Naval Criminal Investigative Service

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) traces its roots to Navy Department General Order 292 of 1882, signed by William H. Hunt, Secretary of the Navy, which established the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). Initially, the ONI was tasked with collecting information on the characteristics and weaponry of foreign vessels, charting foreign passages, rivers, or other bodies of water, and touring overseas fortifications, industrial plants, and shipyards.In anticipation of the United States' entry into World War I, the ONI's responsibilities expanded to include espionage, sabotage, and all manner of information on the Navy's potential adversaries; and in World War II the ONI became responsible for the investigation of sabotage, espionage and subversive activities that pose any kind of threat to the Navy.The major buildup of civilian special agents began with the Korean War in 1950, and continued through the Cold War years. In 1966 the name Naval Investigative Service (NIS) was adopted to distinguish the organization from the rest of ONI, and in 1969 NIS special agents become Excepted Civil Service and no longer contract employees.The early 1970s saw a NIS special agent stationed on the USS Intrepid for six months—the beginning of the Deployment Afloat program, now called the Special Agent Afloat program. In 1972, background investigations were transferred from NIS to the newly formed Defense Investigative Service (DIS), allowing NIS to give more attention to criminal investigations and counterintelligence.In 1982, NIS was upgraded to Echelon II status, with control of its own budget. Echelon II commands report directly to the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). Later that year, NIS assumed responsibility for managing the Navy's Law Enforcement and Physical Security Program and the Navy's Information and Personnel Security Program.Two months after the October 1983 bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut, the agency opened the Navy Antiterrorist Alert Center (ATAC). ATAC, a 24-hour-a-day operational intelligence center, issued indications and warning on terrorist activity to Navy and Marine Corps commands. In 1984, special agents began training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Georgia—the training facility for most other federal investigative agencies, except the FBI.In 1985, Cathal L. Flynn became the first admiral to lead NIS. The command took on the additional responsibility of Information and Personnel Security. In 1986, the Department of the Navy Central Adjudication Facility (DoN CAF) was established and placed under the agency, corresponding with the organization's new responsibility of adjudicating security clearances. DoN CAF renders approximately 200,000 eligibility determinations annually for the Department of the Navy.In 1992, Roy D. Nedrow was appointed as the first civilian director and the name changed from Naval Investigative Service to Naval Criminal Investgative Service. Nedrow oversaw the restructuring of NCIS into a Federal law enforcement agency with 14 field offices controlling field operations in 140 locations worldwide. In 1995, NCIS introduced the Cold Case Homicide Unit.In May 1997, David L. Brant was appointed Director of NCIS by Secretary of the Navy John Dalton. Director Brant retired in December 2005. He was succeeded by Director Thomas A. Betro who was appointed Director of NCIS in January 2006, by Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter. As the Director of NCIS, Mr. Betro is the senior official responsible for criminal, counterintelligence, counterterrorism investigations and operations, as well as security matters within the Department of the Navy (DoN). He leads an agency comprised of some 2400 civilian and military personnel that has a presence in over 150 locations world-wide. He is responsible for executing an annual operating budget of approximately 460 million dollars.In 1999, NCIS and the Marine Corps Criminal Investigative Division (CID) signed a memorandum of understanding calling for an integration of Marine Corps CID into NCIS, and in 2000, Congress granted NCIS civilian special agents authority to execute warrants and make arrests.A growing appreciation of the changing threat facing the Department of the Navy in the 21st century, culminating with the terrorist bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen and the attacks on September 11, 2001, led NCIS to transform the Antiterrorist Alert Center (ATAC) into the Multiple Threat Alert Center (MTAC) in 2002NCIS agents were the first U.S. law enforcement personnel on the scene at the Cole bombing... the Limburg bombing... and the terrorist attack in Mombasa, Kenya. NCIS' Cold Case unit has solved 50 homicides since 1995—one of which was 33 years old. NCIS has conducted fraud investigations resulting in over half a billion dollars in recoveries and restitution to the U.S. Government and the U.S. Navy since 1997. NCIS investigates any death occurring on a Navy vessel or Navy/Marine Corps aircraft or installation (except when the cause of death is medically attributable to disease or natural causes). NCIS oversees the Master-At-Arms programs for the Navy, overseeing 8800 Masters-At-Arms and the Working Dog program. NCIS' three strategic priorities are to: Prevent Terrorism, Protect Secrets, and Reduce Crime.Current missions for NCIS include criminal investigations, force protection, cross-border drug enforcement, anti-terrorism, counter-terrorism, major procurement fraud, computer crime and counterintelligence.