Our Interview With Charles Anderson, FBI special agent

Q. Do you consider your career to be adventurous? What aspects make it adventurous?

A. Every investigation is an adventure. Some of the most adventurous times in my career were when I was assigned to a drug squad. Drug busts, searches, and arrests are very adventurous. I am a part-time pilot for the FBI. I fly surveillance missions with other agents in support of different investigations.

Q. In the years that you have worked what changes has your career went through?

A. The most profound changes in my career have come in the areas of computers. When I first started as an FBI agent in 1978, typewriters were used to write all reports. Financial analysis was done an sheets of accounting paper. Today, software programs handle both word processing and financial analysis as well as many other types of applications used in investigative work.

Q. In the next few years what changes do you see in your career. Do you see more or less adventurous changes coming in your career?

A. The biggest change will be my retirement in 6 years. I will be eligible to retire at age 50. At that point my goal is to go into business for myself as a financial investigative consultant.

Q. What is the most rewarding part of your career?

A. the most rewarding part of my job is when a criminal leads guilty.

Q. If you could describe your job in one word what would it be?

A. Exciting!

Q. What do you do on a daily basis? What do you do in Washington, D.C.?

A. On a daily basis I am either conducting interviews relating to an investigation or analyzing financial records. Recently I have been traveling to Miami and New York working on a money laundering investigation. As investigations proceed, I provide the results of the investigation to a federal grand jury. In the past I have been a pilot for the FBI providing for various types of investigations. Many of my interviews are done in Washington, D.C. and the federal grand jury as well as the federal court house are located there.

Q. What is the most adventurous thing that you have ever done.

A. The most adventurous thing I have ever done is probably flying a surveillance mission for the FBI. I have also participated in numerous search warrants. These have been in connection with both narcotics and white-collar type cases.

Q. Does your job require any nigh risk maneuvers?

A. For 9 years I was assigned to a drug squad. Drug raids and arrests were a part of our job on a regular basis.

Q. How do you handle stress generated by your career if any?

A. I am a firm believer in keeping fit. I usually make it to the gym at least three a week to lift weights. I also run three to four times a week, usually about 2 miles.

Q. Do you look forward to getting up and going to work in the morning?

A. I look forward to going to work each day because something interesting is always happening with one of my cases or other cases being worked on by my squad.

Q. Does your career involve lots of traveling or not?

A. With the exception of the trips I mentioned above I usually don't do much traveling. There are FBI offices located throughout the United States and it is much more cost effective to ask an agent in another city to do an interview for you rather than traveling there yourself to handle the matter for you.

Q. How do others rely on you on the job?

A. I have a young training agent who depends on me for advice on investigative matters. I also provide financial analysis instruction at the FBI academy and students rely on me for training to utilize certain software programs to assist in their investigations.

Q. What does your family think about you being an FBI agent?

A. My family is very proud of my career in the FBI.