April 29, 2014

Christopher H. Combs Named Special Agent in Charge of San Antonio Division

Director James B. Comey has named Christopher H. Combs special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio Division. Mr. Combs most recently served at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., as section chief of the Strategic Information Operations Center, which is the FBI’s central command post for major incidents. He also led the FBI’s efforts to combat and respond to active shooter events throughout the United States.

Mr. Combs began his career as a special agent in 1996 at the Washington Field Office, where he investigated counterintelligence matters. In August 1998, he was assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force to work special events and cases related to domestic terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. He assisted in forming the National Capital Response Squad in September 1999 and, two years later, was the initial on-scene commander at the Pentagon on September 11. He served as the FBI representative to the Unified Command for the duration of on-scene operations.

In March 2003, Mr. Combs was promoted to supervisory special agent of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Operations Unit in the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters. He was promoted again in January 2005 to unit chief of Operations, Intelligence and Nominations at the Terrorist Screening Center. Later that year, he was selected as special assistant to the senior federal law enforcement official during Hurricane Katrina. He was then asked to be a member of the White House Hurricane Katrina Lessons Learned Task Force.

In January 2006, he transferred back to the Washington Field Office as supervisory special agent of the National Capital Response Squad. During this assignment, Mr. Combs received the Director’s Award for Distinguished Service to the Law Enforcement Community for the 2009 presidential inauguration. In July 2010, he was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Counterterrorism Division at the Washington Field Office. While there, Mr. Combs oversaw the Threats, Domestic Terrorism, Special Events, and Special Operations Programs.

Mr. Combs became the section chief of the Strategic Information Operations Center in January 2012. From September to December of the following year, he acted as special agent in charge of the Milwaukee Division.

Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. Combs was a volunteer firefighter for eight years with the Freeport, New York and New Berlin, Wisconsin Fire Departments. He is currently a fellow with the Ash Center at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.