Federal Corner
CID’s Premier Protective Services Battalion puts it ‘on the line’ for their principles around the world
By CID Public Affairs
Sep 8, 2007 - 1:08:12 AM

FORT BELVOIR , VA – September 6, 2007 – The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, commonly known as CID and the Army’s premier investigative agency, is home to a very select breed of Special Agents who truly put others’ lives and safety above their own.  

They are the men and women of the Protective Services Battalion (PSB) with the 701^st Military Police Group (CID).   The PSB acts as the executive agent for the Department of Defense while providing worldwide personal protection for key DOD and Department of the Army officials.

Agents assigned to the PSB perform protective service missions much like that of the U.S. Secret Service, but more often in very dangerous and austere environments around the world.  

CID Protective Service details provide personal protection for principles such as the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of the Army, Chief of Staff and Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, and many others as directed, and more often than not, protection is provided around the clock.  

Mission preparation, flawless execution and successful completion are a constant focus of the PSB Special Agents assigned to the personal security details, according to Lt. Col. Jonathan Johnson, PSB commander.

“Our mission is to conduct worldwide executive-level protection 365 days a year, not only for designated senior Department of Defense officials, but their foreign counterparts on official visits to the United States as well,” Johnson said.   “Agents are constantly on the road performing back-to-back missions while traveling through multiple time zones, combat zones and other high-risk areas.   We ask our agents to do a lot more in personal protection of key principals than any other agency that does this type of work.   But, one thing that remains constant is their professional and flawless execution of the mission.”

Protective Service Special Agents are on constant guard protecting their principles from assassination, kidnapping, injury or embarrassment.   These threats are real and can occur anytime and anywhere, especially when traveling.   That threat requires PSB agents to prepare for every eventuality and to prepare and implement detailed protective service security plans to ensure each outing is a successful one.   The mission also requires close and constant coordination with representatives from the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, as well as other intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

"Our travel planning missions take us to wherever the principal goes in advance of their arrival to ensure the area is secured and prepared,” said PSB Special Agent David Firlik.   “Part of the planning includes access controls into buildings, local law enforcement coordination and any other appropriate actions to ensure their movement is unimpeded."

PSB Special Agents operate around the world to include Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and bordering countries in the combat theater of operations.   Methods of getting principals in and out of these areas vary depending on the location and activity on the ground.   In the early stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom, agents escorted principals during visits to commanders in the field as their units moved toward Baghdad.   Agents arrived at either an established field facility or an impromptu area set up at the last minute to accommodate insertion into the area.

“It’s a major challenge to your mission when performing in a combat operational environment.   The mission is the same as any other situation, but during combat operations, there aren’t a lot of people to contact for support when conducting site surveys,” said PSB Special Agent Alfred Hogan.   “Circumstances change from day-to- day, moment-to-moment and landing zones can change as the units move to engage the enemy.   One day the landing zone could be a soccer field, the next day vegetation has to be cut down to create a landing area for the PSB detail.”

Agents have to be able to adapt to changing circumstances and be well trained to handle any situation that develops, according to PSB Special Agent Stephen Grant, PSB operations officer.   Agents undergo many hours of training, prior to and during their assignments, to prepare them for missions and any possible emergency.  

According to CID officials, PSB agents are CID Special Agents who investigate felony level crime just like all CID agents, but are afforded the opportunity to gain valuable experience and serve a year or more in protective services.  

“Where else can you find Federal agents at this level with such a diverse and vast experience base,” said Chris Grey, CID’s director of Public Affairs.    “Our agents investigate everything from murder to computer crime and then have the personal protection background in their portfolio also -- what you have is an end product who is truly a ‘real’ special agent.”

PSB Special Agents are required to maintain weapons proficiency and receive all the advance training to perform professional protective services for their principals.   “Some of the training includes ‘Attack-on-Principal’ drills where agents learn to react to attack scenarios and conduct on-site mission rehearsals,” Grant said.   “We also perform Combat Lifesaver Training, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation or CPR certification and maintain Army Physical Fitness Training.”  

According to Grant, in addition to the focus on training, the PSB also mirrors the current war-time Army by accomplishing their mission with a mix of warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and Active and Reserve Component CID Special Agents.  

“We simply could not accomplish our mission without the selfless support continually provided by all our Soldiers, civilians and Reserve Component brethren,” Grant said.

A Reservist for 26 years, PSB Special Agent Thomas Kaiser mobilized for nine months in Bosnia and 16 months at the CID Headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Va., prior to his position serving on “travel detail.”

“Since I’ve been activated, most of my PSB missions involve travel details in the United States with the same responsibilities as any other mission,” Kaiser said.   “My work is long and often very difficult, but I consider my part of the job easy compared to the day-to-day responsibilities of maintaining the family left behind while I’m away in support of the PSB mission.”

The PSB mission goes well beyond simply surrounding the individual principal with well-trained and armed agents.   The protection of a principal is comprehensive and the mission of preventing an incident before it occurs requires the PSB Special Agent to perform meticulous advance work and threat assessments.   Personal protective services are developed through prior planning and intelligence gathering to identify potential risks, while all along putting the safety of the principle above that of themselves.

HISTORY SIDEBAR

The history of the PSB dates back to the late 1970s when the PSB was known as the Protective Services Activity (PSA).   It was organized as an operational section of the CID Headquarters and staffed with about 16 CID Special Agents.  

Agents were either Personal Security Officers to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army, or as Mission Special Agents-In-Charge with the responsibility to travel in advance of these principals to coordinate security on the ground, much like it’s done today.

In the mid-1980s, the PSA became the Protective Services Unit (PSU), an operational unit subordinate to the Investigative Services Activity (ISA), collocated with CID Headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Va.   ISA later became the 701st Military Police Group (CID), and the PSU expanded to about 45 CID Special Agents as threats against U.S. interests around the world continued.

Then there was September 11, 2001.

PSU was rapidly expanded to encompass dozens of mobilized Reserve CID Special Agents to meet the expanded security mission for various protected principals.   The extension of the terrorist threat against U.S. personnel and senior Department of Defense leaders around the world became an immediate adjunct to the Global War on Terrorism.

With the inception of Operation Iraqi Freedom, PSU Special Agents immediately deployed to Iraq to initiate protective service operations in support of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), and the U.S. Department of State.   From 2003 until 2005, PSB Special Agents conducted daily personnel protection operations in support of the CPA and State Department throughout Iraq and other areas of the Middle East.   More than150 Special Agents participated in the operation, which saw no loss of life or injury to CID Special Agents or protected personnel despite long hours under hazardous conditions.

November 2005 saw the birth of the current PSB designation as the Unit became a separate Battalion under the 701st Military Police Group (CID).

Today the PSB continues its daily mission of providing executive level, full-time protective support to this nation’s most senior Defense leaders, both within the continental United States and throughout the world.   Service to principals includes supporting Operations Iraqi Freedom, protective service support to foreign counterparts on their official visits to the United States, and full-time protective service support to senior tactical commanders in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.