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Becoming a LEO 101

Military Service May Actually Hinder You

Turns out military service may actually make it harder to get hired by a LE agency if you tell them you have been in a combat zone. One of my old college prof's is a police chief up north and just told me they had been warned to avoid hiring returning verterans because of ptsd. He advised me that if I apply anywhere I should refrain from telling them anything about where I went or what I did in the military unless they specifically ask.

Anyone know if there's a way a LE agency can find out where you were deployed?
 
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911NeverForget said:
Turns out military service may actually make it harder to get hired by a LE agency if you tell them you have been in a combat zone. One of my old college prof's is a police chief up north and just told me they had been warned to avoid hiring returning verterans because of ptsd. He advised me that if I apply anywhere I should refrain from telling them anything about where I went or what I did in the military unless they specifically ask.

Anyone know if there's a way a LE agency can find out where you were deployed?
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First of all, that's bullshit. Not everyone that deploys comes back with PTSD. :thumbdown

Secondly, finding out you were deployed isn't going to be hard for the background investigator when they start digging into your military history.
 
911NeverForget said:
Turns out military service may actually make it harder to get hired by a LE agency if you tell them you have been in a combat zone. One of my old college prof's is a police chief up north and just told me they had been warned to avoid hiring returning verterans because of ptsd. He advised me that if I apply anywhere I should refrain from telling them anything about where I went or what I did in the military unless they specifically ask.

Anyone know if there's a way a LE agency can find out where you were deployed?
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I thought you were already a cop?
http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=319663&page=3

more BS from you
 
Well I figured they might not dig down to deep and just simply ask me what I did instead...

Kornholio your plump features look rather familiar... but I can't give you to much shit for it.
 
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If anything, there is a legitimate stigma against hiring prior MP's for civilian LEO duty. That I've heard regularly. I'd be more concerned with that then telling them you were deployed anyway. :laughing
 
911NeverForget said:
Of course I'm sure that stigma comes from them having to drag your sloppy ass out of a bar... Intelligence
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The only place in 11 years I've ever been stationed where MP's did anything off the post was in Korea and even then, the courtesy patrol's did all the work and only had a junior enlisted MP with them to make it "legit". :twofinger

Nobody drinks on post unless they're an officer or an idiot.
 
Yeah SF's don't have to do much, but, army MP's have been in combat all over Iraq. I was attached to a marine unit in ramadi and just got back from MP duty in helman province in southern afganistan and I'm getting redeployed there in august. So don't try and tell me MP's never leave the wire. What was your MOS anyway? Intel?
 
911NeverForget said:
Yeah SF's don't have to do much, but, army MP's have been in combat all over Iraq. I was attached to a marine unit in ramadi and just got back from MP duty in helman province in southern afganistan and I'm getting redeployed there in august. So don't try and tell me MP's never leave the wire. What is your MOS anyway? Intel?
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Fixed. :twofinger

I'm a 15U. What is it with your jones with Intel people, anyway?
 
Had to work with them a few times, or should I say tried to get them to work a few times. We ended up driving around iraq half the time with 1 dude per hmv because we couldn't get the intel guys that were stationed with us to go outside the wire.
 
911NeverForget said:
not a civilian cop. I'm an mp, and that stands for military police, not to be confused with the generally arrogant and out of shape civilian counterpart... I'd like to a civilian cop work four 20 hour shifts in a row without overtime pay. THEN I could feel like a "real" cop.
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hmm well your post in the other thread pretty much made it sound like you were a civilian LEO. You definitely sound like the exact opposite of arrogant.....I'll give you the 20 hour shift thing but I'm sure the typical 20 hour shift for MP and a 10 or 12 shift for a "real" cop are vastly different.

If you do decided to try and become an arrogant and out of shape civilian LEO good luck to you.
 
Hey guys. I've been lurking this thread for a while now, but can't quite find an answer to my particular situation.

I've read up on applying to a few different departments and I'm sure I want to do it for the right reasons, so passing the psyc and physical tests don't worry me. Being an officer is the only job that has ever appealed to me, but I have a big concern about the polygraph test.

I had a run in with the 'wrong crowd' a while back, and can't say that my drug test will show up clean. I've smoked some weed and done ecstasy a few times. That phase is definitely behind me now, but even thought I'm on the right path now is it too little too late? I did both of these drugs around the beginning of college (17 - early 19ish?) and now I'm a couple months away from 20. My plan was to finish my AA degree and try to get into an academy around the age of 21.

Have I screwed myself? I know when I apply I'll be honest and tell them what I've done. But I'm worried that in this economy all it takes is one person with the same qualifications as me who hasn't done any drugs, and he'll be picked over me. Also I wouldn't pass that buffer of 2 years needed, so should I wait a year and app?

I've had a couple of tickets, but both along the lines of "no proof of registration" fix-its. I've never had any other kind of run-in with the law and my driving record is squeaky clean (still no accidents *knock on wood*).

Thanks for any and all help. (I know it's odd me asking this on a bike forum haha, but I've been riding dirt for about 4 years are I'm looking to go street this summer, so doing some research :))
 
Alexvance,

This is all just my opinion. I am not a background officer, nor am I in charge of hiring, although I have sat on oral boards and have worked in the business for 14 years with 3 agencies. From your post, seems like it has been less than one year since you have used drugs. That is not good. The ecstasy use could even be disqualifying for some departments. Others might accept this, BUT....

If you are serious about this career and think you have what it takes, you need to put some time between the YOU that you will try to sell and the drug use. You will need patience, for your best bet is trying to get hired in your mid 20s (25), not at 21.

Use the next few years to make yourself an exceptional candidate in every other way. It goes without saying, no more drugs. :cool Instead of an AA, how about a 4-year degree. If that is not your thing, get the AA and maybe consider the military.

And GET LIFE EXPERIENCE. Be responsible in every area of your life.....credit rating, responsible employee, keep the driving record clean, and maybe even do some community volunteer work or volunteer with a local PD. Since you are not 21 yet, no alcohol. You wouldn't want to get popped for minor in possession, or worse, DUI.

If you make yourself the best applicant you can be, and the only real negative is the drug use, you MIGHT have a chance of getting hired somewhere by your mid 20s. Also, considering that on average, only 2% of all LE applicants end up getting hired, a backup plan might be a good idea. :2cents
 
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