Transitioning to the U.S. Naval Reserves, James Feldkamp soon joined the FBI as a Special Agent in Norfolk, Virginia. He was instrumental in establishing the Tidewater Joint Terrorism Task Force and also served as one of three pilots overseeing aerial surveillance of criminal and terrorist suspects. In 2004, he pursued political ambitions, running as the Republican nominee for Oregon's District 4 Congressional seat in both the 2004 and 2006 elections.
After his political campaign, Feldkamp was recalled to active duty in 2007 to assist in setting up what would become the National Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office (NMIO). His academic career also flourished as he took on adjunct professor roles at prestigious institutions like George Washington University, George Mason University, and Georgetown University, focusing on terrorism and security studies. He also authored and edited the textbook "Theory and Politics of Terrorism," enhancing his reputation as a subject matter expert.
Professionally, James's roles have been diverse and impactful. Since 2017, he has been the Lead Consultant at Complete Threat Preparedness, Inc., where he provides specialized training and consultancy. He also engages in freelance editing at Reedsy, focusing on terrorism and intelligence content. His adventurous spirit shone through as he participated in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race from 2018 to 2022, a testament to his resilience and pursuit of challenging experiences.
As a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Norfolk, Virginia, he was affiliated with the United States Naval Reserves. Feldkamp was a founding member of the Joint Counter Terrorism Task Force and one of three pilots in the Norfolk office that conducted aerial physical surveillance of criminal and terrorist suspects as a side job. He resigned from the FBI in 2004 to run for Oregon's District 4 Congressional seat as a Republican candidate in both the 2004 and 2006 election seasons.
He was recalled to active Navy reserve duty in 2007 to assist in the establishment of the precursor office to NMIO, where he was in charge of coordinating all domestic and international non-classified information sharing among US federal government agencies, foreign governments, and the international maritime shipping industry in order to improve maritime security and domain awareness. Feldkamp is currently working at Georgetown University as a Subject Matter Expert on a course called "Terrorism and Unconventional Threats." He has taught undergraduate courses in domestic and international terrorism as an adjunct professor at George Mason University and George Washington University. He wrote and edited a university textbook on "Theory and Politics of Terrorism" for Cognella Academic Publishing.