Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) successfully completed the transfer of the National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB) from OPM to the DoD's Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA).
This action is pursuant to Executive Order 13869, Transferring Responsibility for Background Investigations to the Department of Defense, issued April 24, 2019.
The transfer of NBIB to DCSA provides economy of scale in addressing the federal government's background investigations workload, promotes ongoing efforts to align vetting of federal employees and contractors, and facilitates needed reforms in this critical area.
''Merging the components into one organization will allow us to execute our two core missions: personnel vetting and critical technology protection, underpinned by counterintelligence and training,'' said Charles Phalen Jr., Acting Director, DCSA.
The merged organization will secure the cleared national industrial base against attack and compromise; conduct security and suitability background investigations and adjudications; serve as the premier provider of security education, training, certification, and professionalization for the federal government, industry, and allied partners; and identify and neutralize foreign intelligence threats to the federal government's trusted workforce and critical technologies.
''Transition teams from DCSA and NBIB have worked together closely to prepare for this merger. Their efforts have enabled the transfer of NBIB’s mission, personnel, resources, and assets to the DoD in a transparent and seamless way,'' said Joseph Kernan, Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. ''This merger advances National Defense Strategy objectives to enhance our security environment and maintain lethality by protecting critical defense information from theft or disclosure.''
More information can be found at https://www.DCSA.mil.