First Office Agents

First Office Agents

The FBI has its own language. It is full of acronyms and expressions that are unique to the FBI. So much so that there is a class at the FBI Academy to familiarize new agents with the FBI's acronyms and terminology. A "First Office Agent" is a newly minted FBI agent who has recently reported to their first office of assignment. While there is supposed to be a probationary period of 1 year during which each First Office Agent spends a lot of time with their assigned "Training Agent", my first office agent experience like many of my fellow first office agents was that we learned by doing and by getting advice from the slightly more tenured other first office agents. First Office Agents have accomplished great things in their careers but there was also a certain amount of "trial and error" and some of those experiences make for some great stories. First Office Agents is based upon my experience as a first office agent in the Memphis Division and those of my good friend, Kevin Cearlock. Kevin and I are two people who find the humor in everything and there were plenty of funny things we experienced firsthand during the the course of our FBI careers. We hope you enjoy hearing about them.

Episodes

April 28, 2026 42 mins
At the FBI Academy, there was a class called F-O-A-C which stands Field Office Administrative Codes (at least I think that what it stands for).   It is like learning a foreign language.  And when most new agents hear BuSpeak, they are confronted with hundreds of acronyms and combined words that they must learn to be able to function in their jobs.  In every FOAC class, there are two distinct levels of comprehension.  The former FB...
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A baby agent is a playful, yet derisive term often used to describe a Special Agent Trainee at the FBI Academy. A blue flamer is a reference to the blue flame that comes out the back of a fighter jet. Upon leaving the Academy, newly minted FBI Agents are said to have a 3 foot blue flame of enthusiasm coming out of their butts.  And rightly so.  Shortly after arriving at the FBI Academy, I remember being told: “Congratulations. You ...
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October 13, 2025 20 mins
Good informants are a critically important part of the law enforcement universe. They are double-edged swords though and sources can end a promising law enforcement career very quickly. Given their importance, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies evaluate their investigators in part on how many sources they have developed and how productive they have been. The steps that precede someone becoming an informant are often one or ...
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FBI field offices serve and are apart of the communities where they are located, what most people don't realize is there is an open communication channel between the FBI and members of the community. Phone calls and walk-ins take place everyday, all day. And when members of the public report suspected crimes, acts of terrorism, or espionage, it's a critically important function and they direct emergency response as the reports unf...
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June 28, 2025 30 mins
The FBI has jurisdiction when felons cross state lines to evade prosecution, referred to as Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution or UFAP. Arrests require careful planning.  And yet the Yiddish proverb: “people plan, God laughs” often fits. Working civil rights cases against sworn police officers and deputy sheriffs was stressful and challenging especially since in a small FBI field office like Memphis, you may end up working alon...
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June 27, 2025 28 mins
Today’s episode is the continuation of a new series in which my former FBI Colleague Kevin Cearlock and I explore the funnier side of the FBI based on our own experiences and our friends. Law enforcement is full of great story tellers. Hard to say whether storytellers tend to become law enforcement officers in disproportionate numbers or, perhaps more likely, it’s the fact that ridiculous things sometimes happen during the course...
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Mark as Played
June 27, 2025 25 mins
Today’s episode is the introduction of a new series in which my former FBI Colleague Kevin Cearlock and I explore the funnier side of the FBI based on our own experiences and our friends.
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Mark as Played

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