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Marine Corps MOS · Support

5821 Criminal Investigator (CID) Agent

Current service use not established

This code is listed in the directory. Inclusion alone does not confirm current service use.

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Overview

Criminal Investigation Division Agents investigate misdemeanor and felony crimes within Department of Defense jurisdiction and support law enforcement and deployed contingency operations. They conduct covert operations, protective services, crisis negotiations, and forensic examinations while preparing trial cases, guiding junior investigators, and coordinating with other law enforcement agencies.

Minimum ASVAB: GT 110

ASVAB policy: Not policy-reviewed · coverage unknown · as of 2026-10-19

Program scope has not been reviewed.

Policy applicability and coverage of the program's score routes have not been reviewed. Shown-route arithmetic is not an eligibility decision.

Source: navmc-1200-1l-fy26 (source date 2025-03). Policy applicability has not been established.

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Core Skills

  • Crisis negotiation during criminal investigations
  • Forensic examinations supporting criminal cases
  • Complex criminal trial case preparation
  • Interagency coordination on criminal investigations

Civilian Career Paths

Career associations are editorial assessments of the cited evidence, not an official crosswalk unless the evidence explicitly says so. O*NET supplies civilian occupation information, not proof of a military match. Related experience does not confer civilian qualifications. Tasks and tools below describe civilian work, not military training.

Detectives and Criminal Investigators

CID experience investigating misdemeanor and felony crimes, conducting forensic examinations, and supporting trial preparation directly overlaps civilian criminal investigation.

How to prepare: Ask a target agency's recruiter to assess your CID experience against its investigator entry route and academy placement process. Entry generally requires agency academy training followed by on-the-job training, at least a high school diploma or equivalent with some agencies requiring college, and usually age 21 plus rigorous physical and personal qualifications; citizenship rules vary by state and locality, while federal officers must be U.S. citizens.

What the civilian work involves
  • Obtain facts or statements from complainants, witnesses, and accused persons and record interviews, using recording device.
  • Record progress of investigation, maintain informational files on suspects, and submit reports to commanding officer or magistrate to authorize warrants.
  • Prepare charges or responses to charges, or information for court cases, according to formalized procedures.
Civilian tools and software (examples)
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Access

Private Detectives and Investigators

CID criminal investigations, covert operations, and trial case preparation provide a directly relevant foundation for private investigative work.

How to prepare: Compile a non-sensitive record of your investigative assignments and years of service for comparison with your state and locality's licensing criteria. Entry typically calls for a high school diploma or equivalent and several years of related experience, including military or law enforcement work; most states require licensing, with age, experience, and other conditions varying by jurisdiction.

What the civilian work involves
  • Write reports or case summaries to document investigations.
  • Conduct private investigations on a paid basis.
  • Search computer databases, credit reports, public records, tax or legal filings, or other resources to locate persons or to compile information for investigations.
Civilian tools and software (examples)
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Access

Notes & Sources

Evidence for this guidance (5 documents)
  1. NAVMC 1200.1L (FY26, in force): MOS 5821

    [1] MOS 5821 section "a. Summary"; cached text line 47243; NAVMC 1200.1L signed 2025-03-07, in force until 2026-10-01

    Supports: Crisis negotiation during criminal investigations, Forensic examinations supporting criminal cases, Complex criminal trial case preparation, Interagency coordination on criminal investigations, Detectives and Criminal Investigators (O*NET 33-3021.00), Private Detectives and Investigators (O*NET 33-9021.00)

  2. O*NET: Detectives and Criminal Investigators

    [2] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Detectives and Criminal Investigators (O*NET 33-3021.00)

  3. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Police and Detectives

    [3] How to Become, Education, Training and Other Experience; checked September 24, 2026

    Supports: Detectives and Criminal Investigators (O*NET 33-3021.00)

  4. O*NET: Private Detectives and Investigators

    [4] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Private Detectives and Investigators (O*NET 33-9021.00)

  5. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Private Detectives and Investigators

    [5] How to Become a Private Detective or Investigator; Work Experience in a Related Occupation; Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations; page dated 2026-08-27, retrieved 2026-09-23

    Supports: Private Detectives and Investigators (O*NET 33-9021.00)

Defense contractor jobs for 5821

Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.

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