Couple questions for you LEOs out there

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I was just wondering....Im seriously considering joining the Military, and wanted to know how well that will increase my chances/likelihood of becoming a LEO as a civilian (outside of the Military)? Also, are there certain parts of the Military, ie Coast Guard, Air Force, Marines...etc that a hiring LE Agency will look at, or does any Military experience help out basically the same?

Reason I ask, is that Im tired of working for a Security company making 8 dollars an hour, pulling between 40 and 64 hours a week for nothing, and I really want to become a LEO (its been my dream since I was like 10) and if going back to school doesnt work out, I always planned to join the Military, and I was talking to someone about the Navy, and it sounded like something I would enjoy, and it actually seemed like a good idea.

Is a college degree just as good as a Military background as far as getting a job as a LEO goes, not necessarily getting anywhere with it?

Im thinking about joining the Coast Guard. I have an appointment with a recruiter on the 29th, and the only way Ill do it, is if I can get in writing a gaurentee of the job I want. I want to be either a Port Security Specialist or a Gunners Mate, in that order. I think a PS would help me a great deal in becoming a LEO as a civilian.

Is the training for Coast Guard any different than Marines or Army...etc? Is their Boot Camp any different? Is it harder or easier? The Coast Guard, Air Force, or Navy are the only 3 I will join. I dont want anything to do with the Marines or the Army, and Coast Guard is my first choice, then Air Force, then Navy.
 
I'm not a LEO but I tried getting into the FBI until they told me to take a hike because I was not fit enough nor had a 4yr degree.

You can enroll in a police academy at a good community college. I know you will get paid for the 6months training, atleast here in CA you will,.. about "$3K a month". Once you graduate, you are almost garanteed a job. LAPD rookies start at $45K/year.
 
Prior Military service is a plus for getting into L/E if you have an Honorable discharge. You also get 10 points added as vets perference 1 time on a civil service exam, if hired. Many but not all of course also like or require a degree. Non require the prior military or degree to be in L/E.

Prior military are liked because a applicant has more life expirence and in general can follow orders. Degrees show you have gone that extra mile.
 
Trapp - Exactly correct!
You will need some college at a minimum, many agencies are requiring at least 2 yrs along with military and some are now requiring 4 yr college degree. LE is a highly competitive field. If you want to make yourself a viable candidate then you need to stand out from the others. College and military is one way of doing that. There could be 100 others applying for just the one LE job that you are applying for. What are you going to do with your life to make you stand out from the other 99? I was involved in applicant backgrounds and testing for several years. We turned down a lot of good people. But we could only take a certain number and even tho good people didn't get hired, they were passed over for people that looked even better.
If you only meet the minimum qualifications, then you only have the minimum chance of getting the job.
 
Let me start by saying I'm not in law enforcement but your comment on the Coast Guard got my attention. My dad served 22 years in the CG and functioned in a variety of LE roles. He got to work with many agencies from Customs, IRS, DEA, FBI, SS. He was a jack of all trades. He loved it. The pay and the benefits are probably better if you take a law enforcement career in the military than in the civilian world. I know the retirement is. Free education, training, can't beat it. There are so many LE roles in the military for those willing to get the education, training, and put in the hard work. There is more than just saluting cars as they drive in the base gate. On some assignments my dad wore civilian clothes and no one even knew he was CG!
 
College and military service are both a big plus in searching for a position as a Peace Officer.

Try for a military position that requires a Top Secret security clearance, that always looks good on your record. I did all my college in the military and they paid the bill. I have an MS, BS and 5 AS degrees ( I was career military). When I retired from the Air Force I had offers coming over the phone.

Another thing you might consider is a few years active service then affiliate with a reserve unit. Many Cops are full time LEOs and also serve in the Reserve or Guard. The benefits to this strategy should be obvious.

Good luck
 
All of these suggestions are excellent, especially to get the degree while serving. When I became an LEO in 1976, the department where I started required 35 college credit hours. Today, it is now 60. Get the education, but also prepare yourself for interviews. Make friends with different LEOs; retirees as well as rookies, if they find you have a real desire, and not just another wannabe, they will help you.
 
go military police and youll have a leg up from the get go. you can be an MP @ 18. you cant be a copt till your 21.
 
I had a very similar conversation with a young army officer a while ago. He is planning on becoming a state trooper when he gets out. Although our conversation didn't yield any ground breaking points, the conclusion I came to was that it would be better to just get a degree in criminal justice if you are trying to become a LEO. With the adult education incentives out there you could do 2 years at a community college and then 2 more at a private or state school pretty cheap.

If you do decide to head off to the military, thanks for protecting my freedoms.
 
Go military police and you'll have a leg up from the get go.
Click to expand...

I never found that to be necessarily true.

Most of the training recieved for MP duty has more to do with rear area combat ops, nuke security, and EPW ops. Most of the LE is done OJT and what little LE training is provided at USAMPS involves the forms and how to do initial an MP report. Nothing I was taught at USAMPS could carry over or be recognized by the Alaska Police Standards Council (POST in other states).

What I did find is that honorable military service shows:

- Committment.
- Ability to work in a team.
- Ability to make it through the stessful structured environment of an academy.
- Ability to follow orders.
- Ability to work under mental and physical stress.

Military service is great. Military service with a degree is better.

If you are interested in military service before going LE, understand that going the MP route may not help as much as you would think.

Since you've eliminated the Army and Marines as possibilities, I would recommend the services in this order for military LE:

- Coast Guard. They claim to be military but they're really DOT and act as federal agents of such.
- Air Farce. They own and have developed most of the LE specialty schools and are attended by all branches of the military. Marine MPs are sent to AF SP school.
-Navy. Has age and rank restrictions on LE.
 
Trapp,

I know you are still military, but I think my point was your placement outside DOD allows you the authority to to provide LE service outside the confines of your base and not step on the toes of Posse Comitatis which requires a higher level of training than your typical MP glorified grunt.

In most cases MP/SPs are really nothing more than an imperial guard for the base/post commander.

I was also trying to reflect that due to the CG mission, the quality of LE training available to the CG was far superior to that offered by other services.

I also know that AK based coasties have been attending the DPS academy.
 
A four or six year degree is important now, because it give you an education equal to a high school degree of forty years ago.

I'm forced to play catch up in education because I didn't get a degree thirty years ago. On the other tentacle you have to keep your opinions to yourself and feed back the crap the teacher gives you. When dealing with government only the degree is the thing, they don't care what it is in or who awarded it. Until you get caught with an uncertified mail order form on the wall.

If you are happy and single take the USCG and as much education as you can get!

Geoff
Who has no regrets. :cool:
 
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