Imagine walking the streets of Washington during the night and seeing a man in a large trench coat carrying a gun.  Moments later you watch in complete awe as this man is taken down by plain clothed agents.   The next morning you are in a busy Washington park and suddenly see a man waving a gun and running through the crowd.   This too is quickly followed by agents confronting the man and taking his weapon away.

Every day in Washington the CIA, FBI, and other government agents run mock-up threat drills all throughout Washington.  They do these to train new agents how to respond in the field.  They do this by having their actors portray criminals amongst the public.  This is thought to add a sense of unique realism to the training.

The actors are generally portrayed by retired Navy SEALs or other retired government agents.  A general actor can’t apply for these unique role-playing positions.   Navy SEALs use their years of training to blend in with crowds to make it harder for the in-training recruits to spot them.  In fact, the majority of role-playing actors used in these mock drills are comprised of ex Navy SEALs.

Many of them do it for the thrill and the rush that comes with switching roles and playing a Villain, while others do it solely to further serve their country when they have retired from the Navy SEALs.