Abbreviation DCIS Federal agency United States | Formed 1981 | |
 | ||
Employees Approximately 414 (2013) Legal personality Governmental: Government agency General nature Federal law enforcement
Civilian agency | ||
The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is the criminal investigative arm of the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense. DCIS protects military personnel by investigating cases of fraud, bribery, and corruption; preventing the illegal transfer of sensitive defense technologies to proscribed nations and criminal elements; investigating companies that use defective, substandard, or counterfeit parts in weapons systems and equipment utilized by the military; and stopping cyber crimes and computer intrusions.
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Background
DCIS serves as the criminal investigative arm of the Department of Defense Inspector General. DoD IG was created in 1981 by an amendment to the Inspector General Act of 1978.
Responsibilities
It is the obligation of the DoD Inspector General to "initiate, conduct, and supervise such...investigations in the Department of Defense (including the military departments) as the Inspector General considers appropriate" (IG Act Sec. 8(c)(2)) and to "provide leadership and coordination and recommend policies for activities...to prevent and detect fraud and abuse in...[DoD] programs and operations (IG Act Sec. 2(2))."
Priorities
DCIS' current investigative priorities include:
Significant fraud and corruption impacting crucial DoD operations, with particular emphasis upon schemes impacting the health, safety, welfare, or mission‐readiness of U.S. troops.
Significant procurement and acquisition fraud, corruption, and other financial crimes which result in multi‐million dollars losses, thus depriving DoD of critically‐needed funds that would otherwise be utilized to finance vital national defense initiatives.
Defective, substituted, counterfeit, or substandard products introduced into the DoD acquisition system, with particular emphasis upon allegations involving troop safety and/or mission‐readiness.
Illegal theft, export, diversion, transfer, or proliferation of sensitive DoD technology, systems, weapons, and equipment, with particular emphasis upon allegations involving targeted foreign nations, organized international criminal organizations, or potentially hostile entities apt to utilize said items in furtherance of assaults against U.S. military forces.
Health care fraud committed by providers that involves (a) quality of care, unnecessary care, or failure to provide care to TRICARE‐eligible service members, retirees, dependents, or survivors; or (b) significant direct loss to DoD’s TRICARE Management Activity.
Computer intrusions and other cyber crimes that result in (a) serious compromises of the Global Information Grid; (b) exfiltration of sensitive DoD data or large volumes of personally identifiable information pertaining to civilian DoD employees or service members; or (c) potential contractual violations on the part of a DoD contractor.
Organization
DCIS is led by the Deputy Inspector General for Investigations. The Deputy Inspector General for Investigations is cross-designated as the Director of DCIS.
DCIS Headquarters is organized into three functional branches. Each branch is managed by an Assistant Inspector General who is cross-designated as a Deputy Director of DCIS.
Locations
DCIS is headquartered in Alexandria, Va, and maintains a presence in over 50 separate domestic and international locales. Field offices are situated in the following locations:
Each field office is responsible for overseeing multiple subordinate resident agencies and posts of duties located throughout the United States.
At present, DCIS maintains a presence in the following international locations:
Special Agents
Pursuant to Title 10 of the United States Code §1585, DCIS Special Agents conducting, supervising, or coordinating investigations of criminal activity in programs and operations of the Department of Defense have the authority to execute and serve any warrant or other process issued under the authority of the United States; to make arrests without a warrant for any offense against the United States committed in the presence of that agent; and to make arrests without a warrant for any felony cognizable under the laws of the United States if the agent has probable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed or is committing the felony.
Authorization for Special Agents of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service to carry firearms while assigned investigative duties or other duties as the Secretary may prescribe can be found in 10 U.S. Code §1585(a).
Selection and training
To be considered for a DCIS special agent position, an individual must: Be a U.S. citizen, age between 21 and 37 years, pass screening, background investigation and have exceptional communication skills.
DCIS special agent candidates initially receive training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center located in Glynco, Georgia. They attend FLETC's basic training course for special agents, the Criminal Investigator Training Program, which lasts about 13 weeks and represents the beginning or basic training received by DCIS special agents. Later, agents may return to FLETC to attend specialized training in contractor fraud, money laundering, computer crimes, advanced interview techniques, etc.