Mr. Coffey praised NCIS for its versatility and support to the warfighter.

“No other agency has so broad and important a mandate. NCIS must ensure that our Sailors, Marines, Department of the Navy civilians and their families are safe from harm,” said Mr. Coffey. “They have to ensure that our classified systems are secure, that our technology does not fall into the hands of those who mean us harm, and that our military justice system has the trust of those same Sailors and Marines, and so much more.”

In 2022, NCIS led training efforts at Federal Law Enforcement Training Center by initiating the NCIS Special Agent Basic Training Integrated Program (SABTIP). The NCIS SABTIP is an accredited program that uniquely combines Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) basic Special Agent training – common to all federal law enforcement agencies - with advanced skills development in areas like cyber, crime scene management, tactics, family and sexual violence, counterintelligence, and complex interviewing.

Women made up 42% of the graduates in Class 2204. Since the launch of SABTIP, NCIS has seen an average of 40% female students in each class, which is a positive increase from previous years.

“NCIS is the most elite, best led and most critically important law enforcement and intelligence agency in our country, “said Mr. Coffey. “I've learned that you have approached the many challenges here at FLETC with enthusiasm, grit, and professionalism. You have embraced every challenge thrown in your way, and you fought tenaciously not only to succeed, but to thrive.”

NCIS relies on a diverse workforce that brings a breadth of skills, backgrounds and experiences to fulfill its vast agency mission. To attract such highly capable talents, such as those represented in Class 2204, the agency has focused its recruiting efforts on creating equitable pathways of opportunity for employment with NCIS.

During his keynote speech, Mr. Coffey echoed NCIS motto of “People First, Mission Always” is not just a slogan, but an ethos.

“I meet with Director Lopez and the senior staff every week, and I had to come to see firsthand how they lead this storied agency,” said Mr. Coffey. “When he says people first mission always - he means that. I have been in the room, where he politely but firmly fights for more resources, protects the prerogatives of NCIS, and fights to maintain the independence of the premier Military Criminal Investigative Organization in the Pentagon. To our new agents, let me tell you: he's going to have your back.”

NCIS missions are critical to advancing the priorities of the Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro.

“His three key principles are maintaining maritime dominance, empowering our people with a culture of warfighting excellence, and strengthening our partnerships both with each other and with our allies. NCIS plays an outsized role in all of these areas,” said Mr. Coffey.

Mr. Coffey closed out his keynote speech with inspiring words to the new agents as they prepare to move on to the next phase of their NCIS adventure.

"I look forward to being your colleague and to the collective mission of protecting our way of life,” said Mr. Coffey. “God bless you and God bless the United States of America. Thank you.”

As General Counsel, Mr. Coffey is the Department of the Navy’s (DON) Chief Legal Officer and head of the Office of the General Counsel (OGC). He leads more than 1,100 attorneys and professional support staff in 140 offices worldwide. DON OGC provides legal advice to the Secretary of the Navy, the Under Secretary of the Navy, the Assistant Secretaries of the Navy, their staffs, and the multiple components of the Department, including the Navy and the Marine Corps.