Ms. Jennifer A. Coursey leads the United States Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory (USACIL) located in Forest Park, Georgia. USACIL is the Department of War's (DOW) full-service criminal forensic laboratory, maintaining its accreditation since 1985.
As a leader in the forensic field, USACIL serves all DOW Military Criminal Investigative Organizations providing over 24 forensic services to include DNA, Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), Latent Prints, Drug Chemistry, Trace Evidence, Firearms, Toolmarks, Digital & Multimedia, Forensic Documents, and Crime Scene Support. Furthermore, USACIL provides DoD’s combatant commanders intelligence support through expeditionary forensics conducted in the areas of Forensic Chemistry, DNA, Firearms, Toolmarks, Latent Prints, and a Fly Away Team (FLYTE). As Laboratory Director (LDIR), Ms. Coursey is responsible for the oversight, guidance, and direction of this critical and dynamic DoD asset.
Ms. Coursey began her distinguished career with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s (GBI) Division of Forensic Science as a Forensic Biologist in 1997. After serving with GBI for seven years, she launched her Federal career at USACIL in June 2004 and has served a DNA Examiner, a DNA Supervisor, and the DNA Chief. As the DNA Chief, she provided leadership and guidance to the team of USACIL DNA examiners responsible for forensic casework and courtroom testimony for military cases across the world.
During her career in forensics, LDIR Coursey worked on many sexual assault initiatives,
to include training nurses / doctors on DNA sample collection, speaking at various conference and training events, serving as a member of the Department of Justice's SAFER Working Group to establish national best practices for processing kits through a multidisciplinary approach, and assisting with the update of the DoD’s Sexual Assault Kit and paperwork.
Ms. Coursey holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from LaGrange College. She is a member of the Council of Federal Forensic Laboratory Directors (CFFLD) and a member of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD), Southern Association of Forensic Scientists (SAFS), and an invited guest to the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM).