2014JULAUG

www.fbinaa.org

J U L 2 0 1 4 A U G

THE HISTORIAN’S SPOTLIGHT

by Terry Lucas

We Often Overlook the Obvious

A s the FBI National Academy Historian I have had the opportunity to meet and write about some really great men and women who have graduated from the FBI National Academy but only recently discovered the obvious. As my bride Judy often tells me when I am looking for something in the refrigerator “It is right there next to the butter!” While working on the next reunion of my “Baghdad Buddies” whom I served with in Iraq for the prosecution of Sadaam Hussein, I was made aware of my old partner, Marty Briscoe , having graduated from the 89th Session of the FBI National Academy in June of 1972. The 89th Session was the last Session to attend class in the Washington, D.C. area as the 90th Session was the first class to attend the Academy at Quantico.

January 2001 and then began working for the United States Attorney’s Office in Arkansas as the Law Enforcement Coordinator and then the Intelligence Specialist. After realizing the significance of Marty’s attendance at the last NA class to be held in DC I called and had a series of questions for Marty about his NA Experience back in 1972. Marty advised he had been an officer (and newly appointed detective) with the Russelville Police Department for five years and eight months when he was selected to go to the National Academy. At the time of his selection he had been working with FBI Special Agent Joe Phillips in attempting to get training and more organiza- tion for himself and the Police Department. The Russelville PD was typical of many small (and some not so small!) agencies of the time in they had little formal training or in-service training. The Russelville Police Chief, Howard Spinks , was a proponent of more training for his department and also wanted to organize the department in the most professional way possible. The Chief and young detective Briscoe got along very well and Marty was selected to go to the NA to further, not only himself, but also the department! The trip to Washington, DC in the spring of 1972 was made non-stop in the pick-up truck of Oklahoma City Police Officer Tony Hyde . They managed to arrive on time and not get lost along the way! This is pretty good considering the road network at the time and much prior to any GPS System! After arrival in DC, Marty, Tony Hyde and Dick Carbery of the Onondaga County New York Sheriff’s Office were assigned to share an apartment in Arlington, Va. The NA personnel were provided with per-diem at the time and had to furnish all of their own meals although they did often eat lunch in the DOJ cafeteria. Their classes were held in “the old Post Office Building” or in the DOJ building itself. The FBI at that time was also in the DOJ building as the Hoover building was not complete. The 89th Session was divided into two “Sections” of 50 men each. There were only two Sessions a year in those days, one in the Spring and one in the Fall. There were no NA colored polos in those days but a student had to wear semi-formal attire. The only clothing requirement was for khakis on the firing range down at Quantico. PT was basically non-

(L-R) Terry Lucas, Marty Briscoe.

Marty and I were inseparable while serving together in Baghdad in the 2005-2006 time frame. We were part of a small group of personnel from the Department of Justice various US Attorneys’ Offices through- out the United States whom had volunteered to assist the Iraqi judiciary in prosecuting Sadaam Hussein and a number of his associates. I knew that Marty had attended the FBI National Academy while he was a young detective from the Russellville, Arkansas Police Depart- ment (he was only 26 years old) but he seldom spoke of his experience. I found out eventually that on June 30th, 1975 he had resigned from the Russelville Police Department and started a 26 year career with the United States Secret Service. He retired from the Secret Service in

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