JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. -- Behind every Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) mission, there is a network of professionals whose work helps make it possible.
During an immersion event, March 30, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Special Agents from around the National Capital Region gave AFOSI professional staff attendees a closer look at that relationship through mission briefs, unit tours and a hands-on crime scene exercise.
“Our pro staff force is an important function of AFOSI,” said Special Agent Senior Master Sgt. Aaron Simmons, senior enlisted leader, AFOSI 7th Field Investigations Squadron. “We could not do our jobs without them.”
Simmons added the agency’s administrative and support work helps enable mission readiness. However, for some, that connective tissue isn’t always clear.
“I worked at Reg. 7 as a senior airman. When I first arrived, I did not fully understand the scope of what Special Agents did,” said Senior Master Sgt. Tiffany Davis, AFOSI Field Support Squadron senior enlisted leader. “Once I experienced an immersion for myself, I understood the people and missions I was supporting, and it changed how I saw my role as a professional staff member.”
The program opened with remarks and an overview of AFOSI’s mission, followed by presentations from members of the 2nd Field Investigations Squadron and 7th Field Investigations Squadron.
Additional briefs on criminal investigations, fraud, counterintelligence and records management, giving attendees a broader understanding of AFOSI’s operational demands while highlighting the role pro staff members play in the command’s daily operations.
“To educate pro staff members on what AFOSI does, we showcased how their efforts enable the command to function and, most importantly, thanked them for what they do,” Simmons said. “Knowing the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ can get members to take pride in their efforts and jobs.”
The event also included tours of specialty areas within 2 FIS and 7 FIS, followed by a hands-on crime scene processing exercise.
During her presentation, Special Agent Diane Whipple, AFOSI Det. 336, said the work carries a human weight that extends beyond investigative procedures. “There’s a constant human element involving tragedy, emotional resilience and confronting the darkest aspects of human behavior,” she added.
Whipple said questions from attendees reflected a strong interest in the personal and professional demands of the work, particularly how special agents navigate the mental toll that can come with difficult cases.
“Whether they realize it or not, our pro staff force is a very important function of AFOSI,” Simmons said. “While the tasks they perform may seem thankless and unseen to them, it is their efforts that enable AFOSI to perform. We could not do our jobs without them.”