By federal statute,[6][7][8] OSI provides independent criminal investigative, counterintelligence and protective service operations worldwide and outside of the traditional military chain of command.

[3] The Office of Special Investigations capabilities:[9] OSI's Cornerstone is to vigorously solve crime, protect secrets, warn of threats, exploit intelligence opportunities, and operate in cyber.

[clarification needed][9] OSI investigates 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, Space Force, or the DoD.

Secretary of the Air Force Stuart Symington created OSI as a Field Operating Agency and patterned it after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The Office of Special Investigations was officially established by Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force Carl Spaatz General Order No.1 of 2 January 1948.

[11] The official letter of Carl Spaatz of 9 April 1948 set forth the functions and responsibilities of the Office of Special Investigations, which were "to provide a competent, centrally directed special investigations service to all Air Force activities", including the investigation of such major offenses as "fraud and/or conspiracy, arson, black-market operations, bribery, burglary, embezzlement, forgery, larceny, perjury, robbery, smuggling, and similar offenses ... and other major violations of the Articles of War, Federal Statute, and/or other pertinent directives".

[12] A new Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force Hoyt Vandenberg signed the General Order No.29 of 15 July 1948 that empowered the Office of Special Investigations to carry out the counterintelligence activity including the detection of espionage, sabotage, treason, sedition, subversion, disloyalty, and disaffection.

[15] [16] In addition, OSI has several specialized investigative, training, or supporting units:[3] AFOSI is the designated executive agency for the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center.

In January 2014, while investigating synthetic drugs abuse, OSI uncovered the facts of cheating on monthly proficiency exams at the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana involving 79 officers.

[3] Force Protection Detachment Program OSI personnel assigned to Force Protection Detachment Programs(FPD) work closely with host nation security and intelligence services to identify and mitigate terrorist threats, and are fully-integrated with the Department of State Country Team within the embassy.

FPD agents leverage counterintelligence / AT expertise, language skills, and a deep understanding of cross-cutting international dynamics, to safeguard DoD resources abroad.

[22] Today's Antiterrorism Specialty Team(AST) executes full-spectrum counterintelligence, counterterrorism and force protection operations in support of contingency requirements.

[20] OSI special agents are well known for providing criminal investigations and counterintelligence support at Department of the Air Force bases around the world.

[[1]] The Task Force Black team worked together with joint, Afghan, and international partners to identify, deter, and stop threats to Kandahar Airfield.

Task Force Black (TFB), also known as Expeditionary Detachment (EDet) 2413, has reached its End of Mission and rolled up its trademark Jolly Roger flag and unit logos.

Early members of EDet 2413 worked tirelessly to mold a lethal collection team capable of interoperability with U.S. and allied forces to maximum effect.

This dogged effort drew attention from the battle space owner, after the capture of a high value target (HVT) utilizing partner-country special operations forces, resulting in long term custody.

These steps led to EDet 2413 officially becoming Task Force Black in 2009, which institutionalized the revered Tactical Security Element (TSE) Defenders, forever changing the way TFB did business.

In 2013, TFB realized it was outgrowing its support capabilities and worked with the 24th Expeditionary Field Investigations Squadron (24 EFIS) at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, to secure dedicated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets.

Throughout its history, TFB assisted Afghan partners to respond to countless rocket and mortar attacks, complex ground assaults, improvised explosive device ambushes, while pursuing those who wanted to defraud the airfield and limit wartime capabilities.

That course is followed by eight weeks of OSI agency-specific coursework, at the U.S. Air Force Special Investigations Academy (USAFSIA), co-located at FLETC.

The program left the recruits to take responsibility for both the initial incident that got them into trouble and any subsequent rule-breaking behavior resulting from the directions of OSI agents.

These operations involved running sources in combat zones, tracking down IED cells, protecting senior leaders and regular collections "outside the wire."