Former Air Force Intelligence Officer donates spy tours to emerging leaders in the National Security Field

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 25, 2015 – The Lint Center for National Security Studies, a non-profit organization focused on supporting the next generation of America’s National Security professionals through scholarship and mentoring opportunities, today announced its newest corporate sponsor, Carol S. Bessette, Founder of Spies of Washington Tour , a D.C. based tour organization focused on providing the most comprehensive tours of real-world spying and espionage intrigue.

Recipients of Lint Center scholarships will now have the opportunity to attend walking-tours at a leisurely pace to learn about espionage and intelligence in the nation's capital with Ms. Bessette as a personal tour guide through Spies of Washington Tour . Ms. Bessette will donate free tours that highlight the over 200-year history of Intelligence and Counterintelligence in the Washington, D.C. area.

“I’m thrilled to be able to support an organization that places such an emphasis on mentoring and supporting the future leaders of the National Security and Counterintelligence fields,” explained Ms. Bessette, Founder of Spies of Washington Tour .

“The Lint Center works to foster and engage students who show a passion and drive to succeed. By educating emerging leaders about the history of espionage, spying and real-life example of counterintelligence operations in and around the nation’s capital provides a tremendous opportunity to those seeking to understand, learn and excel at professions focused on U.S. national security by allowing them to learn from the past.”

Ms. Bessette donated the tours to the Lint Center after speaking with Timothy W. Coleman, Chief Operations Officer of the Lint Center and a former 2008 Lint Center scholarship winner. Coleman reached out to Ms. Bessette following his own participation in multiple Spies of Washington Tour .

“I was blown away after having spent several Sunday afternoons touring Washington and learning about actual events and visiting vitally consequential places of historical importance to the history of espionage in America,” stated Timothy W. Coleman, Chief Operations Officer for the Lint Center for National Security Studies. “Touring places and learning about significant individuals that played crucial roles in the Civil War and up to near present day were eye opening opportunities. After the second tour, I told myself that Lint Center scholarship winners and mentees would really benefit from having this type of exposure.”



The tours will be added to the next scholarship winners’ packages. The Lint Center will now recognize emerging leaders in the counterintelligence fields with mentorship opportunities, a one-year subscription to Stratfor, scholarships, and the opportunity to learn about the history of espionage and the impact spying has had on America’s national security.

About Spies of Washington Tour:

Spies of Washington tours led by Carol S. Bessette, Certified Master Tour Guide, takes viewers on a walking tour of over 200 years of intelligence and counterintelligence history in the Washington area. The tours showcase what motivates an individual to betray their country and explores the “Wilderness of Mirrors” of international espionage. For more information, please visit www.spiesofwashingtontour.com.

About the Lint Center for National Security Studies

The Lint Center for National Security Studies, Inc., founded in 2007, is a non-profit IRS 501 (c) (3) organization awards award merit-based scholarships and mentoring programs for students pursuing careers in national service with a particular focus on counterintelligence, military intelligence, national security and cross-cultural studies. The Center, an IRS approved charity, is Veteran and minority operated and managed. It awards scholarships semi-annually in both January and July. For more information, please visit http://www.lintcenter.org/.

###