QUANTICO, Va. -- The United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations is celebrating 71 years of service to our great Air Force and Nation. OSI was founded to answer an urgent need of the Air Force when a procurement fraud scandal called the integrity of the Air Force into question. In response, the Air Force selected Special Agent Joseph Carroll of the FBI to fashion and lead OSI to provide unbiased criminal investigations free of command influence. General Carroll established an OSI capable of conducting investigative and counterintelligence activities in 25 geographic districts.
Since Aug. 1, 1948, OSI has evolved into a command capable of executing criminal investigations and CI services across the full spectrum of conflict and within multiple domains. And ever since those early days, OSI has been crucial to the Air Force and a valued partner within the federal/state/local law enforcement agencies, as well as the intelligence, counterintelligence and international communities.
Never content to rest on past accolades, we use our 71 years of excellence as a bedrock to confidently move forward to face and overcome the challenges of an evolving operational environment. The command is dedicated to evolving into what the Air Force needs now and in the future. We are an investigative agency that is not afraid to venture outside of our comfort zone, innovate, and hunt to get the mission done. By doing this, OSI will remain a trusted and relevant instrument of justice and fact finding for the Air Force far into the next century. I am so extremely proud of you all! If General Carroll could see the command today, I know he would applaud and marvel at how far we’ve come, how agile we are, and all that you have accomplished.
The quality of our investigations and capabilities to meet the global needs of our Air Force, Department of Defense, and Nation are simply remarkable. However, OSI would not be where we are today without YOU and the generations of dedicated professionals who came before you. Our great heritage and legacy have been forged by the tenacity of our members of all backgrounds and specialties working collectively - together. As we leap into this 71st year of OSI excellence, let's continue our proud tradition of Defending the Nation, Serving Justice, Protecting the Integrity of the Air Force, and Finding the Truth. It is now our time to take our command into the future as we honor those who gave us this great command!
For our teams around the command, you will be in my thoughts and prayers as you are every single day. Happy 71st Birthday, OSI Family!