DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- The majority of the Air Force correlates the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) with criminal investigations; however, AFOSI is much more than a criminal investigative organization. AFOSI is a federal law enforcement and investigative agency that operates throughout the full spectrum of conflict in numerous domains, conducting criminal investigations and providing counterintelligence services. AFOSI’s mission is to identify, exploit and neutralize criminal, terrorist and intelligence threats to the Air Force, the Department of Defense and the U.S. Government.
AFOSI agents carry out a broad range of missions that include criminal and fraud investigations, counterintelligence investigations, cyber investigations, expeditionary activities (deployments) and special security services. The vast majority of AFOSI’s investigative activities fall into felony crime investigations. These crimes include murder, robbery, sexual assaults, illegal narcotics offenses and a full spectrum of other criminal acts. The counterintelligence mission includes investigating crimes, such as espionage, terrorism, technology transfer and computer infiltration. Economic crime investigations, commonly referred to as fraud, include contracting, pay and allowance and environmental violations.
With more than 2,700 members, AFOSI has been the Air Force's premier investigative service since August 1948. AFOSI is comprised of a mix of active-duty Air Force officers, enlisted personnel, civilians and reservists. AFOSI conducts criminal investigations, fraud investigations and counterintelligence activities, servicing leaders at every echelon of Air Force command. In doing so, AFOSI must constantly replenish its agent cadre, and its primary source of new agents is the active-duty enlisted force.
The recruitment process to become an AFOSI special agent can be lengthy. Once approved for retraining, all special agent candidates attend training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLECTC) in Glynco, GA. FLETC is a joint training environment with many other U.S. federal law enforcement agencies. Candidates must complete both an 11-week Criminal Investigator Training Program and an 8-week AFOSI-specific course. Both courses offer training in firearms, defensive tactics, forensics, specialized investigative techniques, interviews and interrogation, antiterrorism, military and federal law and crime scene processing.
After successful completion of a 15-month probationary period, agents may receive specialized training in advanced forensics, polygraph, specialized counterintelligence services, computer crimes, fraud and technological services, including electronic, photographic and other technical surveillance countermeasures.
A typical applicant is either a Senior Airman or a Staff Sergeant, with three to 11 years’ time in service. Technical Sergeants with less than one year of time in grade can be considered on a case-by-case basis. Interested applicants should be of strong moral character, have an outstanding work ethic and meet the requirements to obtain a Top Secret security clearance.
If you believe you have the desire and what it takes to become an AFOSI Special Agent, please join us at one of our briefings held the first Wednesday of every month at 0930 in Bldg 639, or contact Special Agent Adam Frashure from Det 306 at 302-677-2852.
For more information about AFOSI, visit https://www.osi.af.mil.