CSI: Charleston

Published Oct. 14, 2007
By Capt. Bryan Lewis
315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

CHARLESTON AFB, S.C. -- Many people are familiar with various episodes and characters of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Law & Order. Millions of people watch these shows, which have spawned fan clubs, Web sites and even fan-made art devoted to their theme. Therefore, it would be no surprise if people saw Dr. Gil Grissom from CSI: Las Vegas wondering around Charleston, they'd certainly recognize him. But would they recognize Kenneth Lewis?

With little investigation, people know that Dr. Grissom is just an actor not a real crime scene investigator. But, if the fingerprints of a certain Airman were analyzed, they would reveal the real thing.

Found on the equipment and weapons of the 315th Security Forces Squadron, those fingerprints belong to Master Sgt. Kenneth Lewis, Superintendent for Combat Arms. When not filling his role at the 315 SFS, Sergeant Lewis is a crime scene investigator for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in Charlotte, N.C.

"My major function as a CSI is to search for, collect and preserve physical evidence at various scenes," Sergeant Lewis said. "I've responded to homicides, suicides, sexual assaults, vehicle break-ins, shootings and vehicle fatalities. I work third shift, so it's usually busy all night. During the late hours, we usually come across assaults with deadly weapons and larcenies of automobiles. I may end up developing and collecting fingerprints or I might have to do major reconstruction of a scene, such as an officer involved shooting."

Armed with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, Sergeant Lewis has completed courses in fingerprint processing and development, bloodstain pattern analysis and interpretation, shooting reconstruction, footwear and tire impressions, digital crime scene photography and chemical blood detection. One of his most memorable experiences involved a shooting of a fellow officer.

"I remember responding to an officer-involved shooting, where there were over 100 cartridge cases scattered over a scene that spanned over three blocks," he said. "It wasn't the fact that there were a lot of cartridge cases, but the fact that it was in the middle of a rainstorm, and we had to document and collect the casings before they washed away."

An added part of Sergeant Lewis' job involves testifying in court. One time in particular he was on the stand for eight hours, he said. However, courtrooms, armories and crime scenes are not all Sergeant Lewis sees in a given month.

"Another role I play in the unit is as a Security Forces Phoenix Raven," he said. "I provide in-flight armed security, threat and criminal assessments and close-in ground security for aircrew and Department of Defense aircraft deployed to various locations around the world."

Sergeant Lewis has deployed to many locations across the globe, including a mission every week for a year following 9/11. Regardless of where he finds himself, he is aided by both his military and civilian training.

"My military experience provides me with discipline to withstand long work periods, while maintaining the motivation needed to complete the task," he said. "Also because I have over 17 years of working at firing ranges, I can easily recognize different calibers of cartridge casings and tell the difference between a hole in the wall and gunshot. The civilian job helps me when we deploy to an austere location and I have to provide written assessments and descriptive narratives of our location. I write up to 8 reports a night when I'm doing CSI, so one or two written Raven assessments is easy work."