Joint Operational Access Exercise receives OSI counterintelligence support

  • Published
  • By Mr. James C. Dillard
  • OSI Public Affairs
OSI HQ QUANTICO, Va. --  Air Force Office of Special Investigations agents from Det. 303, Travis Air Force Base, Calif., participated in a Joint Operational Access Exercise Feb. 6 through 14 at Mackall Army Airfield, N.C.

OSI agents were there supporting Airmen from the 571st Contingency Response Group by providing real world counterintelligence and force protection services. They provided exercise inputs to 571 CRG members to help them understand OSI's role in their mission and to give them a better idea of what capability they can provide down range.

Det. 303 agents are assigned to provide CI/FP support to the 615th Contingency Response Wing and their groups, including the 571 CRG. They are assigned to the CRW missions whether Airmen are going to a deployed environment or stateside exercise.

"The exercise was great for all participants," said Special Agent Scott Mills, Det. 303. "It was awesome to watch the CRW do their mission and at the same time show them the capability OSI brings to the table."

The training exercise was also an opportunity for the Airmen and OSI agents to work alongside the Army by establishing airfield operations in simulated remote locations. C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules aircraft were dedicated to the joint exercise for the purpose of practicing loading and unloading deployment supplies and equipment. By the end of the exercise, the 615 CRW Airmen moved more than 700 tons of cargo.

The 615th CRW's general mission during JOAX was to coordinate the air traffic for the Army as it entered a drop with enemy forces nearby.

"This exercise was a great opportunity for training both for the 571 CRG and Det. 303 Agents," said Special Agent Joel Fry, Det. 303. "It gave CRG commanders an opportunity to see what the agents brought to their fight; and for the agents, it gave valuable experience in a non-hostile, permissive environment, preparing them for when they actually have to deploy anywhere in the world."

For Mills, it was an eye-opening experience.

"This exercise showed me how crucial OSI's mission really is in a deployed environment," he said. "No other career field fills the gap if we're not there and no one has the capability to do it. It was also great to see how the other players in the exercise operated."

Fry stressed the need to build a solid relationship with the Airmen he'll be working with, both professionally and personally.

"Embedding with them like we do, it gives us opportunities to break down the walls of 'us and them' and work closer together," Fry said. "In addition, it gives newer agents a chance to see the other OSI missions and how they can apply their skills in different ways to better meet mission requirements."