OSI: The battle of good versus evil

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Sean Martin
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Having the busiest detachment in the Air Force, Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 219 here is not out to get people as many may think.

The mission of OSI is to identify, exploit and neutralize criminal, terrorist and intelligence threats to the Air Force, Department of Defense and U.S. Government.

"One reason our mission is important to both the Air Force and the Barksdale community is because we investigate military-related crimes that local police are unable or unwilling to look into," said Special Agent Alex Meusburger, OSI Det. 219 operations officer. "We don't decline investigations even if we cannot find physical evidence, as some local agencies sometimes do. Oftentimes we are the driving force in off-base criminal investigations."

The OSI office handles on-base incidents as well as off-base ones that involve military members or present a threat to Barksdale and the Air Force.

"Here at Barksdale, we mainly handle sexual assaults, drug related crimes, deaths and aggravated assaults," said Meusburger.

The area of responsibility OSI covers off-base includes the majority of Louisiana and east Texas, excluding New Orleans.

When a crime does occur on base, OSI investigators work with Barksdale Security Forces, the legal office, first sergeants and supervisors to coordinate interviews and other things needed to complete the investigation.

"We investigate any major crime where the suspect is an Air Force member," said Meusburger. "We also handle cases where there is any loss to the Air Force or U.S. Government, such as a civilian defrauding the government."

For crimes that occur off-base, OSI initiates a joint investigation with local law enforcement to include local police or the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

"If there is a civilian that is dealing drugs to military members, we will run a joint investigation," said Meusburger. "We will work together and gather information to prosecute the individual."

According to Air Force leaders, the purpose of the investigation process is not to place blame, but to gather all the facts surrounding an incident and take action based on the results.

OSI investigators do not issue sentences to individuals, they gather facts and produce reports and hand them over to commanders as well as the legal office to prosecute the member.

"We are not out to get people or entrap them," said Meusburger. "The reports we generate are used to aid the commander and legal office in coming to a final decision regarding the suspect. All in all, we do not have anything to do with the prosecution beyond being called to testify."

Meusburger added a lot of people have the perception that OSI investigators are out hiding in the bushes, waiting to lure Airmen into doing something illegal or that we are out to get people.

The OSI career field is open to active-duty, enlisted Airmen and officers and has its own Air Force specialty code.

"Our target groups for potential agents are E-5s and E-6s who are in or approaching their cross train window," said Meusburger. "Applicants should have strong Enlisted Performance Reports and Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery scores and also be eligible to deploy."

The OSI deployed mission is similar to that in a state-side location. In a state-side location, the OSI mission is directed towards all three mission areas which are criminal, fraud and counter-intelligence activities and investigations.

"In the area of responsibility, the main focus of OSI does not change, other than the primary mission becoming intelligence. This shift ensures Air Force and DoD assets within the AOR are safe to conduct their war-time mission," said Special Agent Robert Binns, OSI Det. 219 superintendent.

Meusburger added the goal is to develop a network of human sources who are constantly feeding the investigators information and telling them where the insurgents and weapons caches are located around the base.

"We can then give that information to our guys who will look further into it," he said.
Although OSI may give off the image of being the "bad guys" on base, they are just doing a job like everyone else.

"Essentially, we just want to ensure the base community is safe and secure from crimes that could potentially impact the mission of Barksdale as well as the Air Force as a whole," said Meusburger.