Abbreviation CI Employees Classified | Formed October 1, 1977 Annual budget Classified | |
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Preceding agencies U.S. Army Intelligence AgencyU.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC)Corps of Intelligence Police Legal personality Governmental: Government agency | ||
United States Army Counterintelligence is the component of United States Army Military Intelligence which conducts counterintelligence activities to detect, identify, assess, counter, exploit and/or neutralize adversarial, foreign intelligence services, international terrorist organizations, and insider threats to the United States Army and U.S. Department of Defense.
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Overview
Military and civilian personnel trained and appointed to conduct counterintelligence investigations and operations are credentialed and titled as Counterintelligence Special Agents (occasionally referred to simply as "CI" or "Army Intelligence Agents"), and carry badge and credentials identifying their status as federal law enforcement officers. Within the Army, these agents have arrest powers (aka apprehension authority) and jurisdiction in the investigation of national security crimes such as treason, spying, espionage, sedition, subversion, sabotage with intent to damage national defense, and support to international terrorism, while other criminal matters are investigated by the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command aka Army CID. In other branches of the U.S. military, the counterintelligence mission is performed by the Office of Special Investigations for the Air Force, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service for the Navy and Marine Corps, which also conduct general criminal investigations for their respective services. The Army continues to keep these two investigative channels separate via Army CI and Army CID, even though parallel investigations do happen periodically.
Most operational U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special Agents today operate under the auspices of the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command, with the 902d Military Intelligence Group responsible for counterintelligence activities and operating field offices within the continental United States. Outside the continental U.S., the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade provides the same type of support in Hawaii and Japan, the 501st Military Intelligence Brigade supports Korea, and the 66th Military Intelligence Brigade does so in Europe. Historically, the United States Army Counterintelligence mission was performed by the Corps of Intelligence Police during World War I, the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) during World War II and the Cold War, and later by the now defunct U.S. Army Intelligence Agency.
Special Agent duties
Counterintelligence Special Agents are the operational/investigative personnel within United States Army Counterintelligence who actually conduct the various Counterintelligence activities. Duties may include the investigation of national security crimes using special investigative procedures; conducting counterintelligence operations; processing intelligence evidence; participating in technology protection activities; preparing and distributing reports; conducting source operations; debriefing personnel for counterintelligence collections; and supporting counter-terrorism operations.
Senior counterintelligence personnel provide guidance to junior Special Agents and supervise their training; conduct liaison and operational coordination with foreign and U.S. Law Enforcement, Security, and Intelligence Agencies; plan and conduct counterintelligence operations/activities related to national security; conduct high-profile counterintelligence collection activities and source operations ranging from overt to clandestine collection; conduct surveillance operations; providing support for counterintelligence analytical products, to include preparing counterintelligence reports, estimates, and vulnerability assessments; and with additional training, may conduct technical surveillance countermeasures (TSCM), credibility assessment examinations, or exploit cyber threats.
Senior Counterintelligence Special Agents are also often assigned to U.S. Army Special Forces groups to assist with liaison, source operations, and intelligence investigations (typically in support of force protection); while also working closely with other intelligence collectors. These "Special Operations Forces (SOF)" CI Agents are granted the Enlisted Special Qualification Identifier (SQI) "S" or Officer Skill Code "K9" after successfully graduating from Airborne School, and after they have spent 12–24 months with a SOF unit; which may also require Agents complete additional unit level training and/or: Ranger School, SERE School, or applicable JSOU courses.
Special Agent designations
If military, Counterintelligence Special Agents are designated by enlisted military occupational specialty 35L Counterintelligence Special Agent, warrant officer area of concentration 351L Counterintelligence Technician, or commissioned officer area of concentration 35E Counterintelligence Officer; if civilian, the 0132 series.
Selection and training
The position of Counterintelligence Special Agent is not an entry level Army position, and applicants are usually drawn from the existing ranks. Department of the Army Pamphlet 611-21 requires applicants be able to:
Becoming a credentialed Counterintelligence Special Agent requires successful completion of the Counterintelligence Special Agent Course (CISAC) at either Fort Huachuca, Arizona, Camp Williams, Utah, or Fort Devens, Massachusetts. Newly trained special agents are placed on a probationary status for the first year after graduation for active duty agents, and for the first two years after graduation for reserve/national guard agents. This allows for the removal of the Counterintelligence Special Agent MOS if the probationary Agent is deemed unfit for duty as a Special Agent.
Note: As of 2015, CISAC at Fort Devens, MA, has been closed with a new U.S. Army Reserve CISAC being established at Fort Huachuca, AZ. This new CISAC has the same curriculum as the Active Army component school, but has the ability to attend it in four separate phases like the CISAC at Camp Williams, Utah.
Uniform and firearms
Counterintelligence Special Agents on operational/strategic assignments within the United States usually dress in professional business attire. Assignment type will dictate what clothing is appropriate, which can include civilian attire local to the area. When deployed to combat environments, agents may wear the Army Combat Uniform for security purposes, but with rank insignia replaced with Department of the Army Civilian "U.S." insignia as required for investigative purposes. Although agents may be issued other weapons on special assignments, they are typically issued a standard M9 or M11 pistol as their primary weapon. For combat environments, special agents are also issued the M4 carbine.