Since Protector’s Honor features a main character who works as a special agent for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, I thought I’d post a couple of interesting facts about this fascinating and often overlooked division of law enforcement.

* Today Navy ships cannot enter a port unless NCIS has completed an on-the-ground threat assessment and vulnerability assessment. (BTW, I’m at Cape Henry watching an Air Craft Carrier, The Harry S Truman, come into the Bay at this very moment
* NCIS agents were the first U.S. law enforcement personnel on the scene at the Cole bombing… the Limburg bombing… and the terrorist attack in Mombasa, Kenya.
* NCIS’ Cold Case unit has solved 50 homicides since 1995—one of which was 33 years old.
* NCIS has conducted fraud investigations resulting in over half a billion dollars in recoveries and restitution to the U.S. Government and the U.S. Navy since 1997.
* NCIS investigates any death occurring on a Navy vessel or Navy/Marine Corps aircraft or installation (except when the cause of death is medically attributable to disease or natural causes).
* NCIS oversees the Master-At-Arms programs for the Navy, overseeing 8800 Masters-At-Arms and the Working Dog program.

NCIS is also responsible for MTAC-Mutiple Theater Alert Center which is a complex terrorist assessment tool. NCIS employs about 2500 special agents and operates in 140 field offices around the world. Their moto is Beyond Boundries.