Overview

In September of 2012, the Defense Forensics and Biometrics Agency (DFBA) was established as a Field Operating Agency (FOA) under the Army’s Office of the Provost Marshal General (OPMG). The Department of the Army General Order (DAGO) 2013-08, signed by the Secretary of the Army (SecArmy), redesignated BIMA as DFBA on 18 June 2013, retroactive to 1 June 2013. The agency is responsible for applying biometrics and forensics capabilities through various tactics, techniques and processes. Biometrics and forensics are critical to identifying known and unknown individuals by matching them with automated records (such as for access control) or with anonymous samples (such as crime scene investigations).

“There is a natural and powerful synergy between forensics and biometrics. With forensics on the front-end, the exploitation of captured enemy materials or evidence provides undeniable scientific relationships for the back-end biometric links between individuals, materials, events and places.” - DFBA Director, Mr. Don Salo, January 2013 speech at AFCEA Homeland Security Conference

Biometrics and forensics enable a wide range of possible missions, from military operations to business functions that protect national interests. Whether operating together in a frontline surveillance mission or analyzing material in a lab, biometrics and forensics work hand-in-hand to ensure positive identification.