Delta Green: The Office of Special Investigations (OSI) (Patreon)

Written by V.A. Kaufman with Shane Ivey. © 2021 The Delta Green Partnership.

Established in 1948, the Office of Special Investigations is the primary criminal investigative organization of the Department of the Air Force. Its counterparts include the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Formerly known as the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (or AFOSI), the organization dropped “Air Force” from its title in 2020 to indicate it would serve both the Air Force and the recently established U.S. Space Force. The Office of Special Investigations investigates all felony-level criminal offenses involving Air Force and Space Force personnel or assets and provides counterintelligence services to commanders and installations. It frequently runs joint investigations with local law enforcement and with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In deployed environments like Iraq and Afghanistan, OSI routinely operates “outside the wire” to collect intelligence on terrorist and insurgent threats. Operating independently of the typical military chain of command, OSI falls under the administrative overview of the Air Force Inspector General.

BUDGET: Approximately $230 million in 2019.

THE OSI OPERATIVE AT A GLANCE

POWERS OF ARREST? Military agents may only apprehend individuals who are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Civilian agents have the authority to arrest individuals not subject to the UCMJ, with or without an arrest warrant, for violations of federal law.

EXPECTED TO CARRY A WEAPON? Yes. OSI issues special agents the SIG Sauer M11, the military variant of the P228. OSI agents may elect to carry a privately-owned weapon in lieu of the M11, so long as it is from an approved manufacturer and chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum. Approved manufacturers include Glock, Heckler & Koch, SIG Sauer, and Smith & Wesson. Deployed agents carry the SIG Sauer M11 and are issued M4 carbines. Agents assigned to protective service details may carry the Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun instead of the M4, depending on the environment and mission.

ACCESS TO OFFICIAL FUNDS? Can be supplied with a credit line if traveling or on an investigation, up to a Standard expense without eliciting an official review. Agents may also use Emergency and Extraordinary Expense Funds (“E-Funds”) up to a Major expense. Use of E-Funds always triggers official review.

OPERATIONAL BUDGET/REQUISITION OF RESTRICTED ITEMS? OSI agents’ credentials enable them to access any Air Force record, interview any Air Force- or Space Force-affiliated person, or enter any Air Force or Space Force property (except when prohibited by other laws or regulations). Agents may use Bureaucracy to obtain criminal or counterintelligence files from other federal agencies, including other military criminal investigative organizations. Doing so is equivalent to a Standard expense. It rarely triggers official review unless repeated requests are made for matters that do not normally fall under OSI’s purview.

THE ORGANIZATION

Headquartered at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, OSI consists of over 3,000 military and civilian special agents, more than 400 Reservists, and approximately 1,000 military and civilian support staff. OSI’s commander is a brigadier general who answers directly to the Air Force inspector general, who holds the rank of lieutenant general.

OSI can be found at nearly every Air Force and Space Force installation. It maintains 270 field units all over the world, divided into field investigations regions, field investigations squadrons, detachments, and operating locations.

There are eight OSI regions. Each is aligned with one of the Air Force’s major commands, which provide administrative and operational oversight of subordinate squadrons and detachments.

Squadrons are large investigative units that usually cover large geographic areas or are responsible for a significant investigative portfolio.

Detachments are the workhorse of OSI, responsible for day-to-day investigations and operations. There are between a dozen and two dozen detachments in each OSI region and in Special Projects, Procurement Fraud, the ICON Center, and Headquarters. A handful reside in the Air Force Special Investigations Academy and in a Field Support Squadron. A region’s headquarters detachment facility has a staff of about two dozen. An investigative detachment facility has anywhere from six to a dozen personnel. Squadrons traditionally host over a dozen agents.

Overseas, military special agents are usually assigned to U.S. Air Force bases while civilian special agents are assigned to force protection detachments or seat-of-government detachments at U.S. embassies. These detachments are tasked with identifying and neutralizing threats to DoD personnel and assets based in or transiting through their area of responsibility. Force protection detachments and seat-of-government detachments may also include agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Army Military Intelligence.

Some OSI agents who are deployed to conflict zones like Iraq or Afghanistan are assigned to expeditionary detachments. Most agents on expeditionary detachments remain in-country for no more than six months, but supervisors and commanders may remain for up to one year. Deployed agents keep USAF assets in the air and ensure that operations on major installations and forward operating bases can continue.

Operating locations are the smallest OSI units. They support small Air Force and Space Force bases, including some National Guard and Reserve locations, and are often only assigned two to three agents.

Some civilian OSI agents are assigned to FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces.

KEY OSI REGIONS AND OFFICES

» ICON (Investigations, Collections, and Operations Nexus) Center, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia

• Antiterrorism Specialty Teams
• Cyber Investigations & Operations
• Digital Forensics
• Forensic Sciences
• Insider Threat Detection
• Offensive Counterintelligence Operations
• Polygraph
• Specialized Surveillance Team
• Technical Service Operations

» Office of Procurement Fraud, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, DC

» Office of Special Projects, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, DC

» 1st Field Investigations Region, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio (aligned with Air Force Materiel Command)

» 2nd Field Investigations Region, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia (aligned with Air Combat Command)

» 3rd Field Investigations Region, Scott AFB, Illinois (aligned with Air Mobility Command)

» 4th Field Investigations Region, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas (aligned with Air Education and Training Command)

» 5th Field Investigations Region, Ramstein Air Base, Germany (aligned with U.S. Air Forces in Europe)

» 6th Field Investigations Region, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii (aligned with Pacific Air Forces)

» 7th Field Investigations Region, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland (deactivated in 2018 and merged with the ICON Center at Quantico)

» 8th Field Investigations Region, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado (aligned with U.S. Space Command)

» U.S. Air Force Special Investigations Academy, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco, Georgia

OPERATIVES

OSI includes enlisted, officer, reservist, and civilian special agents. Enlisted agents must be senior airmen with less than six years of service, or staff sergeants or technical sergeants with less than 11 years of service. Applicants may be from any Air Force or Space Force career field. Undergraduate degrees are not required, but certain skills (like foreign language or advanced computer and electronic capabilities) are viewed favorably.

Officers are selected via boards upon graduation from the United States Air Force Academy, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, and Officer Training School.

Reservists must have extensive experience with felony-level investigations before being considered for OSI.

A civilian seeking to join OSI must have a bachelor’s degree and previous law enforcement and investigative experience and be no older than age 37.

All agent and professional staff undergo extensive background investigations to ensure applicants possess the necessary maturity, judgment, and professionalism for duty with OSI. Every OSI agent is required to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information. Agents with the Office of Special Projects and Offensive Counterintelligence Operations are subject to random polygraph examinations.

Upon selection for duty, OSI agents receive 19 weeks of training as federal agents at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia, including cources specific to military investigations. Agents assigned to counterintelligence positions may undergo advanced training at the Joint Counterintelligence Training Academy at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. Prior to deployment, all agents attend the Counter-Threat Operations Course at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, where they learn how to conduct counterintelligence and force protection operations in conflict zones like Afghanistan and Iraq. Finally, each new agent is placed on a one-year probationary period to undergo further on-the-job training and assessment.

Several specialties exist within OSI. Agents specializing in offensive counterintelligence operations directly counter foreign intelligence targeting of Air Force and Space Force equities. Polygraph examiners help identify insider threats, determine whether a suspect is being truthful, and clear personnel for access to highly classified information.

Protective service operations agents serve as bodyguards for high-ranking Air Force and Space Force commanders, including the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and visiting foreign dignitaries.

Forensic science consultants and crime scene investigators are subject matter experts in the collection and preservation of evidence. Forensic science consultants provide guidance to field units from OSI regions. Crime scene investigators respond to crime scenes in their assigned geographic areas of responsibility.

Agents with advanced technical or electrical skills perform technical service operations such as the installation of concealed monitoring devices. The Surveillance Specialty Team assists field units with surveilling criminal and counterintelligence targets, as well as detecting and countering hostile surveillance. Computer crimes investigators aid in the processing of digital forensic evidence. Cyber investigations and operations agents identify and counter threats to Department of Defense networks.

OSI’s Antiterrorism Specialty Teams are trained to deploy and operate anywhere in the world with little to no notice. Typical operations include assessing foreign airfields and routes of travel for potential threats and identifying vulnerabilities to Air Force personnel and assets overseas.

The Office of Procurement Fraud runs major fraud investigations involving cleared defense contractors and government projects.

The Office of Special Projects provides dedicated counterintelligence and security support to Air Force and Space Force special access programs. It has its own leadership structure, headed by a civilian director. Its mission makes it relatively free from oversight by the rest of OSI.

Each OSI region is commanded by an officer holding the rank of colonel. Each squadron is led by a captain or major. A detachment is led a special agent-in-charge (SAIC) or a detachment commander (DETCO) who can be either a senior civilian special agent, an enlisted agent at the rank of master sergeant, or an officer at the rank of captain. A civilian SAIC or DETCO is assisted by a master sergeant superintendent.

OSI AND NRO DELTA

The infamous “Men in Black” of UFO lore had their origin in a team of agents that provided security for MAJESTIC projects. Working under Project GARNET until 2001, these investigators, saboteurs, and assassins posed as employees of the CIA, NSA, FBI, and the Air Force. A well-connected and suicidally diligent investigator could find records showing one of these operatives under another name: on the rolls of OSI’s Special Projects unit, providing physical security to the National Reconnaissance Office’s classified Section DELTA.

The Air Force and NRO have always worked closely together. The NRO’s Office of Security and Counterintelligence conducts counterintelligence to uncover threats to satellite security and secrecy, but its investigators are not federal agents. OSI’s Special Projects agents provide the NRO with arrest powers and law-enforcement expertise.

Section DELTA was a controlled access program, what other organizations call a special access program, of the NRO. To anyone authorized to know its purpose, it was ostensibly dedicated to satellite development and deployment. It was in fact a task force formed between the NRO, the NSA, the CIA, the FBI, and OSI Special Projects, and was the home of MAJESTIC’s killers. Not that they knew the name MAJESTIC. Or the truth of what they guarded. Most knew their work only in terms of targets and objectives.

Only a tiny number of OSI personnel ever knew about NRO DELTA, just those responsible for filing falsified paperwork and smoothing things over for what appeared to be a constantly changing roster of personnel. When Delta Green and its allies inside MAJESTIC uprooted NRO DELTA in early 2001, most NRO DELTA operators died. The bureaucrats who covered its tracks heard only a sudden silence, no explanations. A modern Agent could track one of those down in retirement, perhaps while trying to unravel what became of a long-missing operative. Such an Agent might discover that some of NRO DELTA’s supremely dangerous personnel are not as dead as they are supposed to be.

AUTHORITY AND MANDATE

OSI’s stated mission is to identify, exploit and neutralize criminal, terrorist and intelligence threats to the Department of the Air Force, Department of Defense, and U.S. government. Agents routinely investigate felony-level offenses such as sexual assault, drug distribution, fraud, homicide, and theft of or damage to military property. They also investigate all allegations of espionage, sabotage, and terrorism affecting the military.

When determining whether a crime falls under OSI’s investigative purview, agents must first identify a nexus to DoD interests. This nexus exists if a crime is committed on an Air Force or Space Force installation or using resources belonging to the DoD. Likewise, if the suspect or victim of a crime is affiliated with the DoD, including active duty service members and civilian employees, OSI can initiate a new investigation or join an existing one.

Most investigations involve crimes committed on Air Force installations or by active-duty Air Force or Space Force personnel. It is not uncommon for agents to reach out to local law enforcement for assistance, especially when offenses are committed off military property. In cases where the suspect is not a military member but the offense nevertheless impacts the Air Force, OSI works a joint investigation with local law enforcement or the FBI. This is especially true in counterintelligence investigations. Unless the spy is determined to be active-duty, the FBI leads with OSI assisting. Further limitations are placed on military agents by the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits military personnel from enforcing civilian laws.

At overseas installations, investigative and prosecutorial jurisdiction is largely determined by Status of Forces Agreements with the host nation government. Offenses committed by Department of the Air Force personnel or civilian employees will almost always be investigated by OSI, regardless of where the crime took place.

FIELD OPERATIONS

An OSI investigation is assigned to a lead case agent and an assistant. The lead case agent is responsible for the overall execution and management of the investigation. The assistant case agent helps the lead case agent as needed, often while working their own investigations, and takes charge of the case when the lead is on leave or temporary duty. Most field agents are assigned anywhere from three to seven investigations at any given time, although they may be tasked with more at busy detachments.

Upon receipt of a criminal or counterintelligence allegation, most detachments take an “all hands on deck” approach to their initial response. All available agents respond to the crime scene to document it, collect evidence, and conduct initial interviews. A regional forensic science consultant is contacted early in the response to provide guidance on obtaining certain types of evidence, including biological material and firearms. All agents assigned to a detachment assist in the execution of search warrants, surveillance, or other operations.

Evidence is sent to one of two locations for processing and analysis. Digital media are sent to the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center’s Computer Forensics Laboratory (DC3/CFL), which is based in Linthicum, Maryland and managed by OSI. Due to the amount of evidence the laboratory routinely receives, it can be months before field agents receive results. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory, located in Forest Park, Georgia, is the DoD focal point for receiving and processing forensic evidence, including DNA and fingerprints.

The Investigations, Collections, and Operations Nexus or ICON Center, as its name suggests, serves as the primary clearinghouse for all information obtained from the field and all requests for specialized support. It is staffed 24/7 to receive reports from OSI units and disseminate them to senior Air Force leaders for their situational awareness. ICON Center analysts review raw intelligence data collected by OSI agents and provide critical information on criminal, intelligence, and terrorist threats to the DoD. The ICON Center also manages OSI’s various specialties, including Technical Service Operations and offensive counterintelligence agents, antiterrorism teams, and the Surveillance Specialty Team. All requests for specialized support must be reviewed and approved by the ICON Center.

AREAS OF FRICTION

OSI’s budget and personnel are small, a fraction of those enjoyed by the FBI. As a result, OSI rarely works an investigation on its own. Relationships make or break OSI’s ability to execute its mission, and some are far better than others. Most OSI detachments foster strong connections with local law enforcement agencies, which pays dividends during criminal investigations.

Relationships with the FBI depend entirely on how well the detachment and the nearest field office or resident agency work together. The FBI often takes lead on investigations that OSI agents view as the most desirable or interesting. This only perpetuates the stereotype that FBI agents are little more than bureaucracy-burdened glory hounds. In cases where the FBI acts as the lead agency, OSI must coordinate each investigative step it intends to take, which inevitably slows the pace of the investigation.

Plenty of strife exists within OSI itself. Risk-averse leadership may decline to authorize certain investigations or operations. Micromanagement makes agents feel like they have no true initiative or investigative discretion. Restrictions levied upon the field reinforces the prevalent belief that OSI will always play second fiddle to counterparts like the FBI and NCIS.

The military legal system itself can be one of OSI’s biggest obstacles. Cases involving active duty service members are ultimately referred to the suspect’s commander, who may decide to not take any judicial action. Staff judge advocates may also be unwilling to prosecute offenses in which a conviction will be difficult. In such cases, OSI may press for federal or local prosecution.

PLAYING OSI

OSI is the second most requested career field in the Air Force. Maybe you joined OSI because you are looking for a challenge or are driven by a desire to count yourself among the best the Air Force or Space Force has to offer. Or maybe you’re pursuing a career in law enforcement and you seek to use OSI as a stepping stone to other agencies like the FBI or DEA. Some are drawn to OSI because they seek to prove something to themselves or others. Some find the promise of authority too tempting to pass up, but those agents are a small minority and are often rooted out during the application and background investigation processes.

Successful agents are self-motivated and do not need constant direction or guidance. You have to be creative and to find innovative solutions to the complex problems that emerge during investigations. Attention to detail is critical, and you likely pride yourself on getting even the most trivial aspects of a case right. Most agents don’t let themselves stagnate. When there’s a lull in their case load, they often try to proactively generate investigations by recruiting confidential informants or liaising with partner agencies.

Perhaps no skill is as important to an OSI agent as their ability to work and communicate with others. Your ability (or inability) to build relationships with other law enforcement agencies will directly impact your success in the field. As the chief investigative agency on Air Force and Space Force installations all over the world, agents must constantly interact with military leaders of all ranks. An agent could be interviewing a junior enlisted member one minute and briefing a colonel or general officer the next. Effectively communicating at all levels of the rank structure is key. Likewise, being able to navigate sensitive political environments increases your chances of success. Nothing will confine you to a desk at Quantico quicker than burning a bridge with a senior Air Force or Space Force leader.

SUGGESTED PROFESSIONS

Criminal Investigator

Criminal investigators carry the vast majority of OSI’s investigative caseload.

• Profession: Federal Agent.
• Suggested Bonus Skills: Criminology, Forensics, Law, Military Science (Air or Land).

Counterintelligence Agent

Counterintelligence agents investigate allegations of espionage, sabotage, and terrorism impacting the Air Force and Space Force.

• Profession: Federal Agent.
• Suggested Bonus Skills: HUMINT, Law, Military Science (Air or Land), SIGINT.

Antiterrorism Specialty Team

AST agents deploy to austere locations all over the world to support contingency and wartime operations.

• Profession: Federal Agent.
• Suggested Bonus Skills: Alertness, Athletics, Dodge, Firearms.

Protective Service Operations Agent

PSO agents act as bodyguards for U.S. Air Force and Space Force VIPs and visiting foreign dignitaries.

• Profession: Federal Agent.
• Suggested Bonus Skills: Alertness, Drive, First Aid, Firearms.

Computer Crimes Investigator/Cyber Investigations & Operations Agent

CIO agents apply their computer expertise to criminal investigations and cyber operations.

• Profession: Federal Agent.
• Suggested Bonus Skills: Computer Science, Law, Science (Mathematics), SIGINT.

ICON Center Analyst

Intelligence analysts assigned to the ICON Center are responsible for delivering timely threat information to the field and analyzing intelligence from all available sources.

• Profession: Intelligence Analyst.
• Suggested Bonus Skills: Criminology, HUMINT, Law, SIGINT.

Polygraph Examiner

OSI polygraph examiners are experienced interrogators trained in advanced interviewing techniques and the use of polygraph examination equipment.

• Profession: Federal Agent.
• Suggested Bonus Skills: Alertness, Criminology, HUMINT, Persuade.
• Special Training: Polygraph equipment.

Surveillance Specialty Team Agent

SST agents monitor criminal and counterintelligence targets, as well as detecting and countering hostile surveillance.

• Profession: Federal Agent.
• Suggested Bonus Skills: Alertness, Disguise, Drive, Stealth.

Technical Services Agent

Technical Services agents create and install concealed monitoring devices in support of criminal and counterintelligence investigations.

• Profession: Federal Agent.
• Suggested Bonus Skills: Craft (Electrician), Craft (Locksmithing), Craft (Microelectronics), Stealth.