AFOSI marks 60 years of service

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WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  Brig. Gen. Dana A. Simmons, Air Force Office of Special Investigations commander, hosted AFOSI's 60th Anniversary wreath-laying ceremony Aug. 1 at the Air Force Memorial located across from the Pentagon.

The purpose of the ceremony was to honor the men and women of the organization both past and present.

"Here, in the shadow of the Air Force Memorial and overlooking our nation's capital, our purpose is clear, our mission defined, our vision focused. We know where we've been...we know where we're going! It's our time, it's our watch, it's our AFOSI," General Simmons said from where he stood at the base of the Memorial.

After providing various examples of success, courage and dedication from the people in the command, General Simmons asked all to remember AFOSI's fallen and wounded warriors and their families. 

He concluded with a call to support and remember those from the AFOSI family who are deployed right now in harm's way who summon the courage to take the fight to the enemy each and every day for an ideal...for a vision. This ceremony concluded one of the many celebratory events around the globe this year.

On July 31, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, a former AFOSI agent, made remarks in the Congressional record, recognizing the contributions of AFOSI people.

"Since 1948, AFOSI has evolved to meet the changing needs of the Air Force," he said.  "It has matured into a highly effective war-fighting unit while maintaining the standards of a greatly respected federal law enforcement agency. The Office of Special Investigations has truly adapted to fulfill the needs of the U.S. Air Force in the 21st century."

Earlier the same morning, Congressman Silvestre Reyes delivered an address to the House of Representatives.

"Through the years, AFOSI's mission has evolved in many ways to meet the changing needs of the Air Force," he said. "As a direct result, it has matured into a highly effective war fighting unit while maintaining the standards of a greatly respected federal law enforcement agency. Its goal today, as it was 60 years ago, is to provide the world's best investigative service to the world's best Air Force."

Also on July 31, a half a world away from Congress, the men and women of AFOSI Detachment 601at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, with the assistance of Airmen from the 15th Air Wing Professional Military Education Center, held a special military retreat ceremony and lowered the AFOSI 60th Anniversary flag.

A year ago the flag was raised on Aug. 1, 2007, by agents of Det. 602 in Guam, where AFOSI's day begins. That officially started the celebration. Throughout the year, the flag has been flown by people in AFOSI units around the globe.  Based on times zones across the globe, the official end of AFOSI's duty day is when agents in Det. 601 turn off the lights. 

The flag is now being sent to AFOSI headquarters at Andrews AFB, Md., where it will be added to AFOSI 60th Anniversary memorabilia.

Recently, officials at AFOSI headquarters organized and hosted a 60th Anniversary black-tie gala dinner at the conclusion of the 2nd AFOSI Worldwide Leadership Conference held in Philadelphia.

Mr. William A. Davidson, administrative assistant to the secretary of the Air Force and a former AFOSI agent, was the guest speaker for the evening. Speaking without notes, Mr. Davidson said he was truly awed by AFOSI's 60th Anniversary celebration gala event.

"If our next generation of AFOSI leaders is even half as inspiring as your former members have been, then you will have honored their legacy as AFOSI moves into the future," he said. "I am awed and truly humbled by their selfless spirit and many accomplishments during the command's brief history."

AFOSI is not only a military warfighting agency, but it also has a law enforcement mission. This mission presents a multitude of complex challenges for AFOSI agents to deal with in criminal and fraud areas.

AFOSI agents investigate a wide variety of serious offenses: espionage, terrorism, crimes against property, violence against people, larceny, computer hacking, acquisition fraud, drug use and distribution, financial misdeeds, military desertion, corruption of the contracting process, and any other illegal activity that undermines the mission of the Air Force or the Department of Defense.

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