NRB: What is the CIA Officers Memorial Fund?
Richer: When Mike Spann, a CIA officer, became the first American to be killed in Afghanistan after 9/11, Agency leaders realized that the support network for the families of fallen CIA officers was not strong enough to take care of those left behind as well as they should be. Mike left behind three young children. It was clear that he would be far from the last Agency officer to give his life in the line of duty. In fact about two dozen stars have been added to the Agency’s memorial wall in the interim. The CIA Officer’s Memorial Foundation is a charitable foundation which was established as a mechanism to collect and administer funds to educate and support the families of fallen heroes in an appropriate manner.
NRB: Jokingly, is this more dangerous, considering some car drivers, than your job at the CIA?
Richer: Yes! Kim and I have learned in our training that far too many car drivers don’t expect and don’t respect those of us out there on two wheels. We’ve made a great effort to make ourselves visible – with the clothing we wear and the devices we use (like flags on the bikes) to make us stand out. But cars traveling at high speeds don’t have much time to react to the unexpected (us). While we have some legitimate concerns about our safety, the risks we take are minor compared to the risks that CIA officers, men and women, take daily to serve our nation.
NRB: Where are you traveling and why that route?
Richer: We will dip our rear wheels in the Atlantic Ocean in Jacksonville Beach, Florida and travel about 3200 miles along the southern tier of the United States, going through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. We will dip the front tires in the Pacific at the Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, CA about 45 days after the start.
NRB: Why did you choose this particular route?
Richer: There are lots of different routes that one could take. We chose this one for a variety of reasons. One of the principal ones is that the people in this region have traditionally been strong supporters of the military and U.S. intelligence.
NRB: Do you plan on making this an annual event?
Richer: It would be great to be able to bring our message of support and respect for the men and women of American intelligence to other parts of the country. However, right now our focus is on the single task ahead.
NRB: Anything else you might want to add?
Richer: We’ll be reporting on our experiences as we cross the country through our website and we invite folks to follow our exploits by reading along. Kim and I will not just be passing through these eight states. Whenever we can we will be talking with the people we come across to let them know about the service and sacrifice of our colleagues in the CIA.
