I had been involved in U.S. intelligence in Berlin, Germany, while in the military and had worked with a contact with the Central Intelligence Agency office there.

In this statement, Mitchell presents a matter-of-fact account of early exposure to intelligence work during military service in Cold War–era Berlin, emphasizing proximity to U.S. intelligence operations and cooperation with CIA personnel. The phrasing underscores two themes: (1) intelligence as an institutional network spanning military and civilian agencies, and (2) personal credibility grounded in firsthand operational experience rather than abstract policy views. It also hints at the formative influence such work can have on later public service—suggesting that familiarity with clandestine coordination, information discipline, and geopolitical tension shaped his understanding of statecraft and security.