Air Force Justice Information System Goes Live
The first case from the Air Force security forces has been uploaded to the new Air Force Justice Information System (AFJIS). The system is a step toward modernizing criminal data reporting within the Department of Defense (DoD) and creating more integrated awareness of criminal activities.
According to an Air Force press release, the military branch learned from “decades of high ops tempo and web-based technologies” before developing a $5.7 million professional system. It took less than 10 months to develop the system which now provides security force operations with a “progressive criminal data reporting system.”
“Deployment of the system will occur in phases and will go live for all Air Force security forces units – including Reserve and National Guard – by October 31,” said Lt. Col. Sandra Thompson, AFJIS project leader. “The rapid launch of this system is unprecedented in the world of IT as the system was developed, tested and deployed in less than a year. Over the next week… subject matter experts will operationally test case management and global blotter modules, providing direct feedback to the AFJIS team and vendor.”
Thompson and others have been working with a total force and contractor team and partnered with the U.S. Army, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the U.S. Navy to develop the new system. It replaces a system called the Security Forces Management Information System, a case management system the Air Force has been using since the 1990s.
The goal was to create an integrated platform to monitor criminal activities that impact a wide range of Air Force personnel and resources. The team modified versions of a Naval Justice Information System to meet Air Force needs.
Master Sgt. Elizabeth Sadler, who led system development efforts, said in the press release that AFJIS provides an innovative, agile and centralized capability for all aspects of criminal data reporting, meeting the requirements set forth by the undersecretary of defense (information), DoD inspector general and federally-mandated instructions.
“This is a monumental step in the modernization of security forces criminal data reporting system, providing a centralized hub of criminal data reporting, automatic flagging of federally reporting of offenses, providing installation breech tracking and criminal data reporting trends and analytics that allow for predictive analytics,” Sadler said.
Thompson continued, “AFJIS and the recently stood up Air Force Criminal Justice Information Cell provide a solution for the Air Force’s long-term criminal data reporting requirements. The total force team will continue to develop and improve the system to include additional capabilities that further enhance the capabilities in our defender toolkit.”