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First Office Agents

First Office Agents

By: Scott Moritz
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 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. Social Sciences True Crime
Episodes
  • From Baby Agents to Blue Flamers

    From Baby Agents to Blue Flamers
    Dec 5 2025
    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 just passed the most stringent career screening process that there is. Out of 50,000 applicants a year, we onboard between 400 and 800 new agents a year." I don’t know about you Kevin, but had I known that on the front end, I may not have submitted an application in the first place. And during the course of the lengthy recruiting process that for me lasted 16 months from beginning to end, you are periodically told that the odds are against you for various reasons. I’m not sure those seemingly casual remarks that were directed at both Kevin and me as it turns out, weren’t a part of the weeding out process. Or it could be paranoia. Before planning this episode, Kevin and I hadn’t really talked about our recruitment and academy experiences much. And it was funny to learn that we both went through a similar psychological process.
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    44 mins
  • Informants and the Bad Choices They Make

    Informants and the Bad Choices They Make
    Oct 13 2025
    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 a series of bad choices coupled with an extra helping of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. One could argue that the decision to become an informant is just the latest in a series of bad decisions. I say that now because my performance evaluation is no longer dependent on source development. Otherwise, I would probably place more emphasis on the many positive aspects of playing for Team USA.
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    21 mins
  • Complaint Duty: Tin Foil Hats and Elvis’s Love Child

    Complaint Duty: Tin Foil Hats and Elvis’s Love Child
    Aug 5 2025
    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 unfold. This vital function is referred to as complaint duty, and the person designated to receive complaints serves as the Duty Agent. Duty Agents receive information from the public and from other law enforcement agencies. They assess information, determine what action(s) should be taken in response.
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    28 mins
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