Marine Corps Base Quantico -- Approximately 350 people gathered in MCBQ’s Little Hall Theater recently to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of NCIS.
A 90-minute presentation featured live narration, broadcast-quality video recaps, and hundreds of historic photos, many of which had never been seen publicly.
Sam Worth, principal executive assistant director of NCIS, noted that although he’d heard bits and pieces of the agency’s history during his career as a special agent, “I’d never felt the impact of seeing it all at once, in a timeline tracing the organization’s major milestones. The 50th Anniversary History Celebration makes me even more proud to be a part of NCIS, and underscores that we are all part of something unique.”
The presentation began with recollections from personnel who had already deployed to Vietnam as criminal investigators when NIS was created by its parent agency, the Office of Naval Intelligence, on February 4, 1966.
The men sent to Southeast Asia investigated a wide range of cases including fraud, narcotics, and murder. For its work, the NIS office in Vietnam received the Navy’s Meritorious Unit Commendation.
In the 1970s, NIS became a permanent presence at sea, with the development of the Special Agent Afloat program. Then, as now, the purpose of the Special Agent Afloat program was to provide professional investigative support to Navy and Marine Corps operational elements around the world.
Over the years there was a growing emphasis on investigating terrorist attacks. In October of 1983 a suicide bomber rammed a truck bomb into the side of a military apartment building at the Beirut International Airport. The huge explosion killed 220 Marines, eighteen Sailors and three Soldiers. An NIS agent and a Marine CID agent were the first U.S. law enforcement personnel on the scene.
Those at the Little Hall ceremony were spellbound as photographs of the rubble taken by NIS Special Agent Grant McIntosh were projected, and attendees heard his voice. McIntosh had used a cassette recorder to explain for those decision makers in DC who would later view the photos, exactly what they were seeing.
The 1980’s were also known as “The Age of Espionage.” NIS worked several high-profile investigations such as the Walkers, Jonathan Pollard and Clayton Lonetree who all became household names for selling secrets.
Over the years, the agency was known by several names. The Naval Investigative Service, Naval Security Investigative Command and Naval Investigative Service Command. Being headed by military commanders proved to be problematic. That became increasingly apparent in the investigation of the gun turret explosion on the USS Iowa in 1989. Forty-seven Sailors were killed. The infamous Tailhook case in 1991 was also contentious. More than 100 attendees were accused of sexually assaulting 83 women and seven men during a convention in Las Vegas. To eliminate the problem of command influence, the Secretary of the Navy ordered a major restructuring of the agency and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service came into being in 1992.
The bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen in October of 2000 set into motion a chain of events that would help define NCIS in the new millennium. NCIS and FBI agents were still in Yemen continuing to work the USS Cole investigation when the 9-11 attacks took place in the US. The ongoing investigation in Yemen was crucial in developing links between the USS Cole bombing, and the 9-11 attacks.
The apex of the 50th Anniversary ceremony was, for many, a video recap of the NCIS response to the attack on the Pentagon.
At the end of the video segment, Special Agent Michelle Jackson recalled how each morning and evening the tent city of investigators at the Pentagon would pause as the strains of “Amazing Grace” echoed across the site, from the bagpipes of NCIS Special Agent Mike McClean.
As Jackson tearfully recounted on video: “He choked me up every time. Every, single, time...” McClean entered the back of the auditorium, piping ‘Amazing Grace’ while walking through the auditorium. Countless attendees wiped away tears. It was absolutely seamless and spectacularly emotional.
In the 90s, NCIS deployed personnel to the Balkans and the Middle East. Since 9-11, about 1,500 deployments have been made to Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa.
In 2003 NCIS became a household name with the premiere of the CBS TV show “NCIS.” The TV shows have had a positive impact on the real NCIS, starting conversations and opening doors around the world.
In the last decade, NCIS has made structural changes to better address the changing world landscape and developing dangers. Insider threats like the Washington Navy Yard shootings and terrorists attacks like those on military facilities in Chattanooga have challenged the agency.
“NCIS has always risen to the challenges and has exceeded expectations and we intend to keep doing so in the decades to come.” said current Director, Andrew L. Traver, who prior to taking the helm in 2013, spent 26 years at ATF.
Through its diverse criminal, counterintelligence and security missions, NCIS continues to provide critical worldwide support to the DON, its military and civilian personnel, their dependents, and the communities in which we live and serve.
NCIS operates from more than 150 locations around the globe and on every aircraft carrier and big-deck amphibious assault ship at sea.
More Media