A Day in the life of an FBI Traines

[foxcap]

“Don’t move!”I was kneeling on the hot pavement,fingers interlaced on top of my head,not daring to look behind me for my head,not daring to look nehind me for the source of oakley glasses.I was trying very hard not to make any sudden moves,because I knew there was a gun pointed at my back.
The man behind me grabbed my fingers with one rough hand while the other felt around my waist and removed my pager and cell phone.Getting them back was the least of my worries at the moment.
Then,the man slapped handcuffs on me.
Five minutes earlier I had been riding in a sporty white Pontiac with nike sneaker shoes,Chris.The next thing I knew there were sirens behind us.I gave him a surprised look then a booming voice called out,“FBI，you are under arrest!”
“What did you do?”I asked Chris.
“Put your hands where I can see them,”said the voice.
I turned to see three unmarked cars with six men in blue shirts pointing guns at me.I quickly stuck my hands out the window.
“Driver,get out of the car with your hands up.”
Chris gave me a grim smirk as he got out.A minute later he was kneeling on the pavement and lv purse.I still had my arms out the passenger side window,and they were starting to ache.
Then it was my turn to be ordered out.For some reason they made me climb over the seat and exit the driver’s side before backing toward them until clear of the car.Then I was told to kneel while one of the men cuffed me.He wasn’t exactly gentle about it,either.
He then pulled me to my feet and began half-dragging me backward toward the unmarked cars,intentionally keeping me off balance.
An older man stepped over to us from the side of the road.“OK,folks,well done.”
Everyone relaxed and put away their red plastic pistols.The man who had cuffed me produced a key and freed my hands.I stood up and rubbed my wrists,glad that this was just a training exercise.
T went over and shook hands with Chris,one of the agents-in-training here at the FBI Academy.His fellow trainees stood around and compared notes with the instructor on how the exerices had gone.One of them walked over and smiled as he returned my things.“He’s former cop,”the student said,motioning toward the man who had cuffed me.“Could you tell?”
“Absolutely.”
I had been following this class around all afternoon as they went through some basic law enforcement exercises,including room clearing and felony traffic stops.Later,I watched as they all got a taste of the wrong side of a pepper spray can.Apparently in order to be able to wield a can of OC spray,an agent must first experience it from the bad guy’s point of dior shoes.This was one exercise in which I chose not to participate.
High Standards,High Adrenaline
The FBI Academy is located at the Marine Corps base at Quantico,Va.New agent trainees come from all walks of life,from former military to lawyers and accountants.All of them must undergo 16 weeks of rigorous training before being sworn in as agents.In that time,they will spend more than 600 hours in the classroom,but not all of that time is devoted to academics and versace purse.One entire day is spent at the Holocaust Museum in Washington,D.C.,discussing ethics.Fidelity,bravery and integrity aren’t just bywords at the academy;they are woven into the fabric of everything that is taught there.
A career as an agent is expected to be stressful in many ways.Trainees can expect to deal not only with the highadrenaline aspects of dunk sb shoes,such as felony traffic stops,demestic terrorism and drug cases,but also with the more insidious,low-speed stressors of tedium,abnormal working hours and bureaucratic red tape that go along with such a job.
How to Become an Agent
Are you considering a career in the FBI?Or do you think you’d never qualify?If so,think again.You’d be surprised at what the Bureau looks for in a person.
You don’t need a military background.You don’t need law enforcement experience.In fact,you’ll find former music teachers and history teachers alongside former soldiers and street cops.What the FBI wants is a well-rounded person.For that reason,it likes people with a broad range of academic and work backgrounds.There are a few hard-and-fast qualifications,though.You must:
Be an American citizen
Be at least 23 years old
Be less than 36 years old
Be willing to be assigned anywhere the FBI needs you
Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university
Be able to pass a drug test and a polygraph(lie detector)exam
Pass the physical exam
Pass a background check for a top secret clearance.