Fake guns allowed, but no beards

A review of the Quantico FBI dining hall talks about dress codes

The FBI Academy's dining hall is decorated with oversized flags of all U.S. states. The flags are framed, and attached half way to the very high ceiling. A large flag of the United States, together with the Bureaus logo is attached to the entrance side of the hall (fig. 2). Piles of bread that might have been thought as decoration were eaten within a few days by guests. Since many of the eaters wore brownish pistols, the author did not try to discuss that topic any further. (Later it came out that all painted pistols in the building are fake weapons for beginners.)

The dress code within the eatery is somewhat weird. A sign at the entrance explicitly discourages wearing shorts. Since the clima control sends a cold breeze through the room, and because of the standard training uniform consisting of green shirts and beige field trousers, it is hard to imagine anyone trying to wear shorts (fig. 3). A fashionable item that is a must in the eatery is a neckband saying either FBI Academy (white embroidered letters on blue ribbon band), or FBI National Academy (white on green). The ribbon is designed to hold the student's ID; the ID's allow to open all doors in the building that lead to/from the outside. (Inside the building, the ID's are of no use since inside doors are not closed.) The ID's also provide one with as many free meals as one wishes.

Neither bearded men nor any other photographs are, or were ever present in the eatery. One reason for this might be that the directors of the FBI tend not to wear beards. However, a high incidence of moustaches was observed amongst the (male) eaters.

FBI dress code

I'm watching MSNBC and they're showing some film clips of a search warrant being executed related to the death of the pregnant girlfriend of the cop in Ohio.

Various FBI agents are shown carrying stuff out of the house.

They're wearing t-shirts. They have little FBI logos on one side of the breast area in front and in the back big letter that say FBI Search Team, or something like that. White t-shirts.

In 1968 I was in a car accident in Uvalde, Texas and didn't come to for about 4 days. Within minutes after I woke up there was a Deputy Sheriff and a Texas Ranger in my room who wanted to talk to me about whether I'd been to Mexico recently (in 1968 this was a country of laws and even Texas sheriff deputy's would not search a wrecked car for drugs without probable cause). The deputy was in uniform. The Ranger was in a western-cut business suit. I knew he was a Ranger just by looking at him, from the way he was dressed and the style of that Stetson hat. (Frankly, the idea that a Texas Ranger wanted to talk to me sacred the shit out of me).

You used to be able to pick out FBI agents from the way they dressed and the way they carried themselves. They weren't wearing a t-shirt with some kind of logo on it.

Of course back then either a degree in accounting or law was a requirement for the job. These days they hire people with criminal justice degrees.