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THE NCIS

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is a worldwide Federal law enforcement organization staffed by civilian special agents whose primary mission is "to protect and serve" the Navy and Marine Corps by providing a variety of law enforcement and counterintelligence services.

These civilian professionals are the new generation in along and distinguished line of agents who have conducted investigations and counterintelligence functions for the Department of the Navy for most of this century. This history of service is reflected by the badges on the cover worn by NCIS special agents and their predecessors in the Office of Naval Intelligence (OM) and the Naval Investigative Service (NIS).

Since its inception the organization has undergone several transitions in structure and leadership, changing from a predominantly military organization during its early years to one which is now almost exclusively civilian.

[Image : Carole Cacciaroni, former General Crimes Special Agent of the Year, boards a helicopter
during an afloat tour.]

[Image : NCIS works and trains closely with other law enforcement agencies on joint operations.]

THE NCIS MISSIONS

To meet the challenges of modern law enforcement, special agents develop expertise in a variety of disciplines.

General Crimes - About half of the 850-member special agent corps are general crimes investigators, responsible for the investigations of felonies including homicide, rape, burglary, robbery, child abuse, arson, and theft of government property. To do this, special agents work closely with other local, state, Federal and foreign law enforcement agencies.

Counterdrug Program - Since the illegal use of narcotics is one of the biggest threats facing society today, NCIS has an aggressive counterdrug program extending beyond the gates of our military facilities. The program is based upon the development of narcotics intelligence and uses a three-prong approach to attack narcotics at the source, in transit, within the United States and overseas. This requires working closely with other law enforcement agencies on efforts such as joint task forces and undercover operations.

White Collar Crime - Highly sophisticated"white collar" or procurement fraud is another challenge facing today's Navy and Marine Corps. Countering this threat are 130 special agents who in the past few years have averaged over $1 million each in fines, restitutions and recoveries as a result of their investigative efforts. Select fraud-dedicated special agents are also trained to investigate environmental crimes.

Computer Crime - As the Navy and Marine Corps have integrated high technology into virtually every aspect of their day to day operations, computer related crime has become a major concern to NCIS. From network intrusions by "hackers," to malicious virus incidents, to the criminal manipulation of hardware or software, computer crime is pursued by specially trained teams at each field office.

Counterintelligence - Another highly-demanding field to which one-third of the special agent corps is dedicated is counterintelligence. Special agents working in this discipline collect and analyze information about potential threats posed by terrorists and foreign intelligence services; advise military commanders on how best to defend against such threats; protect vital military technology; and investigate acts of espionage, sabotage, and other select security violations.

Protective Services - NCIS special agents provide protective services around the world and may be assigned to details protecting the Secretary of the Navy, senior military commanders, visiting foreign military dignitaries, and other officials who could be potential targets of a terrorist attack.

Technical Services - Supporting all of these efforts is a cadre of highly-skilled professionals working in areas including polygraph examinations, electronic surveillance, technical surveillance countermeasures, and forensic laboratories.

SPECIAL AGENTS

Requirements - To be an NCIS special agent, an individual must be a U.S. citizen, possess a baccalaureate degree, be between the ages of 21 and 37, pass an extensive background investigation, be in excellent physical condition, have good communications skills and complete the 16-week NCIS Basic Agent Course at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center at Glynco, Georgia.

Career Pattern - Special agents begin at the GS-7 level, progressing to the journeyman level of GS-l2. During his or her career a special agent may be assigned to any of the 150 worldwide offices and can expect to serve overseas, and at locations throughout the United States. Special agents may also be required to serve on aircraft carriers or other major combatants.

For Further information - Visit the NCIS website on the Internet at: "http://www.ncis.navy.mil"

If you are interested in a career with the NCIS, contact your nearest field office or write to:

Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Career Services Department
Washington Navy Yard Building 111
716 Sicard Street S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20388

NCIS Field Offices

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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