OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Camera shutters echoed through the room. Pencils furiously brushed across paper. Evidence placards were placed delicately next to bullet casings as the room’s occupants took deliberate, calculated steps.
The personnel documenting the training scene–clad in rubber gloves and disposable shoe covers–were U.S. and Republic of Korea crime scene investigators.
Teams from the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations and ROK Air Force Investigative Agency conducted a joint crime scene investigation training Aug. 25-26, 2025. This marked the first iteration of hands-on training geared toward building cohesive investigative teams and improving mutual understanding of practices between allied forces when both have a vested interest in processing a crime scene on military installations.
“This exercise gave AFOSI and AFIA the opportunity to work shoulder-to-shoulder in a realistic scenario, practicing how we would secure and process a death involving both U.S. and ROK forces,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Alan Johnson, AFOSI 5th Field Investigations Squadron commander.
Special Agents Jacqueline Chen, AFOSI Center Det. 1 Operating Location A forensic science consultant, and Greggory Swarz, 5th FIS warfighter, created a realistic scenario with simulated U.S. and ROK casualties requiring both AFOSI and AFIA to respond and investigate the scene.
The scene featured three mannequins causalities dressed in old uniforms serving as the victims of the day’s training.
Once both teams arrived on-scene, they began their investigation–receiving statements from first responders, documenting the scene and collecting evidence.
Crime scene processing is meticulous to ensure the integrity of the scene and identify objective evidence that creates a comprehensive understanding of the situation.
Chen said both investigative teams handle the forensics piece and what needs to happen at the scene, but observed the approach to processing the scene is different. From her observations, AFIA teams focus on specific aspects of the scene one at a time, compared to AFOSI’s approach to figuring out the overall conditions of the scene first.
“They [AFIA] start with a lens, very focused on one thing, and then they start slowly moving out,” said Swarz. “Whereas AFOSI, starts with the broad idea of everything. We figure out what the whole scene is first and then we start zooming in on specific things.”
After the hands-on portion concluded, the AFOSI and AFIA commanders arrived to discuss the importance of the joint training exercise. The discussion raised lessons learned and opened the door to future training between agencies.
“This joint scientific investigation training has provided a valuable opportunity to significantly strengthen our joint investigative capabilities through the sharing of advanced expertise and professional skills between ROK and U.S. investigative agencies,” said ROKAF Col. Chang-hyun Hong, AFIA commander.
Integrating U.S. and ROK criminal investigation teams early to see how each team operates before an incident occurs builds trust and cooperation–becoming a force multiplier and increasing the effectiveness of joint investigations.
“Training together in this way sharpens our skills, builds trust and interoperability between our teams, and ensures that when a real-world incident occurs, we can respond quickly, effectively and with precision,” Johnson said. “The ability to operate seamlessly together is critical to protecting our people and strengthening the alliance.”