My son has been talking to recruiters about enlisting at 18. Wants to end up in NCIS and thinks one way is through the Marines and CID or MP's. Sounds like there are no guarentees about jobs in any branch. I think he should go to college and apply to NCIS. What do you think?

Having military service in the Navy or Marines should help your son when he applies for NCIS. Best thing to do is to go to their website, take a look at the application forms/process and develop a plan for him based on that. Getting a criminal Justice Degree certainly wouldn;t hurt. Neither would working as Law Enforcement for either the Navy or Marines.

Make sure that he understand what "Needs of the Service" means. He will likely get assigned to an NCIS office based on personnel shortages. He might get a great area, he might not. Luck of the draw until he gets into the system and can transfer.

you mentioned Navy or Marines but what about Army? Do they have a police?

Originally Posted by bayousun

you mentioned Navy or Marines but what about Army? Do they have a police?

Army does have police (MP's). I merely used the Navy/Marine angle as you indicated your son's desire to work for NCIS. That is Navy. Army version is called CID. But there is no TV shouw about CID. .

NCIS is actually a civilian Law Enforcement Branch with in the Dept. of the Navy. All NCIS Agents are GS and not actual military personnel.

It's my understanding that the Marine Corps has all but done away with the Criminal Investigation billets (CID) turned most if not all investigative duties over to NCIS, both in CONUS and aboard.

CID in the Corps was always manned by mostly SNCO's and WO's anyway so a posting to CID was not a one hitch deal.

NCIS is also going to want a degree so college is pretty much a must. I'd stay away from Criminal Justice however and maybe concentrate ob Business, Computers etc.

Originally Posted by bayousun

you mentioned Navy or Marines but what about Army? Do they have a police?

Yeah they are called *MP'S* the guy mentioned that above you

There are also different types of MP duties. The equivalent to civilian Law Enforcement are MP's assigned to the Provost Marshals Office (PMO) currently these billets in both the Marine Corps and the Army are few and far between.

Most MP's in both the Corps and the Army are now concentrating on light infantry duties, convoy escorts, base security, PW containment, and combat patroling due to the current war.

Originally Posted by 03USMC

NCIS is actually a civilian Law Enforcement Branch with in the Dept. of the Navy. All NCIS Agents are GS and not actual military personnel.

It's my understanding that the Marine Corps has all but done away with the Criminal Investigation billets (CID) turned most if not all investigative duties over to NCIS, both in CONUS and aboard.

CID in the Corps was always manned by mostly SNCO's and WO's anyway so a posting to CID was not a one hitch deal.

NCIS is also going to want a degree so college is pretty much a must. I'd stay away from Criminal Justice however and maybe concentrate ob Business, Computers etc.

Thanks for the info 03USMC. I was not aware that NCIS were strictly civlilians. Good Idea about getting a degree other than criminal justice.


bayousun, your son should consider what type of investigations he would like to get into and get a degree based on that.