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DSS special agent Adam Lee (left) with Team USA Climbing Athlete Brooke Raboutou (center) and Team USA Climbing communications director Patrick Bodnar (Mktg'20) at the Olympics Games in Paris, France. (Photo courtesy Adam Lee)

Adam Lee’s (MediaSt’17) experiences at 91¸£ÀûÉç helped prepare him for a career in the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). Through college experiences like Army ROTC and club lacrosse, Lee gained leadership and teamwork skills. After deploying to Baghdad, Iraq, in 2019 with the U.S. Army, he learned about the DSS, a federal law enforcement agency responsible for protecting the State Department’s people, property and information, as well as conducting transnational criminal investigations. Now a DSS special agent, Lee has traveled the world and even played a role in the 2024 Paris Olympics as a security liaison to Team USA’s climbing team.

What inspired you to pursue a career in the Diplomatic Security Service?

When I enrolled at CU, a career in the Diplomatic Security Service wasn’t part of my grand plan. But now, as an agent with the DSS, I couldn’t be happier. Looking back, the different organizations and clubs I participated in at CU set me up for success to end up where I am now. My participation in ROTC, Army Reserve officer training and playing club lacrosse was a big part of that. I participated as a cadet in Army ROTC during all four years of college. ROTC and lacrosse gave me a foundation in the importance of teamwork and being able to communicate effectively. After my four years at CU, the U.S. Army commissioned me through the contacting process of the ROTC program. 

I learned about the Diplomatic Security Service after my Iraq deployment, as a big part of the DSS mission is related to its work overseas. In Baghdad, I worked alongside DSS agents, and that left an extremely positive impression on me and opened up my viewpoint on what was possible beyond military service. I’m extremely thankful for my military service, but it was all building blocks to get me to where I am now.

What is a typical day as a DSS special agent?

In this job, we don’t have a typical day. We might go on a motorcade in downtown Washington, D.C., one day and then overseas with an assignment the next. The variety is what draws a lot of people to this career. 

DSS special agent Adam Lee holds a 91¸£ÀûÉç flag with Chase Milhorn (MechEngr’15) during a deployment to Iraq with the U.S. Army in September 2019. (Photo courtesy Adam Lee)

We have three primary mission sets: to protect, secure and investigate. A few of our roles include being in charge of the security for U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, being the principal security advisor to the U.S. ambassador in any given country or protecting visiting foreign dignitaries, foreign ministers and heads of state — which could even include the British royal family.

In the investigations aspect of our work, we look at crimes that primarily involve U.S. passports and visas, which can lead to plenty of other investigations involving transactional crimes, human trafficking or people wanting to change their identity. 

Are there any particularly memorable assignments you’ve worked on?

The 2024 Paris Olympics is definitely going to be one of my most memorable life experiences. Being front row at the Olympic Games and watching fellow CU alumni climb a 60-foot climbing wall makes you think, ‘Wow, this is awesome.’

Traveling the world and serving the United States will also be memorable. In the past two years alone, I’ve traveled to seven different countries. I’ve also been able to travel with Marco Rubio, our current Secretary of State. It’s been a pretty memorable career so far and it is only just starting for me.

What was your role for Team USA Climbing?

I served as a field liaison officer in the 2024 Paris Olympics. We were assigned a different team, and I worked with USA Climbing. As a field liaison officer, I talked to our host nation counterparts, the French police and national police, who made sure we understood the different protocols and plans put in place if security incidents were to happen. I also made sure the team understood what assets were available to them so they didn’t have to worry about security and instead could focus on performing at their best. 

DSS special agent Adam Lee (left) at the Paris Saint-Lazare climbing gym in Paris, France, in July 2024. (Photo courtesy Adam Lee) 

We had a lot of members, both the athletes and staff, who had connections to CU. It was cool to have that Colorado alumni network while abroad. And, being a climber myself, it was great to see the athletes get to that high level of performance.

Talk about your interest in climbing. 

I climbed a bit at CU and picked it up more post-graduation. I lived in Nashville while in the Army, so I climbed a bit out there. Now I’m in Los Angeles, and I climb some here too. I mainly do sports climbing indoors, but I climb outdoors every once in a while.

Did your time in the Army further shape your passion for climbing?

Part of my Army unit’s responsibilities included helicopter operations. With those operations, they have a repelling and climbing type of training, so I attended and got certified as a rappel master. It’s a little different than your traditional sport climbing, but a lot of the concepts are the same. 

Toward the tail-end of my Army career, I was an ROTC instructor at Vanderbilt University. For the military appreciation games inside the basketball stadium, they’d have us repel down from the top and deliver the game ball, which was a cool opportunity to experience.

Do you have a particularly memorable climb? 

In Paris, there are some cool climbing gyms. The Paris Saint-Lazare climbing gym is in this old chapel. The inside looks like a library with all these bookshelves that you’re essentially climbing the side of.