Formation of Defence security services
The defence security service (DSS) is also called as the defence investigative service (DIS). The DSS formed and was established on 1st January, 1972. DSS emerged with the acceptance of proposed reorganisation of the national intelligence community by creating a department called as the “office of Defence investigation” which was lead by President Richard M. Nixon. This proposal aimed at consolidating the DOD (departments of defence) and PSI (personal security investigation), which earlier were consolidated through the U.S military departments by four of their major DOD investigative agencies, these are:
1) The U.S Army Intelligence Command
2) The Naval Investigative Services
3) The U.S Army criminal Investigative command
4) The office of special investigations, Air Force
The set up of PSI’s led to savings in economy related issues through enhanced program management with increased efficient use of resources. The Defence security service (DSS) soon mid of 1972 became operational across 50 states under the direction of brigadier general Joseph cappucci, who was a former commander of the air force office of special investigations.
Features of Defence security services
The DSS (Defence Security Services) is an agency of the DOD (Department of Defence) which is situated in Alexandria, Virginia and has its branch offices spread all over the United States. The DSS is controlled and directed by the under secretary of defence for intelligence. The role of DSS is, it provides military services, defence agencies and 23 federal agencies and approximately 12,500 cleared contractors are facilitated with security support services.
The remaining employees of the DSS are the representatives of the national industrial security program (NISP) who do the work of managing the classified contractor facilities. It has an annual budget of $416 million with employment of more than 700 personals.
Present officers
The current officers of the DSS are: Kathleen Watson, holding the position of the Director, John M. smith as deputy director and Wendell C. Warner as the Chief of Staff and Acting director personal security Clearance Office.
The DSS functions by providing personal security investigation (PSI) supervising industrial security, and also performs security education and awareness training. It does not posses the power of police
as it is not considered as federal law enforcement organisation. The DSS was also known as the DIS (defence Investigative Service) and was changed in to DSS in 1999.
On November 2004, around 1800 investigators of DSS were shifted/ transferred to the OPM (office of personal management). This boosted the majority of federal government personnel background investigation with OPM. The DSS also processes requests of industrial clearances for DOD and coordinates OPM for the DOD.
The year 2008, reckoned to be as the fiscal year, during this year the DSS contained 621 authorised civilian employees, of which around 350 are industrial security representatives. They are also held responsible for around 12000 industry facilities which come under the DSS jurisdiction.