Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

WASHINGTON — The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) graduated its fourth special agent basic training class for fiscal year 2014 today at ATF’s National Academy, located at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Ga. The newly graduated 44 men and women of class 1405 underwent an intensive 14-week ATF special agent training program following a 12-week Criminal Investigator Training Program conducted by FLETC. The training provides the necessary skills and knowledge a special agent needs to successfully perform the job of an ATF criminal investigator.

“This class and those before it are producing the best of the best criminal investigators going after the worst of the worst violent offenders,” said ATF Director B. Todd Jones. “ATF’s National Academy takes great pride in effectively delivering and instilling training and tools that our investigators will take with them and use in the fight against violent crime to keep our citizens and communities safe.”

This coming fiscal year ATF plans to hold five more agent classes to help aid with the attrition problem plaguing the agency. Of the agency’s approximate 2,460 agents about 20 percent are eligible to retire. A total of 115 special agents have graduated from the four classes for fiscal year 2014. The classes bring a combined 750-plus years of local, state and federal law enforcement experience, along with more than 450 years of military experience across all branches of service. Approximately 20 percent of ATF employees are veterans.

The diverse training requirements for ATF special agents sets them apart from other agencies as they receive training in not only firearms, but arson and explosives and the industries regulated by ATF. Agents are trained in the areas of weapons systems, firearms safety and regulations, firearms and criminal violations, firearms trafficking, search warrants, the Gun Control Act, inspections of licensee premises, arson and explosives, case management, alcohol and tobacco diversion, tactical, use of force, and physical conditioning are among the many areas covered throughout the training.

The ATF Academy provides specific training that combines new technologies with proven law enforcement expertise and is sanctioned by the Federal Law Enforcement

ATF National Academy also trains the agency’s industry operations investigators (IOI), who are vital to ATF’s regulatory mission. Their training consists of a 10-week program designed to give IOIs the basic skills in interviewing, fireworks and explosives compliance inspections, firearms qualifications, firearms trafficking, and firearms revocation hearings. IOI trainees are instructed with an emphasis on the laws and regulations related to each of ATF’s regulated industries.

ATF is a law enforcement agency within the U.S. Department of Justice that is dedicated to preventing violent crime. More information on ATF and its programs can be found at www.atf.gov.