Third-generation agent makes OSI family business

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Donna Pelligrini, daughter of Harold "Dave" Fuller, Jr. and granddaughter of Harold Fuller, graduated as a distinguished graduate and special agent today at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center here, with her father and grandfather participating in the ceremony as the three generations of agents were reunited.

Pelligrini, having been in the Air Force for almost six years, recently completed the 19-week course at FLETC with her class of 45 other newly minted Air Force Office of Special Investigations special agents.

"I knew that as an agent I would have more of a direct impact on the Air Force mission," Pelligrini said, who cross-trained over to OSI from being an F-16 engine mechanic at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. "Becoming an agent has lots of meaning on its own, but I feel it is even more of an accomplishment to continue the family legacy."

Harold was given the permission by the Air Force to bestow his old badge number on his granddaughter, creating the third generation of the Fuller family that has served as an OSI agent.

"I knew that one day she would become an agent," Harold said, a resident of Lake Alfred, Fla. "I'm just tickled that she has done so well, and so proud."

OSI has had 37 parent-child pairs that have worked in its ranks, but there is only one other three-generation set. Pelligrini's father is still an active agent working in Japan.

"Keeping OSI in the family has become very common," Dave said, currently the Special Agent in Charge at Detachment 621 located at Yokota Air Base, Japan. "After seeing it in action, everyone wants to be part of the OSI family."

OSI, founded in 1948 to be the Air Force's major investigative service, has been training their agents at FLETC since 2002. The Air Force Special Investigations Academy, also located at the training facility here, was accredited by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation in July.