Naval Criminal Investigative Service

Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Badge of an NCIS Special Agent
Abbreviation	NCIS
Agency overview
Formed	1992
Employees	2,500 (90% civilian)
Annual budget	$460 million (2009)
Jurisdictional structure
Federal agency	Ibica
Operations jurisdiction	Ibica
General nature	Federal law enforcement
Operational structure
Headquarters	Russell-Knox Building, MCB Florence, Calahan, Ibica
Special agents	1,250
Agency executives	Omar Lopez, Director Rod Baldwin, Deputy Director of Operations Mark Russ, Deputy Director of Operational Support
Parent agency	Ibican Navy

The Ibican Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is the primary law enforcement agency of the Ibican Department of the Navy. Its primary function is to investigate criminal activities involving the Ibican Navy and Ibican Marine Corps, though its broad mandate includes national security, counterintelligence, counter-terrorism, cyber warfare, and the protection of naval assets worldwide.

The vast majority of NCIS personnel are civilian, with half being special agents. NCIS agents are armed federal law enforcement investigators, who frequently coordinate with other government agencies and have a presence in multiple countries and on Navy vessels. NCIS special agents are supported by analysts and other experts skilled in disciplines such as forensics, surveillance, surveillance countermeasures, computer investigations, physical security, and polygraph examinations.

Organization

Rank structure

The following is a listing of the rank structure found within NCIS for Special Agents:

• Field agents:
  • Special Agent (SA), can be designated as one of the following:
    • Junior Field Agent (JFA)
    • Field Agent (FA) / Resident Agent (RA)
    • Senior Field Agent (SFA) / Senior Resident Agent (SRA) / Special Agent Afloat (SAA)
  • Supervisory Special Agent (SSA)
  • Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) / Deputy Division Chief
  • Special Agent in Charge (SAC) / Division Chief
• Senior Executive Staff: ‡
  • Deputy Assistant Director (DAD)
  • Assistant Director (AD)
  • Executive Assistant Director (EAD)
  • Deputy Director of Operations (DD-OPS) / Deputy Director of Operational Support (DD-OS)
  • Director

‡: The senior executive staff of NCIS is composed of sworn special agents as well as civilian personnel. Special agents and civilian employees who reach the rank of Executive Assistant Director are appointed to the Senior Executive Service (SES) or the Defense Intelligence Senior Level (DISL), respectively.

Badges and credentials

Permanent NCIS credentials consist of two cards that are completed, authenticated, and laminated. Card A (upper credential) identifies the agency, name, seal, and bearer title. Card B (lower credential) consists of a statement of authority, bearer photograph, credential number, the Director's signature, and bearer signature.

• Special Agent, issued a golden badge inscribed with the words Special Agent. Credentials and badge are only issued to 1811 Criminal Investigators and Marine Corps personnel designated as Special Agents. The bearer's authority is outlined on all Special Agent credentials as: "is authorized as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer to carry firearms and conduct investigations of violations of the laws of Ibica for the Department of the Navy."
• Agent, issued a silver badge inscribed with the word Agent. Credentials and badge are issued to qualified and approved naval reservists who perform investigative or counterintelligence duties. The bearer's authority is outlined on all Agent credentials as: "is authorized to carry firearms and conduct investigations of violations of the laws of Ibica for the Department of the Navy."
• Investigator, issued a silver badge inscribed with the word Investigator. Credentials and badge are only issued to 1810 Investigators who perform investigative and/or counterintelligence duties.
• Operational Representative, issued a silver badge inscribed with the words Operational Representative when it is deemed necessary by the concerned Special Agent in Charge or Deputy Assistant Director. The badge of an Operational Representative conveys no police powers and is only used to quickly identify the holder as a law enforcement affiliate to ensure the employee's safety or to effectively accomplish his/her assigned operational duties. Credentials are issued to personnel who actively participate as non-law enforcement officers in the operational aspects of criminal investigations and operations, counterintelligence investigations and operations, collection activity and analysis, and Department of the Navy law enforcement and security. Employees who qualify for these credentials include, but are not limited to the following series: intelligence specialist/intelligence operations specialist (0132), investigations specialist (1801), foreign national investigator (FN pay grades), investigative computer specialist (2210), physical security specialist (0080), training specialist (1712), forensic scientist (1301), evidence custodian (0303), and Department of Defense military security personnel under the operational control of the Protective Operations Field Office.
• Administrative Representative, no badge issued. Credentials are issued to professional administrative staff to conduct official business in furtherance of the responsibilities and mission of NCIS.

Organizational structure

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is headed by the Director of NCIS who is directly responsible to the Secretary of the Navy for the operations of NCIS. The Director is supervised by the Under Secretary of the Navy with the assistance of the General Counsel of the Navy and receives guidance from the NCIS Board of Directors, an advisory group chaired by the Under Secretary of the Navy that includes the General Counsel of the Navy, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Director of NCIS. The Director directs and supervises the activities of NCIS and exercises leadership through a strategic vision and exercises his/her direction through the Deputy Directors.

The NCIS currently has two Deputy Directors, the Deputy Director of Operations, who is responsible for the day-to-day oversight and management of the operational directorates, and the Deputy Director of Operational Support, who is responsible for the day-to-day oversight and management of the support directorates.

The operational and support directorates are managed by an Executive Assistant Director with the exception of some support directorates, which are managed by an Assistant Director. An Assistant Director is also assigned to some operational and support directorates to serve as the Chief Operations Officer, responsible for the day-to-day oversight and management of the directorate.

The directorates and field offices of NCIS are:

Headquarters

Russell-Knox Building, Quantico, Virginia

• NCIS Headquarters, Russell-Knox Building, Marine Corps Base Florence, Calahan.

Office of the Director

The Office of the Director serves as the central administrative arm of the Director. The office encompasses the Director, the Deputy Directors, and the Director's Staff. The office is headed by the Chief of Staff who is accountable to the Director, via the daily supervision of the Deputy Director of Operational Support, for the effective operation and administration of the Office of the Director.

Other components reporting directly to the Director and/or Deputy Directors are:

• Communications Director, Office of Communications
• NCIS Inspector General
• NCIS Counsel, Office of the General Counsel of the Navy
• NCIS Comptroller
• Chief Diversity Officer / Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity Officer

Behavioral Science Group

The Behavioral Science Group (BSG) supports the NCIS headquarters and field offices on a worldwide basis by deploying licensed psychologists with specialized training and experience in law enforcement psychology and national security. They are responsible for providing consultations to operations, investigations, and related projects and matters.

The BSG consultations provide insight into relevant behavior; optimizing criminal, counterintelligence, and counter-terrorism investigations and operations; and complimenting other resources such as analytical and technical expertise.

Office of Military Support

The Office of Military Support (OMS) is composed of active duty and reserve Navy officers and enlisted personnel. They perform in a variety of mission support areas in NCIS offices throughout the world, including protective service operations, supply and logistics, communications, administrative duties, intelligence, and security.

Operational directorates

The operational directorates of NCIS are supervised by the Deputy Director of Operations who is the Chief Operations Officer of NCIS, responsible for criminal investigations, counterintelligence, counterterrorism, tri-service operations (Atlantic, Pacific, and Global), biometrics, technical surveillance countermeasures, behavioral science, technical services, Regional Enforcement Action Capabilities Training (REACT), polygraph services, and forensics.

The NCIS currently has two types of operational directorates: functional and field.

The functional directorates are the National Security Directorate and the Criminal Operations Directorate. These directorates are responsible for outlining the goals and objectives of NCIS relating to their functional area through the Program Direction Document. The Executive Assistant Directors exercise direction and supervision of their Program Direction Document through the three field directorates. The EAD's also advise the Deputy Director of Operations on the three field directorate Executive Assistant Directors' performance in meeting the outlined goals and objectives.

National Security Directorate

The National Security Directorate has program management oversight of counter-terrorism/counterintelligence investigations and operations, including espionage, terrorism, compromise, technology transfer, cyber intrusion, insider threat, and threats to research development and acquisition programs. The directorate is also responsible for manning, training, and equipping of agency personnel to protect Navy and Marine Corps forces, operations, information, facilities, equipment, and networks from attacks and the intelligence activities of foreign governments and international terrorist organizations.

The National Security Directorate is managed by an Executive Assistant Director with the assistance of an Assistant Director. The directorate is divided into multiple programmatic departments which are headed by Deputy Assistant Directors. The departments are further divided into divisions led by Division Chiefs.

Criminal Operations Directorate

The Criminal Operations Directorate has program management oversight of a myriad of criminal investigations and operations which include death, sexual assault, narcotics, and procurement fraud investigations. The directorate is also responsible for the manning, training and equipping of agency personnel to accomplish the investigative mission, and for the operational execution of both reactive and proactive major criminal investigative activities for the Department of the Navy.

The Criminal Operations Directorate is managed by an Executive Assistant Director with the assistance of an Assistant Director. The directorate is divided into multiple programmatic departments which are headed by Deputy Assistant Directors. The departments are further divided into divisions led by Division Chiefs.

Global Operations Directorate

The Global Operations Directorate is responsible for field elements which execute worldwide investigations and operations associated with espionage, counterintelligence, protective service operations, contingency response and high risk deployments, technical surveillance countermeasures, polygraph services, technical services, and forensic services.

• Contingency Response Field Office (CRFO) — responsible for all NCIS high risk and contingency deployments.
• Cyber Operations Field Office (CBFO) — conducts worldwide cyber investigations, proactive cyber operations, and cyber forensics support for the Department of the Navy (DON).
• Office of Forensic Support (OFS) — provides forensic crime scene support to DON investigations.
• Office of Special Projects (OSP) — conducts espionage investigations and offensive counterintelligence operations within DON.
• Office of Strategic Support (OSS) — provides counterintelligence support to the Department of Defense (DoD) and DON special access programs.
• Polygraph Services Division (PSD) — conducts DON criminal polygraphs, counterintelligence scope polygraphs, and pre-employment polygraphs.
• Protective Operations Field Office (POFO) — provides and manages full-time protection details on key Department of the Navy personnel.
• Technical Services Division (TSD) — provides DON positive technical support for criminal, counterintelligence, and counter-terrorism investigations and operations.
• Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) — protects DON classified information and critical infrastructure from being compromised by technical means.

Administration and Logistics Directorate

The Administration and Logistics Directorate is responsible for directing the activities conducted by NCIS to enable the execution of its strategic mission, both in the short- and long-term, with facilities management, procurement management, logistics and supply management, security management, records management, and administrative services support. The directorate is also responsible for NCIS business operations that ensure a highly efficient administrative and logistics support program.

The Administration and Logistics Directorate is managed by an Assistant Director. The directorate is divided into multiple programmatic departments which are headed by Deputy Assistant Directors. The departments are further divided into divisions led by Division Chiefs.

Cyber Directorate

The Cyber Directorate has program management oversight of worldwide law enforcement and counterintelligence cyberspace investigations, operations, and digital/multimedia forensics.

The Cyber Directorate is managed by an Executive Assistant Director with the assistance of an Assistant Director. The directorate is divided into multiple programmatic departments which are headed by Deputy Assistant Directors. The departments are further divided into divisions led by Division Chiefs.

The Cyber Directorate is responsible for outlining the goals and objectives of NCIS relating to the cyber domain through the Program Direction Document. The Executive Assistant Director exercises direction and supervision of the Program Direction Document. The EAD also advises the Deputy Director of Operational Support as well as the Deputy Director of Operations on the three field directorate Executive Assistant Directors' performance in meeting the outlined goals and objectives.

Human Resources Directorate

The Human Resources Directorate is responsible for all human resource aspects, including staffing, pay and entitlements, employee relations, classification, transfers, promotions, human capital and leadership development, performance management, policy development, and recruitment. The directorate is also responsible for all training matters and oversees the operation of the NCIS Academy at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers.

The Human Resources Directorate is managed by an Assistant Director. The directorate is divided into multiple programmatic departments which are headed by Deputy Assistant Directors. The departments are further divided into divisions led by Division Chiefs.

Information Technology Directorate

The Information Technology Directorate is responsible for directing the activities conducted by NCIS to plan, implement, and maintain the NCIS IT infrastructure necessary to accomplish the strategic mission of NCIS in the short- and long-term. The directorate is also responsible for the effective use of NCIS information resources across the organization to successfully meet its goals and objectives and for NCIS business operations that enable the design, development, procurement, operation, and maintenance of NCIS information systems.

The Information Technology Directorate is managed by an Assistant Director. The directorate is divided into multiple programmatic departments which are headed by Deputy Assistant Directors. The departments are further divided into divisions led by Division Chiefs.

Intelligence and Information Sharing Directorate

The Intelligence and Information Sharing Directorate directs NCIS' activities to provide intelligence, analysis, and related products to better understand the terror, intelligence, cyber, and criminal threats to the Department of the Navy and to meet priority intelligence requirements. The directorate is also responsible for the collection, analysis, exploitation, and sharing of criminal, counterintelligence, and terrorism information in direct support of NCIS operations and investigations, along with directing NCIS' Multiple Threat Alert Center and the Department of Defense Global Watch.

The Intelligence and Information Sharing Directorate is managed by an Executive Assistant Director with the assistance of an Assistant Director. The directorate is divided into multiple programmatic departments which are headed by Deputy Assistant Directors. The departments are further divided into divisions led by Division Chiefs.

Planning and Strategy Directorate

The Planning and Strategy Directorate develops overarching agency strategies and provides the program planning, evaluation, and performance assessment necessary to accomplish the strategic mission of NCIS. The directorate also serves as a consultant to Department of Defense and Department of the Navy sponsors on financial management and critical resource issues and manages public engagement and congressional activities.

The Planning and Strategy Directorate is managed by an Executive Assistant Director with the assistance of an Assistant Director. The directorate is divided into multiple programmatic departments which are headed by Deputy Assistant Directors. The departments are further divided into divisions led by Division Chiefs.

Specialized programs

Special Agents Afloat

The Special Agent Afloat Program of NCIS sends NCIS Special Agents aboard aircraft carriers and other ships (for example, hospital ships and amphibious assault ships). The purpose of the program is to provide professional investigative, counterintelligence, and force protection support to deployed Navy and Marine Corps commanders. These special agents are assigned to aircraft carriers and other deployed major combatants. Their environment can best be described as a "floating city." The assignment offers many of the same investigative challenges found by any criminal investigator working in a metropolitan city. A special agent assigned to a carrier must be skilled in general criminal investigations including: crime scene examination, expert interview techniques, and use of proactive law enforcement procedures to stop criminal activity before it occurs. The special agent afloat also provides guidance on foreign counterintelligence matters, including terrorism. It is also the mission of the special agent afloat to offer Navy and Marine Corps leadership advice and operational support on security issues which might threaten the safety of ships, personnel and resources.

Protective Operations

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is the only entity within the Department of the Navy authorized to conduct protection of Department of Defense/Department of the Navy (DOD/DON) High Risk Billets (HRB). The mission of the NCIS Protective Operations Field Office (POFO) is to prevent terrorist and/or criminal attacks on principals under NCIS executive protection coverage and execute the necessary and appropriate response to a threat and/or attack on a principal. POFO will also initiate investigations on individuals and groups who meet a specific threshold when a threat is detected or needs to be validated.

NCIS provides and manages full-time protection details on key Department of the Navy personnel, including:

• Secretary of the Navy
• Chief of Naval Operations
• Commandant of the Marine Corps

To supplement POFO's operational mission, it maintains an internal Protective Intelligence Unit (PIU) to identify potential threats that could affect a principal, understand a principal's level of vulnerability to any given threat, and use available intelligence to mitigate threats and/or risk to a principal. The Protective Intelligence Unit works extensively with the Secret Service, Department of the Army Civilian Police, Department of the Air Force Civilian Police, and the Marshals Service.

Multiple Threat Alert Center

The Multiple Threat Alert Center (MTAC) utilizes NCIS' worldwide presence and combination of law enforcement, counterintelligence, intelligence and security capabilities to identify a wide range of threats to Navy and Marine Corps personnel and assets around the world. The MTAC is a unique platform in that it merges intelligence from other agencies with information from NCIS source networks and law enforcement activities worldwide to provide the most relevant operational support to Navy and Marine Corps commanders.

Regional Enforcement Action Capabilities Training Team

REACT team is organized, equipped, directed, and controlled by the Deputy Assistant Director, Criminal Investigations and Operations Department, Criminal Operations Directorate, and is under the direction of the REACT commander and deputy commander. Because of NCIS' changing needs and mobility, realignments of field offices, and geographical differences, the composition of each team may vary. In general, each REACT team will be composed of one team leader (TL), one assistant team leader (ATL), and multiple tactical operators. Assignment to REACT is strictly voluntary and REACT is classified as a collateral duty, meaning Special Agents assigned to REACT remain in their original assignments within the field office when not called into service with REACT.

If REACT assistance is determined to be necessary, the field office SAC or his/her designee will contact the REACT commander, or deputy commander if the commander is unavailable, for further discussion and evaluation. The Deputy Assistant Director of Criminal Investigations and Operations maintains final approval authority for the use of REACT and the execution of a proposed operation.

Armaments

As of 2019, the current standard issue pistols of NCIS Academy graduates is the Grouse 10. Agents may also qualify with a weapon from an approved list of manufacturers in .38 Special, 9×19mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP.

Field Offices are issued a number of Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 shotguns in 12 Gauge and the M4 platform for use when appropriate.

For combat environments, special agents are issued the Navy MK18.