HONOLULU, Hawaii –
Special Agent Kara Miyake from the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Pacific Field Office, has been awarded the Hawaii State Law Enforcement Officials Association’s 2025 Federal Officer of the Year award for her outstanding contributions while assigned to the FBI’s Honolulu Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).
Army CID special agents partner with state, federal, and international investigative agency task forces on complex, multiagency, and multinational investigations, operations, and exercises worldwide. This recognition underscores the vital contributions of Army CID agents working alongside their federal law enforcement counterparts.
“Special Agent Miyake’s dedication to service and her contributions to law enforcement in Hawaii are truly commendable,” said Army CID, Pacific Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Ruben Santiago. “She represents the best of our profession, serves as an example and inspiration to her colleagues, and her work has had an immeasurably positive impact on the community in Hawaii.”
- A Path Forged in Academia and Experience.
Born on Oahu, Special Agent Miyake’s journey into federal law enforcement began with a sociology course at the University of Washington.
“This course introduced me to the complexities of violent crime, sparking a deep interest in understanding the ‘why’ behind these offenses,” Special Agent Miyake explained.
This foundation was instrumental in her journey and led to internships with the Washington State’s King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the King County Public Defender’s Office, providing her a broad view of understanding the U.S. justice system.
Special Agent Miyake then worked as an intern with the U.S. Marshals Service’s Fugitive Apprehension Strike Task Force launching her law enforcement career.
Prior to joining Army CID, Special Agent Miyake served for 19 years with NCIS specializing in general crimes, counterintelligence, and counterterrorism. At NCIS, Special Agent Miyake served as a “Special Agent Afloat” on the U.S.S. John C. Stennis, an experience that honed her ability to operate independently where she learned to build strong, lasting relationships with military, civilian, and foreign law enforcement agencies.
Special Agent Miyake began her JTTF assignments while serving with NCIS. She was assigned to the JTTF from 2018-2022 with NCIS, and after joining Army CID was re-assigned to the JTTF in September 2022.
- Recognition of Collaborative Success
Special Agent Miyake attributes her success and the honor of receiving this award to the trust and autonomy afforded to her by both Army CID and the FBI. She emphasized the supportive environment fostered by her FBI supervisory special agent and squad, as well as her proactive efforts to build relationships across the entire division, including participation in the Crisis Negotiation Team and deployments with the FBI’s SWAT.
“I feel very honored to have been nominated by the FBI – especially as a non-FBI employee – and selected as the FBI’s Federal Officer of the Year, representing Army CID,” Agent Miyake shared. “I’m grateful to my Army CID and FBI partners and my family for their unwavering support in my law enforcement career. I feel proud of the hard work I have done and am glad it has made an impact to the community in Hawaii particularly to victims and their families”
- Strengthening National Security Through Partnership
Special Agent Miyake’s work as a task force agent directly contributes to the core missions of both Army CID and the FBI. Special Agent Miyake stated in a feature article for the FBI’s JTTF 40th anniversary:
“My work as a task force agent contributes to the overall mission of both Army CID and the FBI because as the nation’s front line of defense against terrorism, both domestic and international, the JTTF is crucial to reinforcing Army readiness, lethality, and technical superiority to fight and win our nation’s wars across all domains. Through JTTF’s unique investigative capabilities and broad mission, the JTTF serves as a force multiplier and conduit for intelligence sharing amongst federal, local, and state law enforcement agencies.”
- Advice for Future Task Force Agents and Future Goals
Looking ahead, Special Agent Miyake aims to continue representing Army CID within the FBI and international law enforcement agencies. She also hopes to contribute to the development of a crisis negotiator program within Army CID before retiring.
For agents considering joining a task force, Special Agent Miyake offers simple, yet crucial advice: “Always take advantage of making connections with other law enforcement partners, be open-minded, willing to help, and a team player.”
CID is the Department of the Army’s only federal law enforcement agency dedicated to protecting the Army around the world by safeguarding Soldiers and sensitive Army programs from criminal threats with 3,000 personnel at 126 locations worldwide.