Remember Jodi Foster in “Silence of the Lambs?” That she was running in FBI Academy. Where is this FBI Academy?
Well, it is in Virginia off I-95 through the exit signed “Quantico Marine Corps Base.” The most amazing part, to me, was how big this place is. We drove, at about 35 miles an hour, for about half an hour after passing the entrance gate to reach the second gate that check our credentials. Then we drove about 15 minutes to find a unnamed and unmarked building.
Oh, that was not FBI Academy. That compound, god knows how big, hosts many agencies and FBI Academy is only one of them. We heard gun shots and other explosive in the parking lot. We drove past tanks, military trucks, and people in camouflage uniforms. There are communication antenna on buildings that seem very powerful. The moment we entered the building, all cell phones lost all signals, not that we were allowed to bring them in anyway. “If I disappear in here, no one would ever even know.” I thought.
Inside that unmarked and unnamed building with some government employees, one of them commented, “Once you are have absolute physical security, many things become easier.” I sighed silently, “Not even many governments can afford physical security at this level.”
What can I tell you? Yes, the movie was quite realistic.