In 1966, NIS was established as a part of ONI. The new service answered to the director of Naval Intelligence. In the early 1970s a special agent was assigned to the "USS Intrepid" for six months. This was the beginning of the Special Agent Afloat program. Special agents are assigned to an aircraft carrier for a one-year deployment. They were later assigned to Amphibious warfare groups. In 1977 US Marine criminal investigators began training with NCIS.