at NCIS in Los Angeles. She was introduced in "Identity", the first episode of NCIS: Los Angeles as a stand-alone series. In spite of her small stature, the other characters find her intimidating, not least of all because of her colorful past; she has had many encounters, liaisons, and relationships with past agents (referenced in "Missing") and such Hollywood greats as George Hamilton and Frank Sinatra. She is a fan of Lady Gaga, stating that she "will always love the Gaga". Hetty's favorite beverage is tea, to such an extent that in "Bounty" she approved a mission to Afghanistan after Callen and Sam promised to bring her back a bag of tea leaves. It was revealed in the episode "Disorder" that she had been assigned to the Los Angeles office since before December 2008. According to Hetty's NCIS Personnel File, which is accessed by Nell and appears on-screen in the Season 2 finale, "Familia", Hetty: currently holds the position of OSP Operations Manager; attended the Defense Language Institute and is fluent in Russian, German, Mandarin, Spanish, Czech, Romanian, Hebrew, Arabic, Hungarian, and Pashto; earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Sorbonne; is a graduate of the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne; is skilled in Hapkido, Wushu, and Eskrima; won a Bronze Medal competing in the Small-Bore Rifle event at the 1964 Summer Olympics, held in Tokyo, Japan (in real life, this event was not held at the 1964 Olympics); is a recipient of the Defense Intelligence Agency Award of Merit and a CIA Intelligence Star; is a member of the Order of Orange Nassau; had a prior career in motion picture and stage costuming; is a published novelist; is a pilot; holds the Women's Senior Division record for the ascent of K2; and was born on February 29, 1948. One of the last surviving Cold Warriors, Hetty has unparalleled access to contacts throughout the intelligence and defense communities, which she does not hesitate to exploit when required for the success of a mission or to protect the lives of her agents. Her reputation has taken on an almost legendary aspect; it is such that the mere mention of her name is often enough to strike fear into those who have heard of, but never met, her. She has an extensive list of aliases, as evidenced by multiple driver's licenses seen in a locked drawer