The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) provided executive protection for nine foreign ministers of defense during the historic NATO 75th Anniversary Summit in Washington, D.C., July 8-11, 2024.
Army CID coordinated its efforts closely with the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA), which was the lead Department of Defense agency for NATO summit security. In addition, Army CID worked closely with its sister Military Criminal Investigative Organizations (MCIOs), the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) and the Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS), which also provided protective support to NATO allies and partner foreign ministers.
Army CID’s protective efforts for visiting NATO delegations were conducted in tandem with Army CID’s daily mission of providing executive protection for key military leaders such as Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., and Secretary of the Army Christine E. Wormuth.
At the NATO Summit, the USSS served as the overall security lead and oversaw protection of visiting foreign heads of government. The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) protected visiting foreign ministers, and PFPA oversaw protection of visiting defense ministers. The NATO Summit included delegations from the 32 NATO member nations, as well as several partner delegations such as Ukraine and Japan.
Army CID began detailed planning for the summit months ahead of time, said Ricky J. Jenkins, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the CID Executive Protection Directorate. “Army CID personnel worked seamlessly with OSI, NCIS and a vast network of federal and international partners to secure senior personnel during this event,” said Jenkins.
'You’ve got to be able to adapt because there are so many participants and so many different law enforcement organizations. ... The bottom line is teamwork.'
Jenkins said flexibility and relationship-building are essential when participating in large-scale global protection missions with multiple security partners. “You’ve got to be able to adapt because there are so many participants and so many different law enforcement organizations,” he said. “The bottom line is teamwork.”
Army CID’s contribution included more than 140 personnel, with a sizeable contingent of reserve special agents and protective service personnel called to active duty to support the event. Reservist support for the NATO summit allowed Army CID to continue essential investigative work worldwide without interruption, said Senior Warrant Officer Cruz Garcia, Army CID advisor on reserve affairs.
According to Garcia, many of the Army CID reserve personnel supporting the NATO summit work for law enforcement organizations, including the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and local and state police departments from across the United States. The executive protection team also included members of the D.C. National Guard who had been activated to federal duty status to support the event.
CID is the Department of the Army’s independent federal law enforcement agency with over 3,000 personnel at 124 locations worldwide investigating serious crimes and protecting Army personnel, resources, and capabilities.
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