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NCIS Director Recognizes Special Agents in Bahrain

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050620-08
Release Date: 6/20/2005 11:19:00 AM

By Photographer's Mate 1st Class Curt Cooper, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs

MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- The director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) recognized several special agents and an investigator from the NCIS Middle East Field Office June 15, for their achievements in Iraq.

Special Agents Alfonza Jackson, Scott Lanning, Michael Sliwa, and Investigator Abdilhafiz Okosh received Meritorious Civilian Service Awards for arduous duties performed in Iraq as part of protective service details for ambassadors and other dignitaries.

“We are doing unique things in that theater. These gentlemen did things in that theater that others cannot, have not, and may not be able to do in the future,” said NCIS Director David Brant. “They volunteered to be there, and their work had a significant impact.”

Over the past two years, NCIS has deployed hundreds of its special agents to Iraq in support of various protective service, counterintelligence and criminal investigative missions.

“We were part of a joint detail guarding one of three 'tier one' protectees in Iraq, from Oct. 20 to Jan. 10, ” said Jackson. The presence of the protective service detail helped make possible the recent democratic elections in Iraq, because the principal protectee was a United Nations ambassador whose job was to convince Iraqi citizens of the importance of voting in the historic national elections Jan. 30.

Special Agent Greg Hull-Ryde was recognized for his work in the Strategic Counter-Intelligence Directorate (SCID), Baghdad. SCID is a joint effort charged with conducting counter-intelligence operations throughout the Iraqi theater.

“I volunteered because I knew it would be a unique opportunity to work closely with the other services in a wartime environment. I knew the work was going to be challenging,” Hull-Ryde said. “I knew it was going to be exciting, and it turned out to be all of those things.”

Brant also praised the NCIS Middle East Field Office for its far-reaching influence throughout the 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

“The NCIS mission consists of criminal investigative support, counter-terrorism support, counter-intelligence support,” said Brant. “Wherever the fleet deploys, wherever there is a naval presence, our special agents are typically in advance of or next to that presence providing counter-terrorism, force protection and counter-intelligence support.”