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  • An F-22 Raptor is shown during a mission in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE. Yu Long attempted to fly to China while in possession of export-controlled and proprietary documents related to this aircraft and the F-35 Lightning II. (U.S. Air Force photo)

    A case of economic espionage

    In 2014, the Office of Special Investigations Office of Special Projects (PJ) initiated a joint investigation with the FBI into Yu Long, an employee of the United Technologies Corporation (UTC) in East Hartford, Conn. A Chinese national and lawful permanent resident, Long worked at UTC as a senior engineer/scientist on jet engines used in the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft at the United Technologies Research Center (UTRC) facility in Connecticut.
  • Su Bin, a citizen of China and at the time a permanent resident of Canada, is shown at a U.S. border crossing in 2011. (FBI photo)

    Cyber espionage for the Chinese government

    In August 2014, a Los Angeles grand jury indicted Chinese national Su Bin (a.k.a. Stephen Su) for his involvement in a cyber espionage scheme perpetrated by People’s Liberation Army hackers. Bin resided in Canada and was a businessman and entrepreneur who specialized in aviation and aerospace products as the owner of a company named Lode-Tech. As far as Air Force contracts, Lode-Tech was a small player, with only a handful of employees that specialized in aircraft cable harnesses.
  • An artist's design concept rendering is shown of the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center. The overall design won a 2006 Air Force Design Award for outstanding design concept. (Courtesy USAFE News Service)

    Fraud delays K-Town mall opening

    With the closure of Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, in late 2005, Ramstein AB, Germany, became the new “Gateway to Europe” for thousands of travelers transiting the European theater. And conveniently located just across from the (Ramstein) Air Mobility Command Passenger Terminal, the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center was to provide shopping, 350 rooms of temporary housing, several dining options, a four-plex movie theater and other amenities under one roof in an American mall style layout.
  • The retired Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk is pictured at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. (U.S. Air Force photo)

    Nighthawk helps shape PJ legacy

    The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a single-seat, twin jet engine stealth attack aircraft developed by Lockheed’s secretive Skunk Works division in southern California for the U.S. Air Force. OSI’s Office of Special Projects (PJ) provided program security and counterintelligence support to ensure the secure transfer of stealth aircraft overseas, and stood by during the deployment of the stealth Special Access Program (SAP) aircraft for extended military operations.
  • Indicators for Insider Threats may include: Threatening statements or actions; Signs of disgruntelment with policies and decisions; Idealogical changes or opposition to the mission; and Impact of external influences on work, such as substance abuse problems, financial problems, or association with anti-U.S. or criminal groups. (OSI graphic by Maj. Sarah Bergstein, OSI/PA)

    Insider Threat Awareness - The inside story

    Each September, the Office of Special Investigations (OSI), the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, the National Insider Threat Task Force, and partners across the federal government participate in National Insider Threat Awareness Month.
  • Tacit Blue in flight. (Northrop Grumman file photo)

    PJ - Critical to National Security

    In 1977, the Air Force initiated a program called Tacit Blue to develop technology that could lead to the production of a stealth reconnaissance aircraft with a low probability of intercept radar and other sensors that could operate close to the forward line of battle and retain a high degree of survivability.
  • In mid-July 2014, a published OSI Manual provided the foundation to establish a Cold Case Investigations Program. OSI’s Cold Case Team continues to ensure justice is served. (OSI graphic by Mr. Albert Tubbs)

    Desertion cold case solved after 32 years

    In mid-July 2014, a published OSI manual provided the foundation to establish a Cold Case Investigations Program. The manual defined a cold case as “any case that has gone unresolved due to a lack of leads, subjects, passage of time, case activity, etc., and for which the applicable statute of limitations has not expired.” The Cold Case team’s first goal was to assess unsolved cases, and then to establish an order of priority for investigations.
  • U.S. Air Force Capt. Frank “Marty” Theer was a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and honorably served his nation. After multiple overseas tours, he was killed by his wife, Michelle Theer, and her newfound lover, U.S. Army SSG John Diamond. Both murderers are now serving life sentences for their roles in Captain Theer’s untimely death. (U.S. Air Force photo)

    The murder of Capt. Marty Theer

    Capt. Frank “Marty” Theer and his wife Michelle were high school sweethearts who had been married since Marty’s 1991 graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy. Michelle worked for a psychologist and was studying to gain her own practical counseling license, while Marty completed a series of overseas assignments. Even though life seemed promising, trouble brewed on the horizon and the two struggled to keep their marriage alive. By December of 2000, Marty was dead, killed by an assassin’s bullet in the stairwell of his wife’s office building.
  • “This month, we join our brothers and sisters across the DoD in remembering to stay vigilant against terrorism threats,” wrote OSI Vice Commander, Col. Shan B. Nuckols in his message to the Command. “This month reminds each of us to continue practicing the motto of our Eagle Eyes program: Watch, Report, Protect.” (OSI graphic by Maj. Jennifer Womble, OSI/PA)

    AntiTerrorism Awareness: OSI’s vigilance mission

    August is Antiterrorism (AT) Awareness Month, and serves to remind our military and civilian communities to practice regular vigilance against potential threats. Within the Department of the Air Force and the broader National Security apparatus, the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) plays a critical role in safeguarding equipment and personnel from terrorist attacks. Both at home and abroad, OSI personnel work to identify and neutralize terrorist actors and organizations.
  • Dr. J. Allen Hynek worked with the U.S. Air Force, leading investigations of UFO sightings under Projects Sign and Blue Book. (The Hynek UFO Report book cover)

    Project Blue Book Part 1 (UFO Reports)

    In late 1975, OSI declassified their investigative files of reported Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) sightings and sent them to the National Archives for processing. The reports revealed that OSI agents documented and investigated UFO sightings from 1948 until the late 1960s. Contemporary strategic thinkers did not necessarily consider the possibility of alien life, but rather that the craft could be of Soviet origin. During the Cold War years, Soviet aggression and espionage were definitely issues concerning the Air Force.
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