Landover, Md. –
While fans had their eyes on the field, Naval Criminal Investigative Service special agents focused on watching for signs of trouble during the 125th Army-Navy game Dec. 14 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
This is only the second time the Army-Navy game has been held in the Washington, D.C., area. The first time was 2011, and Navy won that game by a score of 27-21.
Security for each game is coordinated between federal agencies and the state and local agencies where the game is being held. With the vast number of military personnel in attendance, including students from both West Point and Annapolis, NCIS’ main focus during the game is force protection, said Senior Operations Specialist Chris Coles of the NCIS Washington, D.C. Field Office.
The stadium is usually state or local jurisdiction, so any state or local issue would be turned over to state or local law enforcement, Coles said. However, issues involving Navy or Army would be handled by NCIS or Army CID respectively.
The NCIS Protective Operations Field Office also provided protection details for dignitaries attending the game, including Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith, and Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command Gen. Bryan Fenton.
While NCIS special agents are on scene during the event, the analytical team from the Washington, D.C. Field Office are monitoring for threats from the command center. From there, they are able to immediately communicate with agents working the crowd, passing on information about any situations they observe in real time.
NCIS plays a big part in security and force protection at each game. Planning usually begins months before the game, and the nearest NCIS field office to where the game takes place is the primary contact for coordination efforts. With this year’s game at Northwest Stadium and the 2025 game at M&T Stadium in Baltimore, NCIS’ Washington D.C. Field Office will be primary for back-to-back games.
The NCIS Washington, D.C. Field Office is proud to support this event annually with NCIS Resident Agency Annapolis supporting the Midshipmen with force protection efforts before, during, and after the game. We've coordinated with multiple local and county police departments, the Maryland State Police, and our sister agencies, like Army Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force, to come together to ensure the spectators and game participants have a safe and secure experience.
NCIS Special Agent in Charge Brian Platt