AFOSI investigation is a tale of contract assurance as ICBM modernization begins Published March 25, 2026 By John Turner 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- A two-year investigation here into an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) service contract shows the dedication the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) has for ensuring Air Force Global Strike Command’s no-fail missions are never compromised. For the Department of the Air Force's federal law enforcement and counterintelligence agency, safeguarding operations means solving major crimes or stopping foreign operatives from gathering information about military capabilities and operations. But just as vital to national security, AFOSI also investigates allegations of fraud. An information sheet about AFOSI describes its operations including economic crime investigations: “A significant amount of AFOSI investigative resources are assigned to fraud (or economic crime) investigations. These include violations of the public trust involving Department of the Air Force contracting matters, appropriated and non-appropriated funds activities, computer systems, pay and allowance matters, environmental matters, acquiring and disposing of Department of the Air Force property, and major administrative irregularities. AFOSI uses fraud surveys to determine the existence, location and extent of fraud in Department of the Air Force operations or programs. It also provides briefings to base and command-level resource managers to help identify and prevent fraud involving Air Force, Space Force or Department of Defense resources.” Such was the case at Malmstrom in 2022, when AFOSI Detachment 806 received multiple complaints that the portable toilets in the missile complex were not being serviced. Malmstrom's area of operations currently encompasses 13,800 square-miles, includes 150 operational Minuteman III launch facilities, and is approximately 200 miles across from east to west. A maintenance task out in the missile complex can keep personnel away from base from dawn until after dusk, and in any weather. In 2017, the 341st Missile Wing’s leadership recognized that health sanitation facilities were needed in the missile complex. A service contract valued at approximately $250,000 per year was awarded to a Montana-based solid waste management company to place and maintain portable toilets at all 150 missile launch sites. By early 2022, Airmen in the field were reporting that the toilets weren't being properly attended to. But how could this be proven? On March 28 of that year, AFOSI Det. 806 initiated an investigation into allegations of civil violations of the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733. When the investigation began, the AFOSI team needed a way to establish if the allegations were true. Thanks to some creative investigative tools and surveillance methods, discrepancies between the contractor’s records and the actual services conducted were proven. Seventy-two investigative activities were completed, according to Special Agent Chase Collins, commander of AFOSI Det. 806. These included witness interviews, document reviews, mass awareness briefings and a surveillance operation targeted to gather photographic evidence of non-compliance. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana reviewed evidence provided by AFOSI Det. 806. By February 2024, it was determined that on 67 occasions across six months, the contractor claimed its contracted services were conducted when evidence showed otherwise. Due to the overwhelming evidence, and at the direction of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the contractor paid a settlement. “This investigation was a multi-year effort by several AFOSI Special Agents which highlighted our agency’s commitment to target fraudulent claims across the spectrum of the Air Force’s operations and support services,” Collins said. A different contractor was awarded the service contract in early 2023 through the normal bidding process. To date, AFOSI has received no further complaints about portable toilet servicing within Malmstrom AFB’s missile fields. Watchmen over Sentinel: Seeing the big picture So how does this investigation relate to ICBM operations and modernization? The case is an example of AFOSI's value for attention to detail, Collins said. Det. 806 spent years processing evidence, reviewing claim tickets and receipts and compiling documents to prepare for legal action against the contractor. And AFOSI brings that same focus to every investigation. As the Air Force races to modernize the nation’s land based nuclear deterrent, the Sentinel program has become one of the most complex construction and security undertakings in U.S. history. New alert centers and weapon generation facilities, redesigned launch sites and enhanced communication lines are drawing thousands of contractors and billions of dollars in federal investment to the sprawling missile fields in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and North Dakota. And while an immediate concern is foreign adversaries probing for vulnerabilities or committing sabotage, contractor malfeasance is also a threat. “As the LGM-35A Sentinel weapon system comes online, those who seek to damage the United States Air Force’s procurement processes can rest assured AFOSI will protect the integrity of that acquisition aggressively,” Collins said. Simply put, failure to provide services contracted to support our Airmen and our mission will not be tolerated. 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