“Honor Graduate of the Year” Award to U.S. Air Force OSI Special Agent

The FLETC presented its “Honor Graduate of the Year” Award for 2008 to Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) Special Agent John M. Carpenter during a ceremony yesterday.  This award is presented annually to the FLETC basic training honor graduate having the highest academic average.

Special Agent Carpenter graduated from the FLETC’s Criminal Investigator Training Program Class 804 on Jan. 11, 2008, with an academic average of 98.36, firearms score of 286, and a Physical Efficiency Battery (PEB) average of 94.  

The guest speaker for the event was Brigadier General Dana A. Simmons.  Brigadier General Simmons is the Commander of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), which is headquarted at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

"I know that today I am certainly the envy of every federal agency that sends its candidates to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center,” said Brigadier General Simmons, “[John] to say I am proud of you is an understatement.  You have not only made FLETC proud, but you also brought honor to the United States Air Force, to the AFOSI, and your fellow agents.”   

Past recipients of the FLETC Honor Graduate of the Year Award have included officers and agents with the U.S. Secret Service, Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, National Park Service, U.S. Capitol Police, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, General Services Administration, Department of State, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

“Special Agent Carpenter, along with all of the other graduates and Honor Graduates who join him, validate FLETC's commitment to providing strong, collaborative leadership in law enforcement training,” said FLETC Director Connie Patrick.  “We know that there is no substitute for quality training as the foundation for maintaining effective and unbiased law enforcement.”

Special Agent Carpenter earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership and Management from Regent University at Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Special Agent Carpenter’s first duty station as an Air Force Reservist was with the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) Detachment 307 at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey.  Following that assignment he served with the 7th Field Investigation Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, as a Reserve Agent.  He provided assistance to criminal cases in the National Capital Region and participated in multiple protective service details for visiting foreign dignitaries. 

Special Agent Carpenter currently supports OSI operations and investigations in the NCR and is presently with Detachment 518 in Spangdahlem, Germany.  He works for a consulting firm in Reston, Virginia, supporting vital functions of the national security apparatus.

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