Defense Criminal Investigative Service
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The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is the criminal investigative arm of the Inspector General of the United States Department of Defense (DoD). Its stated mission is to protect America's warfighters by conducting investigations in support of crucial National Defense priorities. DCIS criminal investigators are Special Agents with full federal law enforcement authority; they carry firearms, investigate violations of U.S. law, execute search and arrest warrants, serve subpoenas, etc. Like agents with the Military Criminal Investigative Organizations (MCIOs) - the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), the Army's Criminal Investigations Division (USACIDC), and the Coast Guard's Investigative Service. DCIS Special Agents also investigate offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).
The DoD Inspector General is tasked by statute to "initiate, conduct, and supervise such . . . investigations in the Department of Defense (including the military departments) as the Inspector General considers appropriate" (IG Act §8(c)(2)) and to "give particular regard to the activities of the internal . . investigative units of the military departments with a view toward avoiding duplication and insuring effective coordination and cooperation" (IG Act §8(c)(9)); as the criminal investigations arm of the DoD IG, the DCIS devotes investigative resources to a number of investigative programs including:
- Terrorism
- Product Substitution (selling counterfeit or inferior parts to the DoD)
- Other contract fraud
- Cyber Crimes/Computer Intrusion
- Technology Transfers (illegal export of defense technology)
- Other Categories of Fraud (e.g., Bribery, kickbacks, Public Corruption and Major Thefts)
The mission of the DCIS is to protect America's Warfighters by conducting investigations in support of crucial National Defense priorities.