AFOSI seeks top quality Airmen Published Jan. 27, 2014 By Senior Airman Mary O'Dell 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE-Wash.- -- With more than 2,700 members, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations has been the Air Force's premier investigative service since August 1948. Still to this day, AFOSI is consistently recruiting exceptional NCOs for duty as enlisted special agents. AFOSI conducts criminal and fraud investigations, along with counterintelligence activities, servicing leaders at every echelon of Air Force command. In doing so, AFOSI must constantly replenish its agent cadre and its primary source of new agents is the active-duty enlisted force. "Airmen from every career field who join AFOSI bring something different and unique to the fight," said Special Agent Frank McBride, applicant processing branch Headquarters AFOSI superintendent. "We are constantly seeking top quality Airmen to join our team." The AFOSI is responsible for investigating major crimes against the Air Force, Department of Defense and the United States. According to McBride, the primary recruiting focus is on staff sergeants with five to ten years in service, technical sergeants with less than one year time in grade and stellar senior airmen who are eligible to retrain. While they will consider others who don't fall within those parameters, those are the primary target groups. "We recruit Airmen from diverse backgrounds to solve the Air Force's most complex investigations," said Chief Master Sgt. Hank Cottingham, the AFOSI command chief. "Our agents are held in the highest regard by our nation's government and military leaders." Once approved for retraining, all special agent candidates attend training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Ga. Candidates must complete both an 11-week Criminal Investigator Training Program and a seven-week AFOSI specific course. Both courses offer training in weapons use, forensics, surveillance, antiterrorism, crime scene processing, interrogations and more. "Airmen with positive attitudes who operate in the spirit of teamwork have had successful careers as AFOSI agents," said Cottingham. "If you are an Airman looking to make a great impact in our Air Force, then AFOSI is hands-down the way to go." After successful completion of a 15-month probationary period, agents may receive specialized training in advanced forensics, polygraph, specialized counterintelligence services, computer crimes, fraud and technological services, including surveillance countermeasures. For more information about AFOSI's mission, visit the AFOSI public website at www.osi.andrews.af.mil. NCOs interested in becoming an AFOSI special agent should review the applicant website at http://www.osi.af.mil/questions/enlisted/index.asp and contact Agent Shaun C. Wood, from Detachment 322, at (509) 247-2591.