Damascus Station is a field office of the CIA.
The concept of a station, such as the one devoted to the Syrian capital, serving as the focal point for a series of espionage-related adventures is a very unique one for this compendium. The station is located in the actual city of Damascus for the first adventure but then, due to events in that story, it gets moved to Amman, Jordan. Regardless of what country the physical location of the operations is housed, the emphasis of the station is Syria.
At the time of the activities we follow in these adventures, Syria is of particular interest to the security of the United States due in large part to ISIS. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is a Salafi jihadist group of extremists born out of the chaos left after the Second Gulf War. The removal of Iraq's dictator, Saddam Hussein, and the weakening of Syria's despot, Bashar al-Assad created a vacuum of control and numerous groups banded together for their own goals. ISIS proved to be the deadliest and large regions of both countries fell to it.
That got American Intelligence to pay attention and thus for formation of the station. In the pages of these tales we follow numerous operatives as they strive to obtain valuable insight into what the Syrian government was doing to counter ISIS and other rebels as well as what groups like ISIS were planning to increase their control. Throw in Russian involvement in helping Assad and Chinese interests in the oil beneath the surface and the ever-present danger of terrorism. The people working at the station are kept very busy.
There are several key personnel which are connected to the Station which will play major roles in these adventures, though not all will be in all stories.
The first one to mention [and the one I nearly named this page after] is Artemis Aphrodite Procter (her father was obsessed with Greek mythology). This fascinating woman definitely qualified for membership on her own. "Procter was many things, and one of them was short. She barely scratched five feet. Her black hair, exploding into curls as if she were plugged into an electrical socket, contrasted with her pale, freckled skin. Everything strained and stretched with muscle. Even under the blouse, Sam saw the outlines of the toned arms and the spread of her shoulders. Sam remembered what one of her case officers in Moscow had told him: 'She's a frazzled Energizer Bunny, man. They don't call her he Proctologist for nothing. She's intense. And if you slow down, she'll eat you alive.' Seeing her in action, the reference to a dynamo is definitely warranted.
Then there is Sam Joseph, a highly experienced and capable field operative who not only controls numerous indigenous sources of intel but also puts his own life in constant danger by moving in and around the danger areas collecting the learned information and doing his best to keep his contacts as safe as is possible in an environment where the rumor of disloyalty can get one instantly eliminated.
There are a few more motivated and fascinating people whose exploits we are allowed to follow. Damascus Station is a very active place to work.