ADVENT: Organizations

The Oversight Division

"There is no one untouchable to us."

- Chief Overseer Keith Watkins

Proposal 0052

Latest Revision: 08/12/2016

Designation: The Oversight Division

Program Type: Military Oversight and Standards Compliance

Authors: Keith Watkins, Director of the FBI of the United States of America; Ralf Stieler, NATO SACT of Germany; Han Ji-Hyo, RGB Director of North Korea

INITIAL PROPOSAL: As ADVENT will be composed of highly advanced military divisions and enact more militant standards and laws that the general population must comply to, an effort must be made to ensure that the soldiers, officers, and elected officials are held to the highest possible standard as the potential for the abuse of power is abnormally high within ADVENT.

As a response to this issue, we propose the formation of the OVERSIGHT DIVISION, which will have the sole purpose of policing the internal administration and military within ADVENT itself to ensure that they are complying with established laws and regulations as enacted by the CONGRESS OF NATIONS, and detailed in the ADVENT DIRECTIVE.

The idea of oversight for military operations is not a new concept, but it has rarely, if ever, been successful in providing a deterrent to abuses of funding, power, and personnel. This has largely been due to previous iterations holding a civilian aspect, and were too weakened and constrained to be of any use.

The OVERSIGHT DIVISION will not have civilian oversight, nor is that an essential requirement. The OVERSIGHT DIVISION's goal is to prevent the abuse of power and avoidance of the law within the ADVENT MILITARY, ADVENT INTELLIGENCE, the PEACEKEEPERS and the CONGRESS OF NATIONS. To accomplish this, the OVERSIGHT DIVISION will be an equally empowered division, with enough staff, funding, and resources to function within ADVENT.

The details will be determined by the CHIEF of the OVERSIGHT DIVISION.

As the OVERSIGHT DIVISION will require a constant stream of top secret information to fully perform their task correctly, each individual branch and organization within ADVENT must forward all critical and non-critical documents and reports to the OVERSIGHT DIVISION for internal audit and review. Internal documents within the OVERSIGHT DIVISION will NOT be circulated or returned. This applies, but is not limited to, the following:

- The COMMANDER of the ADVENT Military

- The GENERAL of the Army Division

- The CHIEF ADMIRAL of the Navy Division

- The WING COMMANDER of the Air and Space Division

- The CHIEF RESPONDER of the Special Response Division

- The CHIEF OPERATOR of the Special Forces Division

- The CHANCELLOR of ADVENT

- The CHIEF of Peacekeeper Operations

- The DIRECTOR of ADVENT Intelligence

- The SPEAKER and ALL MEMBERS of the Congress of Nations

PERSONNEL COMPOSITION: The OVERSIGHT DIVISION will consist of three different departments of AGENT teams, which can further be categorized within each department. Composition will VARY depending on operation, but there will be minimum and maximum numbers of Agents which will be detailed below.

INSPECTION: The focus of the INSPECTION Department is to ensure that the physical standards and regulations are maintained by ADVENT Personnel. This includes but is not limited to; building integrity, cleanliness, health, organization, preparation, weapon, armor and vehicle maintenance, and unit discipline.

INSPECTION Teams will consist of a minimum of six AGENTS, up to a maximum of twenty. All ADVENT personnel must comply with their instructions and allow them to inspect where they wish. Refusal will open an internal investigation in coordination with the Peacekeepers.

INVESTIGATION: The focus of the INVESTIGATION Department is to perform in-depth reviews of documented, discovered, and reported issues with ADVENT in any position. Any member or organization within ADVENT is subject to being involved in an investigation. The following require an internal investigation, but the INVESTIGATION Department is not limited to these:

- Abuse of authority

- Misuse of resources or personnel

- Refusal of orders

- Insubordination

- Corruption

- Failed operations without satisfactory reasons

- Prohibited activity

INVESTIGATION Teams will consist of a minimum of four AGENTS, up to a maximum of twelve. During this they will conduct interviews, interrogations, data analysis, and gather additional evidence to determine the guilt or innocence of the subject of the investigation. This will be done with PEACEKEEPER assistance, provided one of their own isn't under investigation. Otherwise, it will be done with support of the LANCER CORPS.

Failure to comply with all INVESTIGATION teams will result in immediate arrest and interrogation by ADVENT Intelligence (In the event that an agent is within the agency, this interrogation will be done by the PEACEKEEPERS). All others connected to the investigation will also be detained until the situation is resolved.

The forensic labs will also fall under this department, and there will be scientific agents that work in teams of ten to twenty towards analyzing evidence and determining authenticity. This will be comprised of both physical and digital forensic specialists.

UNDERCOVER: The focus of the UNDERCOVER division is to ensure that standards and regulations are being maintained while there is no direct focus on the organization from the OVERSIGHT DIVISION. Agents will work independently, and be placed in various parts of ADVENT agencies, and perform the tasks assigned within accordingly, while also reporting directly to the OVERSIGHT DIVISION at the same time.

There will be several limitations on UNDERCOVER agents. The first is that they cannot be placed in positions of direct authority, but they can serve as advisors or consultants. They must also be competent in the position they are placed in, and can perform it as well or better than other personnel. They are not allowed to disclose this to anyone aside from their direct handler, this includes other known Agents.

Undercover agents will NOT be utilized outside of ADVENT, as that falls within the purview of ADVENT Intelligence. Organizations within ADVENT will not be disclosed of potential Agents in their forces, nor can they request information pertaining to Undercover agents unless it is a joint order by the COMMANDER of the ADVENT Military, the DIRECTOR of ADVENT Intelligence, and the CHIEF of Peacekeeper Operations.

RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING: Potential agents will be recruited through TWO separate avenues. The first is outside experts, and will specifically target private investigators, computer scientists, lawyers and those in related investigative fields and graduates with appropriate degrees. The ADVENT Intelligence database on citizens will be utilized for maximum gain.

Training will be conducted internally, but will follow the established standards from the Peacekeepers and ADVENT Intelligence. Agents will receive the best possible training, but will be isolated for the duration.

The remaining recruits will be recruited through ADVENT directly, and with approval of their immediate supervisor or overseer, they will transfer to the OVERSIGHT DIVISION. These can be refused by the recipient, or blocked by a superior. The latter, however, can be appealed provided no logical reason was employed to deny the transfer.

AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS: The Oversight Division ultimately has the ability to investigate and prosecute any member of ADVENT on objectively and verifiably sound grounds, which can include positions up to the Chancellor of ADVENT and the Director of ADVENT Intelligence. However, all cases are held to the same standard to prevent bias.

Evidence gathered must be verified with at least one other agency or organization within ADVENT, such as the Peacekeepers, ADVENT Intelligence, or the Science Division. It must then be proven in a court where the ultimate verdict will be decided. Falsely accused targets will result in all those who participated in the investigation being detained and placed under another internal investigation to determine if the cause was incompetence, honest mistakes, or malicious intent. This can lead to agents being either arrested or dismissed, in keeping with our high standards.

In the event of an investigation, the Oversight Division has the authority to leverage and request assistance from any aspect of ADVENT, and the agency, division, or organization that the investigation is taking place in will not be allowed to interfere with the investigation until it is concluded, and no information is to be shared until the integrity of the institution is preserved.

The Oversight Division has control over the records of their agents, and may modify, change, or remove them as they see fit to preserve anonymity and ability to deploy undercover agents within ADVENT. Internal ADVENT organizations are not permitted to collect or speculate on potential Oversight Agents, as this is illegal.

In the event of issues within the Oversight Division itself, any ADVENT Organization can formally request an investigation of identified Oversight Agents, which will be carried out by a joint Peacekeeper and ADVENT Intelligence Team, which the Oversight Division will not interfere with. However, the barrier of evidence will be high, and false accusations will lead to investigation and prosecution.

CONCLUSION: While we must continuously ensure that our military is prepared to face the threats that endanger our species, that is not a reason to forget that they are as subject to law and order as the citizens they protect, and they must be held to that standard. The Oversight of the military has failed in the past because of a lack of power. The Oversight Division has no such weakness, and it will reassure the general population, and raise the effectiveness of ADVENT overall.

Checks and balances must be preserved, even within ADVENT. This military is perhaps the most powerful one to ever exist, and it needs checks to ensure that it not only remains one, but is also one that does not eclipse the rest of the government, and to continuously remind those in authority that they are not above the law.

Interrogation Transcript OD009

[Oversight Investigation Agent Riley Valtrez]: "Please state your name for the record."

[Senior Officer Arthur Nakamura]: "ADVENT Senior Officer Arthur Nakamura."

[RV]: "Excellent. You are aware of the actions of former Marshal Luana Russo?"

[AN]: "Of course."

[RV]: "You were present when she gave the order?"

[AN]: "I was."

[RV]: "And you didn't stop her?"

[AN]: "She was my-"

[RV]: "Yes or no."

[AN]: "No."

[RV]: "Why not?"

[AN]: "Because…she was my superior officer, and I followed orders. At the time it did seem like Uruguay was behind it."

[RV]: "I see. Based on what evidence? All preliminary strikes require a justification that is sent to ADVENT command and reviewed by the senior staff. Please explain what was shown?"

[AN]: "That…was not shown. This was an emergency situation."

[RV]: "Three Peacekeeper Outposts were attacked. While a problem, that is not 'an emergency', and it ultimately doesn't matter. There were procedures to follow in any event, including emergencies, and you had a duty to report her negligence and refuse of carry it out. Am I to understand you did not contest her?"

[AN]: "No, but-"

[RV]: "You understand taking part in an operation that you know is illegal will result in your prosecution, correct?"

[AN]: "I was following orders!"

[RV]: "Did Luana order you to participate? And that doesn't matter. You are complicit in treason, and have admitted it."

[AN]: "I get a chance to defend myself! What was I supposed to do!"

[RV]: "Contact another legion or the Peacekeepers. They are prepared for these scenarios. Something that was made publically clear to all members of ADVENT. Ignorance is not an excuse, and ADVENT will be better without the incompetent, which if you truly were unaware, means that you do not deserve to wear the armor."

[AN]: "Oh, shut up. What are you going to do with me?"

[RV]: "You have admitted to willful cooperation with a traitor and broke no less than three major protocols, all of which are grounds for investigation. You will be stripped of rank, and prosecuted. The courts will decide what happens to you."

[AN]: "Then I want my lawyer."

[RV]: Light chuckle. "This isn't America. We're not going to waste a lawyer's time. Your guilt is admitted. All that is left is your punishment."

[AN]: "This is outrageous! I will-"

Arthur Nakamura attempts to rise, and two Peacekeeper State Officers enter the room and restrain him while he struggles. Upon securing him, they await confirmation from Agent Valtrez.

[RV]: "This interrogation is concluded. Take him away, I have what I need."

The Peacekeepers march out a cursing and furious Arthur, before he is subdued with their stun batons.

Operation: Internal Strife

Division: Reconnaissance and Observation

Report Author: Zar'sora'laria

Authorization: Zar'Chon

Zar'Chon,

Upon as much investigation as could be done short of direct infiltration, I believe we have a much better grasp on what exactly this Oversight Division actually does, and what their role within ADVENT is. To put it as simply as possible, they are the Peacekeepers of ADVENT itself. You would think that this would tend to fall under the purview of the Peacekeepers themselves, but in general, the internal policing of ADVENT falls to the Oversight Division.

A strong case could be made for stating that they are the most powerful organization within it. They are mandated by law to receive everything documented by every other organization within ADVENT, including top secret and other confidential information. This does indeed include ADVENT Intelligence and the Congress of Nations. The Oversight Division knows everything that goes on in ADVENT.

And if they think you're hiding something? They simply order an internal investigation.

I was surprised to find out just how extensive the resources of the Oversight Division actually are. Internally they have an estimated three thousand agents, which conduct various tasks publicly, and an unknown number who are plants throughout ADVENT. I will elaborate on this some more:

Their equipment tends to vary somewhat, but for the most part, the Oversight Division is not composed of fighters, but investigators, lawyers, and scientists. As a result, their resources and equipment are generally not weapons and armor, but technology. They have multiple dedicated forensic (Both physical and digital) labs, several unknown training sites, and tighter security at their headquarters than ADVENT Intelligence.

As such, they are not heavily armed. Every single agent always has one sidearm, usually a pistol, and they wear black suit-like garments that appear to have some light padding underneath, combat boots, but generally no gloves or headgear. They also curiously do not have any combat-specialized units, although this can be easily explained.

In addition to their own internal resources and personnel, the Oversight Division can leverage whatever they need from nearly every other ADVENT organizations. This makes literally no one beyond their reach. For example, if they were conducting an investigation into the Peacekeepers, relying on Peacekeepers is considered a risk, so they would either use something like the Lancer Corps or the ADVENT Army itself to do any heavy lifting. Unless ADVENT breaks down completely, there is very little preventing the Oversight Division from conducting what they see fit.

This does not, however, mean they are above scrutiny. There are procedures where the Peacekeepers and ADVENT Intelligence can conduct their own investigations, and those within the division can also request an investigation for others within it, though this is rarer than you might think.

On the surface, this sounds like an absurd amount of power, but when applied to the extremely high standards for conviction, the only time the Oversight Division would actually open an investigation is if they were almost completely sure there was something to discover, because failed or false investigations will lead to those involved being investigated themselves.

I know the idea of 'using' the Oversight Division has come up, and that idea is, no disrespect intended, completely laughable. The amount of resources that would be needed to make enough evidence credible enough to withstand extreme scrutiny is frankly, not worth it. Trying to turn the Oversight Division against ADVENT is a pipe dream at best, and anyone who spent any decent amount of time actually investigating how the organization works could tell you this.

This is especially true with the current leadership.

I am aware, and have read the report on Watkins, so I will not repeat much of that, save that everyone is focusing on him and not paying attention to anyone else in the organization. Watkins is good for leadership and maintaining the integrity of the organization. That said, a large portion of the Oversight Division is run like an intelligence agency, and his skills fit more in the law enforcement category than a spymaster. He's very good at managing operations, but not as subtle as some may believe.

There are various heads of the Departments within the Oversight Division, and I want to draw your attention to one in particular: Han Ji-Hyo, Head of the Undercover Department. If you have not heard of her, that isn't surprising, most people haven't, and even fewer know where she is now. She is highly private, lives on-base, has no romantic relationships or family we could find, and what little we did find about her was highly illuminating.

She was the former Director of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, which was the primary intelligence arm of North Korea. To date she is the only woman in North Korea to achieve such a high position, and the reason for it is because she is one of the best spymasters in the world.

She was responsible for one of the most insidious and impressive spy programs we have uncovered. While the idea isn't novel, she is one of the few to have ever put it into practice. Instead of relying solely on trained intelligence agents, she grooms her spies. She had agents pose as parents all around the world and adopt young children, who were then brought back to her and molded into spies, and when they reached a certain age, were released back into their home country with expertly forged documents courtesy of Unit 180, North Korea's cyberwarfare unit.

This is largely how North Korea was able to remain so isolated, and at the same time have uncanny knowledge of what was going on in the world. Her agents were typically not embedded in intelligence agencies, but other aspects of government that were minor. In some ways, they operated like EXALT except on a smaller scale.

Returning to the topic at hand, the fact that she is in charge of the Undercover Department implies that she will be applying her tactics there, and that is actually a good thing for us, because it means she isn't focusing on us. On the other hand, this means that the Oversight Division is going to be highly efficient assuming she manages to plant spies throughout ADVENT, and I would not be surprised if she does.

But to be completely honest, this is one part of ADVENT we don't actually need to worry about. They are an internally focused organization, and at best we would have perhaps a couple successes, and at worst, our own agents and methods could be exposed.

Ultimately, we should just ignore them and focus on ADVENT Intelligence and the military proper. We gain very little from focusing on the Oversight Division. But I would say have a couple agents keep an eye on them.