About this Event
Arlington National Cemetery is sacred ground and the final resting place of many brave men and women who served in the U.S. intelligence community and played important roles. During this special 2.5-hour walking tour visit the gravesites of CIA officers remembered on the CIA's Memorial Wall, honoring those who gave their lives in the service of their country. The grave of Mike Spann, who took time to go to Arlington Cemetery on Memorial Day in 2001, with Shannon Spann DeBruyn, six months before he was tragically killed in action in Afghanistan, will be among those we visit.
With Special Guests:
David Tyson, Retired CIA Officer and Member of Team Alpha in 2001. David retired from the CIA’s Directorate of Operations in 2020 after a 25-year career. The majority of his service was overseas; most of his postings and deployments were in Central Asia, the Caucasus region, and South Asia.
David was a member of Team Alpha, the first group of U.S. personnel inserted behind enemy lines in Afghanistan after 9/11. During that deployment, David and the team worked closely with U.S. Special Forces (ODA 595) along with Afghan allies. David began his intelligence career as a linguist and interpreter, achieving fluency in Russian, Uzbek, Turkmen, Turkish, and Farsi/Dari.
He is a recipient of the CIA’s Distinguished Intelligence Cross, the Agency’s highest award for valor, and the Agency's Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal. Prior to working for the Agency, David served in the U.S. Army, both enlisted and as an officer.
He has a BA in International Relations and Russian Language from West Chester State University, and two master’s degrees from Indiana University, in Central Asian Studies and Russian Studies.
Toby Harnden, Author of Toby Harnden gained unprecedented access to all living Team Alpha members and every level of the CIA. Superbly researched, First Casualty draws on extensive interviews, secret documents, and deep reporting inside Afghanistan. Team Alpha’s Mike Spann, a former Marine, and David Tyson, a polyglot former Central Asian studies academic, seize America’s initial opportunity to extract intelligence from men trained by bin Laden—among them a young Muslim convert from California. The prisoners revolt and one CIA officer falls—the first casualty in America’s longest war, which will last two decades. The other CIA man shoots dead the Al-Qaeda jihadists attacking his comrade. To survive, he must fight his way out against overwhelming odds."
Bring your copy of award-winning journalist Toby Harnden's MUST READ book for signing. Limited copies will be available for purchase at the event.
Proceeds will go to Badger Six, which helps brave Afghan allies who fought alongside Team Alpha in 2001 and on whose board David and Toby are proud to sit.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Arlington National Cemetery, 1 Memorial Avenue, Arlington, United States
USD 108.39 to USD 140.37
