I Shot A Glock!

Our Kiss of Death tour to the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA was AWESOME!!! The people there were great. They gave us fantastic information and answered all our questions. (Well, all the ones they could without giving away classified intel.) And did you know that the FBI Academy shares space in Quantico with the Marines? The property actually belongs to the Marines. The FBI and the DEA just use some of the property.

We went to the shooting range and had a chance to shoot three different weapons- a Glock, a shotgun and I'm sorry I can't remember the last one! I only shot the Glock because, quite honestly, it was all a bit unnerving for me. Until today I'd only held a gun when a friend was giving me a lesson on guns and gun safety. Listening to the shots being fired had me flinching at first, but then it wasn't so unnerving. I won't say I got used to it because I didn't- not in one morning session. I admit the feeling (of power?) was addictive and today's experience has made me interested in learning more and checking out the local firing range for more lessons. It also gave me a deeper respect for the men and women in law enforcement and the military and all they do for us on a daily basis. They carry guns so that people like me don't have to.

Another cool aspect of being a shooting virgin today was that I feel like I have a new understanding of my heroine in Dance Away, Danger. I feel closer to her and her experiences or at least to her feelings during her experiences. I can't wait to toss that into my revisions!

We also got to go to the training place to watch a simulation of the agents arresting someone. Someone commented it was like being on a movie set, watching the actors and waiting for someone to yell "Action!" I kept waiting to see my favorite FBI agents Don Eppes, Colby Grainger and David Sinclair, but none of them showed up! (They must've been listening to Charlie, Amita and Larry explain some math somewhere.)

Then we had a working lunch where we heard a man who was Saddam Hussein's interrogator for 8 months. He was inspirational to hear and the stories of his time with Hussein were moving. In the afternoon we heard from a couple more agents who spoke of espionage and undercover operations. The last part of the day was a short tour around more of the facility (including the Hall of Honor dedicated to agents who lost their lives in the line of duty) and then a trip to the gift shop. Of course I bought a T-shirt, but I'm guessing I shouldn't wear that to the CIA tour on Wednesday!