ability to represent the interests of the United States abroad. All DSS special agents have at least a four-year bachelor's degree, and most have graduate and/or post-graduate degrees. Agent candidates must be under the age of 37 at the time of commissioning, unless granted a waiver due to prior military service. Training After a new agent candidate is hired, he or she begins a nearly nine-month training program that includes the Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) (pronounced flet-see) in Glynco, Georgia; a Basic Special Agent Course (BSAC) at the Diplomatic Security Training Center, and courses at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) in Arlington, Virginia. After completion of all initial training, agents are required to pass quarterly re-qualifications on their duty weapons, which include the Glock 19M, Colt Sub Machine Gun, the Mk18 rifle, and Remington 870 shotgun. A new training facility that will consolidate DSS' various training venues is located at FT Pickette VA. A new special agent is usually assigned to a domestic field office for two to three years before taking on an overseas assignment, although an agent can expect to be sent on frequent temporary duty assignments overseas even when assigned to a domestic post. However, agents may be called overseas much earlier depending on the needs of DSS. As members of the Foreign Service, agents are expected to spend most of their career living and working overseas, often in hazardous environments or less developed countries throughout the world. Basic Special Agent Course (BSAC) (including FLETC): 6 months Basic Regional Security Office Course (RSO School): 3 months (ATLaS): 10.5 weeks Language Training: 2–12 months per language Basic Field Firearms Officer Course (BFFOC): 2 weeks High Risk Environment Firearms Course (HREFC): 3 days Weapons When assigned to the United States special agents are authorized to carry firearms both on and off duty and when assigned overseas are authorized to carry firearms when approved by the chief of mission. Standard issue: Glock 19M (9mm pistol – primary) Glock 26 Gen 4 (9mm pistol – secondary & off-duty) Remington 870 (12 gauge shotgun) Colt M4 (5.56mm Carbine) Former weapons included the SIG P228 (9mm pistol), SIG P229 (9mm pistol), Uzi submachine gun, the Ruger Mini-14 carbine, and the Colt SMG (9mm submachine gun). Stockless or "shorty" versions of the Remington 870 shotgun may still be found in