Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives "101"

Aug 19, 2024 6:40 PM

Jason Chudy of ATF Seattle Field Division

Jason Chudy is the public information officer for the Seattle Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Jason will discuss the ATF Seattle Field Division Citizens Academy and how to participate in it. The Academy includes a classroom portion at ATF division headquarters in Seattle’s SODO district, with the final day at a firing range and Washington State Fire Training Academy. Participants learn about ATF history; “ATF 101;” firearms and explosives laws and regulations; crime gun intelligence center operations; how the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, known as NIBIN, works to help tie firearm crimes together; ATF’s undercover agent and special response teams programs; and how ATF, and other law enforcement agencies, determine their “use of force” policies. The firing range experience includes handgun and rifle practice, and demonstrations of a semi-automatic handgun with an installed Glock switch, which makes these firearms fire fully automatic – meaning they are machine guns, according to the law.

Jason transitioned to ATF from the Department of Energy’s Office of River Protection in Richland, Wash., where he worked for nearly 2 ½ years. Joining federal service in July 2011, he served as a public affairs specialist at the U.S. Forces Korea/United Nations Command/U.S.-Republic of Korea Combined Forces Command and as the chief of public affairs for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Far East District in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Between April 2009 and June 2011, he served in a variety of public affairs and media-related positions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar with the Department of Defense and NATO, including serving as a counter-improvised explosive device multimedia team program manager in Afghanistan and an Army heavy brigade combat team public affairs specialist in Iraq.

After graduating from high school in May 1988, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving 21 years, mostly overseas, including tours on three aircraft carriers – two of which were based in Japan – and the flagship of the U.S. 6th Fleet in Gaeta, Italy. Jason holds a Master’s Degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma.