Criminal Justice Career Option - Special Investigations Career Field
Excluded from this career filed are functions of air intelligence to prevent strategic, tactical, or technological surprise and to support planning and conducting air operations. These functions are included in the Intelligence Career Field. The following is a complete listing of AFSCs for the Special Investigations Career Field.
SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS
Specialty Summary (Note: This is not an entry-level job). Conducts criminal, fraud, counterintelligence, personal background, and technical services investigations and special inquiries. Manages special investigations activities. Related DoD Occupational Subgroup: 832.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Plans and conducts offensive investigative activities. Interviews witnesses and interrogates persons suspected of committing major violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Administers oaths to and obtains signed statements from persons interviewed and interrogated. Conducts crime scene searches, preserves evidence, and requests criminal laboratory analyses. Participates in surveillances. Conducts lineups and fingerprints suspects. Investigates suspected fraud and violations of public trust, writes investigative reports, uses human information sources to detect criminal and fraudulent activities. Provides testimony at court proceedings, briefs base level command officials and coordinates investigative matters of mutual interest with local, state, federal, and foreign law enforcement agencies.
Directs and investigates counterintelligence matters. Investigates allegations of espionage, sabotage, treason, sedition, and terrorist acts. Conducts security suitability investigations, protective service operations, and concerning special counterintelligence matters. Conducts defensive briefings on techniques used by hostile intelligence services and subversive groups directed at or affecting the Air Force and national security.
Inspects and evaluates special investigative activities. Conducts investigations to determine personal history data accuracy and whether any unfavorable information exists regarding character, loyalty, discretion, integrity, or credit reputation.
Performs specialized technical operations to support criminal, fraud, and counterintelligence investigations. Conducts technical security surveys and briefs key officials. Performs preventative and corrective maintenance on equipment to ensure operational readiness.
Specialty Qualifications:
Special Note: Special Investigations (Office of Special Investigations, OSI) is not an entry-level career field. In other words, you cannot become a Special Investigations Agent when you first join the Air Force.
Enlisted Air Force members may apply for special agent duty once they've first served in another career field. Those eligible are Master Sergeants, Technical Sergeants, and Staff Sergeants with fewer than 12 years of military service, Senior airmen with fewer than six years of service, and Senior Airmen-selects. All applicants must have outstanding records. (Grade requirements may be waived for special or unusual circumstances.)
Most eagerly sought by the command are applicants who possess computer skills or speak foreign languages (Japanese, Turkish, Korean, and Arabic are most critical). Those knowledgeable in electronics are encouraged to seek investigative duties with OSI's Technical Services Division or Computer Crime Division.
Airmen cannot apply if they are filling a critical AFSC, as defined by the Air Force Personnel Center. In all cases, those interested should contact the nearest OSI detachment for the latest information regarding eligibility criteria and the application process. They should also contact their local Military Personnel Flight retraining branch.
Enlisted members from non-Air Force branches of the armed forces should visit an Air Force recruiter for details on how to join the Air Force.
Knowledge. Knowledge is mandatory of special investigative policy, procedures, and techniques concerning criminal, fraud, counterintelligence, personnel background, and technical security services.
Education. For entry into this specialty, completion of high school or general educational development equivalency with courses in accounting and a foreign language is desirable.
Training. For award of AFSC 7S031, completion of the Special Investigators Course at the United States Air Force Special Investigations Academy is mandatory.
Experience. The following experience is mandatory for award of the AFSC indicated:
7S071. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 7S031. Also, experience performing or supervising functions such as investigations or inquiries.
7S091. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 7S071. Also, experience managing special investigative activities such as criminal, fraud, counterintelligence, or technical services.
Other. The following are mandatory as indicated:
For entry into this specialty, qualification according to AFI 36-2110, Assignments.
For entry, award, and retention of these AFSCs:
Ability to speak and write clearly and distinctly.
Qualification to bear firearms according to AFI 31-207, Arming and Use of Force by Air Force Personnel.
For award and retention of these AFSCs, a favorable background investigation and certification by the Commander, Air Force Office of Special Investigations.