A History of Who We Are and What We Do

The Office of Special Investigations (OSI) was founded Aug. 1, 1948, at the suggestion of Congress to consolidate investigative activities in the U.S. Air Force. Secretary of the Air Force W. Stuart Symington created OSI and patterned it after the FBI. He appointed Special Agent Joseph Carroll, an assistant to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, as the first OSI commander and charged him with providing independent, unbiased and centrally directed investigations of criminal activity in the Air Force.

OSI  has been the Department of the Air Force's major investigative service since Aug.1, 1948. The agency reports to the Inspector General, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. OSI provides professional investigative service to commanders of all Department of the Air Force activities. Its primary responsibilities are criminal investigations and counterintelligence services.

In addition to the command's headquarters at Quantico, Va., OSI has seven field investigations regions aligned with Air Force major commands located around the world as subordinate field units of these regions comprised of squadrons, detachments and operating locations. In sum, OSI operates more than 260 field units worldwide.

Purpose: 

Defend the Nation, Serve Justice, Protect the Department of the Air Force and Find the Truth. 

Foundation: 

A federal law enforcement and investigative agency operating throughout the full spectrum of conflict.

Mission:

Identify, exploit and neutralize criminal, terrorist, and intelligence threats in multiple domains to the United States Air Force, United States Space Force, Department of Defense and U.S. Government.

Vision:

A trusted and relevant global investigative agency, in sync with a changing strategic environment; a reliable partner, recognized for excellence, enabling and protecting the USAF, USSF, DoD and the Nation.