Month: August 2021

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Defense News in Brief: Recruit Performance Divisions return to RTC’s Pass-In-Review: Staff Division

Source: United States Navy

Recruit Training Command (RTC) returned to in-person guest attendance at graduation for the first time in 17 months, and with that came the return of performing divisions, sometimes better known as 900 divisions.

Performing divisions are comprised of recruits in training who were selected upon arrival to boot camp to assist graduations. They are divided into staff divisions, state flag divisions, and triple threat divisions, which is comprised of the band, choir and drill team.

On Aug. 13, Division 901 was the first staff division graduating after performing in Midway Ceremonial Drill Hall for the past three weeks.

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FBI and Girl Scouts Promote STEM Careers

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

“Girl Scouts are excited to learn from FBI agents—who are both experts in the field and use STEM to make a difference every day,” said Suzanne Harper, senior director of National Programs and Partnerships for Girl Scouts of the USA. “We are truly excited to formally expand this powerful partnership between our organizations and for Girl Scouts across the country to explore STEM careers and cybersecurity through badge activities led by FBI field agents in their communities.”

Under the new collaboration, community outreach specialists in the FBI’s 56 field offices will work with local Girl Scouts councils to offer speakers and presentations on subjects within Girl Scouts’ current cybersecurity programming, where Girl Scouts can earn badges based on their grade level (K-12).  

FBI biologist Tiffany Thoren said it was outreach like that that exposed her years ago to the possibilities of blending her love of science with criminal justice. She grew up being an active Girl Scout in rural Central Kansas and got her first microscope when she was 6 or 7. But there wasn’t much visibility about careers until she was in 6th grade and got a tour of a police lab.

“From that point forward, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” said Thoren, who works with forensic labs that participate in the FBI’s national DNA database through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a program that is used to share DNA profiles across U.S., as well as federal law enforcement agencies and the Department of Defense. “That one moment in time changed my life, because that gave me exactly the focus of what I wanted to do for a career.”

She said events like the STEM festival—with attendees from across the country—might provide a welcome spark for someone else like her. “I want them to see there’s a place for them in the Bureau no matter what their interests are,” Thoren said.

Embroidered FBI seal Girl Scouts patch

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FBI New Orleans Encourages the Public to Report Hate Crimes

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

NEW ORLEANS, LA—The FBI New Orleans Field Office is engaged in a robust state-wide effort to build public awareness of hate crimes and encourage reporting to law enforcement.

Hate crimes are the highest priority of the FBI’s Civil Rights Program because of the devastating impact they have on families and communities. Hate crimes are not only an attack on the victim—they are meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community.

“Hate crimes are the top priority within the FBI’s Civil Rights Program due to the devastating impact these types of crimes have on communities. One act can terrorize entire communities and groups of people,” said FBI Associate Deputy Director Jeffrey Sallet. “There’s simply no place in this country for hate and intolerance. We in the FBI stand ready to use all the tools at our disposal to reduce the threat of hate crimes and fulfill our mission to protect every American.”

The FBI is the lead investigative agency for criminal violations of federal civil rights statutes. The FBI works closely with its local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners in many of these cases, even when federal charges are not pursued. The FBI also works to detect and prevent incidents through law enforcement training, public outreach, and partnerships with community groups.

The FBI defines a hate crime as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.”

The FBI works to protect all victims of crimes, regardless of their country of national origin or immigration status. The FBI encourages victims and witnesses of any hate-related incident to report it to law enforcement. After a report is submitted, the FBI will work with its law enforcement partners and use its resources and expertise to determine if an incident meets the criminal standard. If you believe you are a victim or a witness of a hate crime, we encourage you to report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip at tips.fbi.gov. You may remain anonymous.

The mission of the FBI is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States. For more information, visit www.fbi.gov.