic illness or distorted the findings of a research paper to blame the symptoms on sounds made by crickets. 2. My kids recently sent me a text that stated Dad, you are still our superman. I bawled like a baby. This button displays the currently selected search type. By The anxiety that gripped, and at times paralyzed, me when I decided to go public which caused me to be treated as a pariah by some at the agencyhas diminished as I learned Eastern practices that have been proven to ease the suffering of TBI patients. Atlantic Council's Gray Zone Task Force. All Rights Reserved. I wept when I received the diagnosis. "I was awoken in the middle of the night," recalled Polymeropoulos, 51. With the upcoming Senate vote to confirm William Burns as the next CIA director, it is worth a reminder that both the CIA and the Department of State must send victims of likely microwave attacks to Walter Reed without delay. But that is my reality, and I accept it. Far from it. Polymeropoulos is a burly, bearded guy who spoke with me on his front porch in northern Virginia. But what was most useful for me was the softer side of healing that is science based and proven to be effective in treating TBI. Marc will provide real work vignettes from the world of intelligence and paramilitary operations, yet also stress that his principles can be used across the private sector in any profession. Courtesy of Marc Polymeropoulos Brain Scans Find Differences But No Injury In U.S. Diplomats Who Fell Ill In Cuba, University of Pennsylvania's Center for Brain Injury and Repair, State Department Orders More Than Half Its Staff Out Of Cuba After 'Specific Attacks'. Marc Polymeropoulos retired in June 2019 from the Senior Intelligence Service ranks at the CIA after a 26 year career in operational headquarters and field management assignments covering the Middle East, Europe, Eurasia, and Counter Terrorism. Something went wrong while submitting the form. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP By July 2019, I had to retire, and certainly retire early. He had stood guard for fear mongers in Pakistan and Yemen. Marriage vows usually go something like this: ".to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part."In addition to this specific vow sporadically made before God and only kept 50% of the time there's the more fundamental understanding that marriage is a partnership . 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Now, a study by some of the worlds most prominent brain experts first reported Friday night by NBC News has validated what some American intelligence officials have long believed, by concluding that the most plausible explanation for the symptoms suffered by at least some of the affected American officers is directed, pulsed radiofrequency energy, a type of energy that includes microwaves. He was one of the CIAs most highly decorated operations officers who served in multiple field assignments for the U.S. government. If individuals understood the work he had done in the depths of Europe, the Middle East, and Russia, they would rest better at night. The CIA declined to address that, saying in a statement to NBC News: The Agencys top priority is the health and well-being of our officers. All Rights Reserved. I talked about the pact that you make when you join an organization like the CIA, or frankly, for the State Department as well, that you're asked to do hard things, and your leadership has to return that with the idea of getting care if you're injured., He added, I'd like to see that our medical staffs across the civilian agencies treat this more seriously. Republican Reps. Lynn Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois have shown great bravery in leading the way, but they paid a political price because too many of their colleagues drowned them out," he concluded. Sometimes our quiet struggle to achieve our goals is much more effective and helps us Prior to his retirement, Polymeropoulos worked at the CIA base camp and oversaw the CIAs covert exercises in Europe and Eurasia. UkraineAlert is a comprehensive online publication that provides regular news and analysis on developments in Ukraines politics, economy, civil society, and culture. Greg Myre is an NPR national security correspondent. My children who saw me as a superman also have seen me on the floor of our house, in some agony.. Marc will provide real work vignettes from the world of intelligence and paramilitary operations, yet also stress that his principles can be used across the private sector in any profession. ", "I would recommend Michele as a speaker for any executive event, thought leadership session, female empowerment, leadership, etc. The source said the CIA, using mobile phone location data, had determined that some Russian intelligence agents who had worked on microwave weapons programs were present in the same cities at the same time that CIA officers suffered mysterious symptoms. That means calling out those in the right-wing ecosphere who for years have demonized, and at times even promoted and encouraged, attacks on Pelosi," he claimed. He says a CIA colleague who traveled with him to Moscow in 2017 suffers similar ailments. Marc Polymeropoulos retired in June 2019 from the Senior Intelligence Service ranks at the CIA after a 26-year career in operational headquarters and field management assignments covering the. Marc is the author of the book "Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA," published in June 2021 by . "We spent a year of pretty hard work addressing some really tough cases and tough problems.". His book "Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA" was published in June 2021 by Harper Collins. He was one of CIA's most highly decorated operations officers who served in multiple field assignments for the U.S. government. As a supporter of the Washington Examiner, he also spreads a piece of insight week after week. His book Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons From the CIA was published in June 2021 by Harper Collins. He had some expertise in the Middle East, counter-terrorism and South Asia and invested huge amounts of energy in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. has said that 26 government workers were injured in unexplained attacks at their homes and hotels in Havana starting in late 2016, causing brain injuries, hearing loss and problems with cognition, balance, vision and hearing problems. Former Acting Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Associate Head Coach, James Madison University Baseball, "Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA". Ken Dilanian is the justice and intelligence correspondent for NBC News, based in Washington. The camaraderie of our cohort was both inspiring to me and also sobering for the sacrifices of others who I consider to be American heroes. The US military deserves enormous credit for creating this center to treat its most precious commodity, its people. And, and it's, it's some of the, some of the, my kind of columns that are, that are coming in the future are going to talk about kind of the mental health . He is the author of the 2021 book, Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA. He looks back to the day that seven service members were killed by suicide bomber Humam al-Balawi, who was working as a double agent. But he never suffered any harm until December 2017, when he was sound asleep at a Marriott Hotel in Moscow near the U.S. Embassy. Our Outer Banks restaurant aims to please all tastes. The imaginative gadget was issued to CIA operatives during the height of the Cold War. He was one of the CIAs most recognized operations officers, serving the U.S. government in several areas and base camp posts. Original Source. The mask was attached to a wooden plaque, with the background of the CIA seal cracked in half. hide caption. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Marc Polymeropoulos, who served 26 years in the CIA before retiring from the agency's Senior Intelligence Service in June 2019, said the position "traditionally has gone to a senior member of. He stresses that he's not a disgruntled former employee. I couldn't stand up, he said. Nice picture today of the old Warhawks @coachpudge8 battery @DavisSnyder3 and @Chrispoly4 https://t.co/UFhviR3VQX pic.twitter.com/EQ1uwwWFse, Marc Polymeropoulos (@Mpolymer) Apr 16, 2022. Fathers name is Not Available. Former CIA Senior Intelligence Service (SIS) Officer Marc Polymeropoulos served 26 years in the CIA before retiring from the Senior Intelligence Service in June 2019. More importantly, my life as a husband and a father suffered, as I was dealing with incessant chronic pain the severity of which I hid from most of my friends and acquaintances which caused me mounting physical and emotional distress. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. He was engaging, animated, charming and able to extract important and relevant business lessons from his experience with the FBI. But we are trying hard to collect all the information about him and will update you soon. "We are pleased this report is now out and can add to the data and analyses that may help us come to an eventual conclusion as to what transpired.". If youre interested in specific areas of focus, please list them. He retired in 2019 after a 26-year career serving in the Near East and South Asia. Donec gravida mi a condimentum rutrum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. The personal details of the CIA officer are always hidden for security reasons, which is the reason there is no mention of his wife and family on the Internet. You accept the use of cookies as per our, Adrienne Arsht Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs, Policy on donor acceptance and disclosure. where did the angles settle in britain. Or maybe the aim was to steal secrets from their phones and computers, and the officials were just collateral damage. He also offers a window into his own gregarious personality, including references to his many friendships formed over chili and beer at his favorite dive joint, the Vienna Inn., Marc gives tremendous insight into learning from failure, developing people and becoming a leader. lf people knew the work he has done in the shadows of the Middle East, Europe, and Russia, they would sleep easier at night. Marc looks back to the day that seven service members were lost to suicide bomber Humam al-Balawi, who at the time, was working as a double agent. By He was one of the CIAs most highly decorated operations officers, serving in multiple field and headquarters assignments for the US government. ", Armed protesters stand guard outside a drag show at Anderson Distillery and Grill in Roanoke, Texas. When major global news breaks, the Atlantic Councils experts have you covereddelivering their sharpest rapid insight and forward-looking analysis direct to your inbox. I wanted to throw up. He is an expert in counterterrorism, covert action, and human intelligence collection. Some have not been treated well, she said, and she wants to know if this is related to political sensitivities in dealing with Cuba, China and Russia. Marc Polymeropoulos is currently living a retired life. What we found was that there is a literature that describes health effects of a particular form of microwave energy, which is pulsed and directed, Dr. David Relman, a professor of medicine at Stanford University who led the study, told Mitchell in an interview. He specialized in counterterrorism, the Middle East and South Asia, including extensive time . Some violent rhetoric might not be illegal, but it is all morally repugnant.". My physical scars of this silent wound on my brain were also matched with the emotional wound of feeling betrayed by those who did not believe what occurred and who rejected proper medical care for me. During an interview with GQ magazine, former CIA official Marc Polymeropoulos weighed in on Trump's perplexing affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin to like him. If what happened to him was in fact a Russian attack, it did its job. "The Russians must be sitting back and thinking: This is beyond our wildest dreams," says Marc Polymeropoulos, who oversaw CIA operations in Europe and Eurasia before retiring in 2019. He'd been fired at, crouched under rocket fire, and had debris fly dangerously close to his head. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, In addition to the medical mystery, there are also political questions about the so-called Havana Syndrome. Former Senior Intelligence Service officer at the CIA, Marc Polymeropoulos published a Sunday piece declaring that that techniques once used to fight radical Islam should be turned against the. "I spent 26 years in an organization that I still love. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. In other words, it could be focused on one room and not another room in the same house. We have no more Information about his Father; we will try to collect information and update soon. What is more, his audiences take away a lesson learned, something to apply to their own lives. Former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos, who said fatigue and chronic headaches forced him to retire. A mask Marc Polymeropoulos made with a poem during a therapy program. He is an expert in counterterrorism, covert action, and human intelligence collection. Marc Polymeropoulos worked for 26 years at the CIA before retiring in July 2019 at the Senior Intelligence Service level. He also will provide a checklist for clients to immediately utilize and put his principles into practice. "I was awoken in the middle of the night," recalled Polymeropoulos, 51. In 2017, a far-left former Bernie Sanders campaign volunteer named James T. Hodgkinson fired upon on a group of Republican lawmakers as they practiced for the annual Congressional Baseball Game, critically injuringHouse Republican Whip Steve Scalise. My group included several members of the US special operations community, who have been battered by nearly two decades of constant war. That literature does mimic and is consistent with a number of the clinical findings that we noted., The studys baseline conclusion, Relman said, was that something very distinct and unusual happened to these individuals., And, he added, the view of some of the world's most-renowned neurologists was that among the various possible mechanisms that would explain these cases, there was one that stood out. As we used to say in the counterterrorism arena, the system is 'blinking red.'". Polymeropoulos, a 26-year CIA veteran and decorated covert agent, spent most of his career hunting down Islamic terrorists in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. And that literature now goes back a number of decades, and was published largely by the former Soviet Union. Is Danielle Parton From Shine Girl Married? "The people are going to turn on them, they're going to protest, theyre going to absolutely harass them.". Instead, we need to find strong voices within the GOP who will denounce Marjorie Taylor Green, denounce former President Donald Trumps calls for violence against protesters and denounce the many voices demonizing Pelosi," he wrote. IranSource provides a holistic look at Irans internal dynamics, global and regional policies, and posture through unique analysis of current events and long-term, strategic issues related to Iran. Polymeropoulos was awarded the Intelligence Commendation Medal, the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the Intelligence Medal of Merit, and the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal. Polymeropoulos explains how Ukrainians are utilizing an information campaign and social media to win the hearts and minds of the world. He fell ill on that trip and has since suffered debilitating migraine headaches that led him to resign from the agency. I have deteriorated. GQ magazine first reported on the geolocation. Polymeropoulos canceled his remaining meetings and felt fortunate to make it back onto a plane to the U.S. At the time, Polymeropoulos was settling into a new, senior position at CIA headquarters. Before his flight, Polymeropoulos worked at the CIA base camp and oversaw the CIAs covert exercises in Europe and Eurasia. He served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and he is one of the CIA's most decorated field officers. He had lived through much of his calling fighting the extensive US conflict over psychological warfare in the Middle East. Dr. Relman expects the report to be made public, as is the tradition of work done by the academies. "So its not Democrats who must act. He is an expert in counterterrorism, covert action, and human intelligence collection. What does this mean for US strategy in the years ahead? Polymeropoulos suggested that the attack of Paul Pelosi was evidence that the American government needs to take a firmer approach to its own citizenry. He believes he was attacked during his 2017 visit. Why were some people treated differently than others? But it will only be successful if comprehensive. ", "Bob is a dynamic, humorous individual and kept the audience spellboundtry to do everything you can to meet this exceptional man and hear his fantastic stories. The headaches were just too debilitating," he said. Marc Polymeropoulos August 26, 2020 at 3:22 p.m. EDT Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a cabinet meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow on Wednesday. Polymeropoulos consistently makes comments on unknown occasions in US news sources, for example, The Washington Post, GQ, Yahoo News, New York Times, Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN. ", In 2020, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer,D-N.Y., warned Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh that they "will pay the price" for rulings against abortion and "You wont know what hit you. The Estimated Net worth is $80K USD $85k. We have no more information about his spouse. Former CIA Officer Marc Polymeropoulos | In-Studio Bonus Episode - YouTube Former CIA officer and friend of the stream, Marc Polymeropoulos joins us for an in-studio bonus episode this. pic.twitter.com/8nzFbJxfuV, Marc Polymeropoulos (@Mpolymer) Apr 22, 2022. The visit included meetings with senior Russian intelligence officials, a common practice despite the long history of tense relations between the two countries and their spy agencies. This was something unheard of for a highly decorated veteran of clandestine operations at CIA, and sadly this turned some of my former colleagues against me. From family dinners to special occasion lunches, our menu has something for everyone! Thanks to @MattMorse_17 and the outstanding folks at the @KaifectAgency , the new updated website https://t.co/OMiZuFCFKS is live! Did it have anything to do with our policies in various countries?". Lawmakers from both parties over the weekend called on the government to step up its investigation of the matter and to make sure every possible victim receives treatment, something that Polymeropoulos and others said has not always happened. Andrea Mitchell is chief Washington correspondent and chief foreign affairs correspondent for NBC News. Some intelligence officials believe they were Russian attacks. I'd recommend him as a speaker at any corporate event. This nerve inflammation in the back of the head would explain his headaches, though it's not clear what caused it. CIA officials consider that a promising lead but not conclusive evidence. Marc Polymeropoulos is a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. Some were pressured to stay silent. But a couple of months after he returned from his Moscow trip, in February 2018, he began suffering crippling migraines that still plague him constantly. Emergency: Leadership Insights from the CIA, curated by Polymeropoulos, was distributed by Harper Collins in June 2021. Polymeropoulos regularly comments on foreign events in US media outlets such as The Washington Post, GQ, Yahoo News, New York Times, Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN. (AP Photo/Morry Gash). A car drives past the U.S. Embassy in Havana in 2019. He specialized in counterterrorism, the Middle East, and South Asia, spending extensive time in Iraq and Afghanistan. Experts from the world's top agencies and institutions now available to boost your mission. That if someone gets (hit) they can get treatment. Over a 26-year career with the CIA, Marc Polymeropoulos recruited spies in the back alleys of sketchy neighborhoods, chased terrorists across the Middle East and helped run operations against Russia. He specialized in the Middle East, counterterrorism, and South Asia, spending significant time in Iraq and Afghanistan. The 18 specialists I saw over a one-month intensive outpatient program provided an integrated system of care that is simply impossible to find outside this unique gem housed on a US Navy facility in Bethesda, Maryland. But he acknowledges that there's no proof at this point, and said his focus is on regaining his health. But he never suffered any harm until December 2017, when he was sound asleep at a Marriott Hotel in Moscow near the U.S. Embassy. Former senior CIA intelligence service officer Marc Polymeropoulos details his struggle with the mystery illness known as 'Havana Syndrome' that has affected U.S. diplomats and government. Marc Polymeropoulos is one of the most decorated CIA field operations officers of his generation who is yet to feature on Wikipedia. He neglected to mention multiple incidents of left-wing calls to arms and violence against Republicans, however. The. Polymeropoulos also seemed to equivocate demonizing an opposing politician with calling for violence against them. He'd spent most of his career battling America's lengthy war on terrorism in the Middle East. Polymeropoulos is the first to link his illness to Russia. MARC POLYMEROPOULOS: No, everyone does not get a trophy in the end. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Marc describes how one must not fear but instead wildly embrace this ambiguity. His book "Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA" was published in June 2021 by Harper Collins. Ex DoD interrogator & Naval intel officer, Expert on interviewing, deception, leadership, change management, entertainment, Expert on cognitive bias, gender equality, intelligence, Expert on security, risk, crisis management, diversity & inclusion, entertainment, Expert on women in espionage, intelligence tradecraft, parenting, Expert on security, espionage, KGB, Cold War, entertainment, Expert on cybersecurity, insider threat program development, surveillance, investigation, Expert on leadership, intelligence, conflict resolution, human trafficking, Expert on terrorism, sales, vetting, and inspiring audiences, Expert on Mossad operations, Israeli law enforcement, entertainment, Expert on leadership, cybersecurity, intelligence, security, "For many of our attendees, Eric's presentation was the highlight. I put a great deal of thought and time into my mask a Superman-inspired one and wrote an accompanying poem. Perhaps the intent was to injure them. Mr. Polymeropoulos holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Cornell University. Polymeropouloss book, Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA, was published by Harper Collins in June 2021. He delivers the goods., "Polymeropoulos, a huge baseball fan who coached a son now playing in college, deftly mixes sports and spying in presenting nine leadership concepts he believes are universal. Marc Polymeropoulos is a foreign senior fellow with Security's Forward Defense practice and the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy. Armed protesters stand guard outside a drag show at Anderson Distillery and Grill in Roanoke, Texas. Where is Marc Polymeropoulos Now Marc Polymeropoulos leads a resigned life from now on. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Marc was one of the finest CIA officers that I encountered in my career. "I just couldn't sit at a computer or go to meetings. A mask therapy program at the NICoE, in which TBI victims are encouraged by trained art therapists to express themselves by creating masks, helped me tremendously. Polymeropoulos, who granted his first television interview to NBCs Andrea Mitchell for the TODAY show Monday, never felt right again, and he came to believe he was among the American diplomats and spies who suffered from the so-called Havana Syndrome, the mysterious affliction that first cropped up among officers at the American embassy in Cuba in 2016. And look, (LAUGH) in the end you have to be able to master the core skills of a case officer, which is how to, you know,. - Pirate's Cove, Manteo OBX From GQ: Struggling to regain control over his body, Polymeropoulos couldn't . My self-care may take hours each day just to deal with the pain. But there are important lessons we can and should apply," he said. A number of new incidents have been reported involving CIA officers in the last year or so, a source with direct knowledge told NBC News, including a CIA officer who experienced symptoms in Poland last spring, two CIA officers allegedly hit in East Asia last fall, and incidents in London in May and December 2019. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. Apart from that, we don't have any information about his wife. He retired in 2019 after serving for twenty six years in a variety of operational field and headquarters assignments covering the Middle East, South Asia, Europe, Eurasia, and Russia. "A number of people here were grievously harmed and are suffering still. Polymeropoulos served for a long time with the Central Intelligence Agency until he resigned as an officer of the Senior Intelligence Service in July 2019. He appeared to lament that the U.S. Constitution gives American citizens more rights than foreign enemies. Market data provided by Factset. Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., recalled this event when he hammered liberal hypocrisy around political violence on an episode of "Face the Nation" when he said, "I never saw anyone after Steve Scalise was shot by a Bernie Sanders supporter trying to equate Democratic rhetoric with those actions. A SPYEX representative will connect with you as soon as possible. He was one of the CIA's most distinguished operations officers, serving the US government in a variety of sectors and headquarters posts. Former Senior Intelligence Service officer at the CIA, Marc Polymeropoulos published a Sunday piece declaring that that techniques once used to fight radical Islam should be turned against the against the right-wing in America. Marc Polymeropoulos retired from the Senior Intelligence Service ranks in 2019 after serving for 26 years in the Intelligence Community in operational field and leadership assignments. 2023 Atlantic Council "I started this kind of an incredible journey of seeing multiple doctors, multiple MRIs and CT scans and X-rays," said Polymeropoulos, whose story was first reported in GQ magazine. I had tinnitus ringing in my ears.". Polymeropoulos regularly comments on foreign events in US media outlets such as The Washington Post, GQ, Yahoo News, New York Times, Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN. Marc retired after 26 years of service as one of the CIA's most decorated field officers. But we are sure that it is not available and his spouses name is not available. The Glue Guy, Winning an Oscar, and Adversity is the PED to Success are just some of the principles that his clients will immediately relate to. CNN, and MSNBC. or redistributed. Expert on leadership, counterterrorism, foreign policy, intelligence, "One of the most highly decorated CIA field operations officers of his generation if people knew the work he has done in the shadows of the Middle East, Europe, and Russia, they would sleep easier at night.". He had some expertise in the Middle East, counter-terrorism and South Asia and invested huge amounts of energy in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sign up for the VE Newsletter https://www.vigilanceelite.com/newsletterMarc Polymeropoulos gives great insight of what a career from start to . All Rights Reserved. Thank you! Since then, the toll of potential victims had grown to more than 40, and possible incidents have been reported in Europe, Asia and Australia. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. UkraineAlert sources analysis and commentary from a wide-array of thought-leaders, politicians, experts, and activists from Ukraine and the global community. Amid public scrutiny and pressure, the CIA ultimately agreed to send me to Walter Reed in January. But he never suffered any harm. What struck me from my old world: IC collectors shined-my old colleagues obtained the detailed Russian war plans. Quite simply, America owes it to those that stood up and said send me, and who now need critical care. View more opinion on CNN. Marc Polymeropoulos worked for 26 years at the CIA before retiring in July 2019 at the Senior Intelligence Service level.