By Thomas O’Connor, President of the FBI Agents Association (FBIAA)
The FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) is the only professional organization dedicated to representing FBI Special Agents.
As the voice of more than 14,000 active and retired FBI Special Agents, FBIAA can state unequivocally that Agents are effectively discharging their solemn duty to protect our country from criminals and terrorists.
(See the FBI working with the Chicago Chicago Police Department and others to combat street-level crime while also lending support to communities that are seeking to affect change. Courtesy of the FBI and YouTube)
As Special Agents, we swear an oath of allegiance to the Constitution, and to defend it against all enemies foreign and domestic.
This oath is more than words, it is the tie that binds Special Agents together and the foundation for the high standards of professionalism that we must satisfy.
The procedures for enforcing these standards are rigorous and effective, and the public can rest assured that the Bureau employs the world’s finest law enforcement professionals.
Attacks on our character and demeaning comments about the FBI will not deter Agents from continuing to do what we have always done—dedicate our lives to protecting the American people.
(Watch how the FBI plays an integral role in the multi-national effort to stem the illegal flow of drugs, much of it bound for the U.S.. Courtesy of the FBI and YouTube)
The true story of the FBI cannot be reduced to partisan talking points.
The true story of the FBI is the work done by nearly 13,000 Special Agents and the 22,000 non-Agent FBI professionals spread around the country and the globe in 56 field offices, 355 resident agencies and over 60 legal attaché offices connected to U.S. embassies.
The true story of the FBI are the partnerships that Special Agents have with State and local law enforcement agencies throughout the country, and the over 50,000 law enforcement executives from the U.S. and over 170 countries who received training at the FBI National Academy.
(Find out about the FBI’s Operational Medicine Program trains and equips special agent medics who provide care in high-stress tactical situations. The Washington Field Office’s training scenarios included car accidents, heart attacks, and a helicopter exercise. Courtesy of the FBI and YouTube)
Ultimately, the true story of the FBI is about real results and not sound-bites, and the Office of the Inspector General’s 2016 annual audit made it clear how effective the FBI’s work can be in just a single year:
- Terrorism—460 disruptions of terrorist plots or organizations
- Counterintelligence—133 counterintelligence cases involving espionage against the U.S.
- Cyber—250 successful disruptions and dismantlements of cyber threats connected to criminal enterprises and national security activities, together with “noteworthy progress towards neutralizing global cybercrime.”
- Criminal enterprises—22 high-priority drug trafficking organizations dismantled and 72 organizations disrupted, 118 violent gang criminal enterprises dismantled and 1,345 gang enterprises disrupted, and 342 white-collar criminal enterprises dismantled
Controversies of the day fade, but the sworn duty of Special Agents endures.
Special Agents are focused on the Constitution and protecting the public. Their work should be recognized, not denigrated.
(Learn about the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team. Federal law enforcement’s only full-time counterterrorism unit. FBI.gov is highlighting the team as it celebrates 30 years of service to the nation. Courtesy of the FBI and YouTube)
The FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) is an organization dedicated to providing support and advocacy to active and former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The pillars of the organization includes internal advocacy, legal representation, a legislative lobbying effort and financial support to agents, offered through both Memorial Scholarship and Member Assistance funds.
The FBIAA was founded over three decades ago in response to the growing recognition that agents needed to join together in order to protect and advance the interests of agents both within the Bureau, as well as in the public domain.
About the Author:
SA Thomas F O’Connor began his Law Enforcement career with local law enforcement in Massachusetts where he served 15 years as a local officer working narcotics investigations ultimately gaining the rank of Detective Sergeant.
SA O’Connor accepted a position as an Agent with the FBI in 1997 and was assigned to the Washington Field Office, Joint Terrorism Task Force after completely training at Quantico.
For the past 20 years SA O’Connor has worked both Domestic and International Terrorism and serves as a Team Leader on the Evidence Response Team.
In this capacity he has deployed to numerous bombings and acts of terrorism in the United States and around the globe.
SA O’Connor was named President of The FBIAA, in October of 2016.
Learn More…
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