Possible Places for Employment for an FBI Special Agent
By Beth Greenwood
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Although an FBI agent is a U.S. government employee whose primary duty is combating threats to U.S. security such as terrorism, she might work anywhere in the world. The FBI has a national headquarters, local field offices and legal attachés, or legats, scattered around the globe, according to the FBI website.
About The Agents
FBI special agents must be between the ages of 23 and 36 when they join the agency, and have a bachelor's degree, according to the FBI Careers website. An agent must also have three years of professional work experience and a valid driver's license. The FBI needs agents in fields such as accounting, computer science or information technology, language, law, intelligence and physical sciences. Agents must also be able to pick up and go anywhere they are needed.
Headquarters in Many Places
FBI headquarters is located in Washington, D.C, and is where FBI activities around the world are organized, directed and coordinated. Several headquarters functions are not in Washington, however. Quantico, Virginia, is the location of the FBI training academy, the laboratory division and the operational technology division. Agents who work in the criminal justice information services division work in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Also, FBI headquarters has specialized facilities such as high-tech computer forensics centers in different locations in the U.S.
Divisions In The U.S.
The FBI is organized in divisions, with 56 field offices throughout the U.S. and in Puerto Rico. These are generally located in major cities. The offices in Los Angeles, New York City and Washington D.C. are large enough to each have an assistant director; other offices are overseen by a special agent in charge. In addition to the field offices, resident agencies are located in smaller cities and towns. Some of the larger, less populous states such as North Dakota and Montana, have neither a field office nor a resident agency. Alaska and Hawaii each have a field office.
FBI legats are located in U.S. embassies around the world. The U.S. does not have legats in all countries, however. The FBI website notes that in Africa, FBI legats are located in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Algeria, Senegal, Morocco and South Africa. In the Americas, the FBI has legats in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Barbados, Chile, El Salvador, Columbia, Venezuela, Argentina and Panama. Locations in Asia include China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, India and Cambodia, while in Eurasia, FBI legates can be found in Russia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Greece, Turkey and Romania. Countries such as Germany, England, France and Spain host FBI legats, as do Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Federal Bureau of Investigation: FBI Headquarters
Federal Bureau of Investigation: Local FBI Offices
Federal Bureau of Investigation: Legal Attaché Offices
Beth Greenwood is an RN and has been a writer since 2010. She specializes in medical and health topics, as well as career articles about health care professions. Greenwood holds an Associate of Science in nursing from Shasta College.
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3 What Are the Dangers of CIA Field Work?
4 Wages for an FBI Agent