AFOSI: Foreign travel requirements Published Feb. 28, 2014 By Special Agent Kristen Gaulin Air Force Office of Special Investigations HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- Do you plan to travel for work or pleasure? Do you work with sensitive information? Do you have access to classified material? These questions are examples of what travelers should consider when traveling - overseas or within the continental U.S. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations, or AFOSI, has a responsibility in accordance with Department of Defense Instruction 5240.6 to ensure all members of the Air Force are duly advised of foreign threats to themselves and the programs they support before departing for travel. This can be accomplished by an AFOSI Special Agent who will help prepare for travel by speaking about terrorism, foreign intelligence and criminal threats, as well as medical or safety concerns. If a member of the Air Force, DoD employee or contractor has access to Critically Protected Information, or CPI, or Sensitive Compartmentalized Information, or SCI, then you are required to schedule an in-person briefing with AFOSI for foreign travel, both official and personal. If a DoD civilian or a contractor and do not have access to CPI or SCI, then completing additional training for personal travel is not necessary. However, if you encounter a "reportable situation," as referenced in AFI 71-101V4 and DoD Directive 5240.6, during travel or with a foreign contact, an AFOSI in-person briefing is required. If questioning a situation, contact your unit security manager who can provide specific protocols and determine if contacting AFOSI is necessary. Employees of the Air Force may still require an in-person briefing if attending a conference within the United States. That decision is based on if an employee works with CPI or SCI, and the nature of the conference. A work related conference, even CONUS, provides a rich collection environment for foreign countries. Therefore, do not think of it as a "brief-free" zone just because there is no foreign travel involved. It is important that base personnel follow the above guidelines. Hanscom encompasses an especially target-rich environment, home to the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and MIT Lincoln Lab. Hanscom is also surrounded by technology industries as well as high-profile universities. Foreign countries seek access to students, diplomats, businessmen, defense contractors, and scientists to collect information on cutting-edge Air Force programs. AFOSI can assist in increasing an employee's knowledge and awareness of the surrounding threat if guidance is followed regarding foreign travel and conferences. For those employees that need briefs, or are questioning if they need briefs, they must access the base intranet site, HanscomNet, click "Quick Links" and then navigate to AFOSI Travel Briefings. Within this section, there are tabs to fill out with personal and contact information. An AFOSI Special Agent will review and determine if it is necessary to conduct an in-person briefing. For assistance with accessing the briefings, contact AFOSI at 781-225-5861.