Posted: 3/14/2008 4:11:34 PM EDT
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Hi, I am interested in FBI SWAT and had a few question and am hoping someone can answer. I would put this in general discussion forum but thought it would be better in a "gun/firearm" section. Do FBI agents investigate crimes and be a SWAT team member at the same time? I am not talking HRT. I know HRT is full time, but if you are an Agent can you be a SWAT member also. Like a part time SWAT guy? Thanks! Any other general info would be great! |
| I dont think I ve ever heard of the FBI being parttime..otherwise I would be there myself lol. I diverge. There is a FBI reserve but thats for former agents. The FBI has two types of SWAT Teams. The Regional one and Hostage Rescue Team. Everyone can try out after 3 years of duty as a Special Agent at a LARGE field office. Making it is another story. Most of those guys are HRT are former Delta, Green Beret, Seal Teams, Ranger, ParaRescuemen, Combat Controllers, Combat weathermen. The smuck off the street can still make it but its much harder since those guys know tactical ops by heart. If you are any of the special ops you can go straight in for HRT try outs. Otherwise field agent duty for you. Hope that helps. |
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I know several members of the Regional FBI SWAT Team and they basically have two fulltime jobs. First they are fulltime Agents with pending case loads. Second they keep up a fulltime training schedule for the team. It's no small undertaking, they train alot sometimes 3 to 4 times a week, range time, CQB, building walk thru's et al... Plus classroom and PT not to mention some have families |
The FBI has 3 different types of teams. Their abilities vary depending on the size of office. Major field offices (Atlanta, Chicago, DC, ETC...) have more advanced abilities, agents, and gear. Smaller offices don't have the amount of gear and abilities of the larger offices. The HRT is made up of Agents and they are full time. Most are NOT former SEALS, Delta, Etc...The FBI actually prefers people that they can mold and train their way from the start. And the FBI doesn't care who you are, the requirements are all the same for everybody. |
This is straight from FBI's HRT website. Their Tactical Support Branch is made up of Hostage Rescue Team and Operations Training unit. I dont know where you got the notion they have 3 types of teams. There is always a Regional one and the National one which is HRT. Tactical Experience Requirements. To qualify for the Tactical Recruiting Program (TRP), you will need to bring some special skills, talents, and experience. All candidates will be rated based on their experience levels, and the most qualified will be eligible for this program. Each candidate will have the opportunity to summarize tactical training and experience in the Tactical Recruiting Program on-line application, which may be accessed after completing the Special Agent application. Here is a snapshot of those qualifications. Must have at least 3 years of tactical experience in either law enforcement or the military. Law Enforcement Experience: * With a Federal Agency tactical team (This category includes all Military Police.). * Or with a Local/County/State Agency or Department tactical team. - Full-time tactical team experience will carry more weight than part-time experience. - Completion of continuing education courses in at least three of the following: Basic SWAT • Advanced SWAT • Hostage Rescue • High Risk Arrest • Barricaded Subject • Basic Sniper/Observer • Advanced Sniper/Observer • Tactical Firearms • Mechanical Breaching Military Experience – Army Combat Arms experience. Service in Special Forces Group or Ranger Regiment will carry more weight. Military Experience – Navy Must have served in the Naval Special Warfare Community as a SEAL or Naval Special Warfare Officer. Military Experience – Marine Corps Combat Arms experience. Military Experience – Air Force Must have served in Combat Controller, Combat Rescue (Pararescue), or Tactical Air Control Party fields. *Candidates for the position of FBI Special Agent must possess a four-year college degree and three years of professional work experience; be available for assignment anywhere in the FBI's jurisdiction; be between the ages of 23 and 36; be in excellent physical condition with the ability to pass a rigorous physical fitness test; and consent to a complete background investigation, drug test, and polygraph. HRT Operators are Special Agents first, and will have investigative and managerial career opportunities in the FBI following their HRT assignment. You Should Know: TRP candidates must understand that they are applying for the SA position first, and must gain at least two years of FBI investigative experience before receiving transfer to HRT. Selection to HRT is not guaranteed. After completing New Agents Training and being assigned to a field office to gain investigative experience, the candidate must compete for a place on HRT by attending a two-week selection course. HRT Selection tests for physical fitness, firearms skills, problem-solving ability, leadership, team compatibility, and other characteristics deemed essential for an HRT Operator. TRP candidates should understand that, if accepted to HRT, the minimum term is four years. There is no mandated maximum term, assuming continued satisfactory performance. There are promotional opportunities within the HRT structure, as Operators gain experience, to serve as team leaders or in other positions of leadership on HRT. HRT Operators are eligible to return to the field in an investigative role, or may compete for other FBI management positions, after completing the HRT tour |
I only know four guys well who were in HRT. Two were in the Marine Corps and two had no military experience at all, but had both been on an FBI field office SWAT team. The FBI had traditionally recruited a lot of people from special operations in years past (my FBI class, back in the late 80's had several Marines (including the two mentioned above) two Special Forces soldiers, and one Navy SEAL, who had all been recuited and hired straight out of the military into the FBI. Back then, they would have huge turnouts, with lots of good candidates, whenever the twix for HRT selection came out. Under the Clinton Administration, and afterwards, hiring practices changed dramatically, and the military quit being a recruiting area for the FBI to a large extent. Friends still in tell me it kept getting harder and harder to even get qualified people to try out for HRT, hence the latest recruiting focus with military special operations personnel, which is not so much a new thing, as much as a return to the earlier recruiting methods. |
Our local office has some really good guys assigned here and they pull the part-time SWAT thing. However they are only allotted a few hours per month for training and because of collateral duties and schedules, it is hard for them to get all their guys together to pull off any quality training. They are always welcome to train with us and have done so in the past. The reality is that they will probably never be utilized in a so called SWAT capacity. Since we are a large metro dept and full time teams the Feds usually request for our assistance for search warrant executions or other situations as needed, which is the norm around here. We are all on the same team and we are always happy to help out. Except they do like to try to claim all of the glory. 
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I think what he is saying is that there is the HRT guys and then two levels of field office SWAT. The larger offices train more, assist on larger operations more and while there are SWAT guys all over the other offices, they are smaller teams than the larger field office teams. I will say the HRT are not all specops guys. They do have a pipeline for it, but there are many 'regular' mil guys and prior LEO SWAT guys on it as well. |
That's SOP for 'em.  Unless it's a pre-determined OP or there is lots of time, the local LEO team will be on site and ready to go much quicker. They will also have trained together more. Of course local teams vary widely as well. |
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I now work for a different federal agency than the FBI (one that doesn't even have traditional SWAT type teams, except for meth labs). When we do arrests, we often do them "round up style" where we may have to arrest 20 or 30 people and serve lots of search warrants, simultaneously. There is no way we can do that without getting as many state and locals, including SWAT teams, as we can get, to help us. And, generally, we will almost never call the local FBI's SWAT team, because the local and state ones, are just as good or better, and a lot less of a hassle to deal with. |
I will provide some non-classified general info. As an FBI agent, you do a good amount of desk work and the remaining small percentage of your time would be away from the desk and in action apprehending felons. |