Age of Field Agents

[klofft]

Does anyone know at what age field agents typically begin their field work? I understand that they might remain in the field to a much older age, but what is the beginning age of field agents?

[Krensky]

Assuming it's typical for intelligence services, the CIA requires a Bachelor's degree and a one year training program, and assumedly requires agents to be eighteen. So barring prodigies, between 23 and 25.

[MKelly]

  I would have to say that Krensky's is on target with his post.

[Krensky]

However, espionage being what it is, I doubt you could make any real hard and fast demographical statements about the typical agent. Nothing I've seen explicitly or implicitly says that a agent fresh out of training and on their first field assignment couldn't be in their fifties or even nineteen (granted, a nineteen year old agent would have had to have graduated high school at the age of, say, fifteen and gotten their undergraduate degree in two years) as long as they can pass the screening, training, and do the job.

[glimmerrat]

I thought a bachelor's degree was 3 years... all the ones i know to are. So, 18 +3 years college +1 year training = 22 at a minimum. As Krensky said, barring freaks and prodigies.

MI6 was advertising in the UK recently for field agents. I had to go and have a look. You'd be surprised at the type of people they look for.

[klofft]

I thought a bachelor's degree was 3 years... all the ones i know to are. So, 18 +3 years college +1 year training = 22 at a minimum. As Krensky said, barring freaks and prodigies.

MI6 was advertising in the UK recently for field agents. I had to go and have a look. You'd be surprised at the type of people they look for.

Do share - what kind of people were they?

[Krensky]

I thought a bachelor's degree was 3 years... all the ones i know to are. So, 18 +3 years college +1 year training = 22 at a minimum. As Krensky said, barring freaks and prodigies.

MI6 was advertising in the UK recently for field agents. I had to go and have a look. You'd be surprised at the type of people they look for.

Different school systems, apparently. It's four here.

[Krensky]

I thought a bachelor's degree was 3 years... all the ones i know to are. So, 18 +3 years college +1 year training = 22 at a minimum. As Krensky said, barring freaks and prodigies.

MI6 was advertising in the UK recently for field agents. I had to go and have a look. You'd be surprised at the type of people they look for.

Do share - what kind of people were they?

Anyone who can meet the requirements. The less they look like a "agent> the better.

[Desertpuma]

This is all correct if looking for an officially trained field agent. Consider those unofficially trained ... like assets in certain underprivileged areas and how they are used, especially in the Middle East or Africa or southeast Asia.

[klofft]

True enough - my original motivation for the question is that my players usually like to find "models" in photos to use for their characters and I was looking for a low-end of the age range.  Still, 23-25 is a bit young for my tastes; I might tell them to look for 28+.

[glimmerrat]

The less they look like a "agent> the better.

Spot on. They recruit a lot of Islamic twenty-somethings. They pay people a small retainer to stay on the books as eyes and ears at street level too. They count as agents! It's like an actual job description.

They apparently give serious points with prior military or police experience. No big whoop there then.

[MilitiaJim]

If they're really keen on military and police service, up the age of your character by 3-10 years.

[Field Agent]

That sounds about right.

[TheTSKoala]

True enough - my original motivation for the question is that my players usually like to find "models" in photos to use for their characters and I was looking for a low-end of the age range.  Still, 23-25 is a bit young for my tastes; I might tell them to look for 28+.

Typically.. you're looking at 4 years (or more) of Military Service, another 2 years (on average) to finish off their BA or BS after leaving the service.  Then you have training.  Ranges from 11 weeks to 68 weeks.  And another 1-2 years on probation.  So... add it all up.. you're looking at a good mean of 26-27 for a 2nd year Agent.  Some older, some younger, but you're about spot on.