veteran having trouble transferring job skills into civilian world.

[Wetawde87]

What's up guys... Is there anything similar to what SWAT does? Like with Homeland Sec, DEA or anything "hi speed" I guess. Where I don't have to spend x amount of years waiting to actually work. I recently left the Army as an Infantryman and I would like to do something similar as a civilian I'm located around New Orleans. Any info/advice will be greatly appreciated!

 

[Trey@IG]

ever thought of defense contractors? ive heard several times in the past few months that triple canopy is hiring

http://www.triplecanopy.com/careers/

 

[Wetawde87]

Yea I looked into that... Only thing is the distance it's in Zachary and I don't wanna deploy. I have a baby boy now and would like to stay as close to home as possible. Guess I "can't have the cake and eat it too" though.

 

[LA_LEO]

From personal experience, you're gonna have to earn your keep with any LEO Dept that you go to. It's very seldom that you walk on to any SWAT Team as a rookie at a Dept. Best thing to do if you want to make a carrer as a LEO, make sure that's what you want to do! It's not just a job, it's a calling. Then get hired on, do your probation time with out any major flaws. Then see about applying for a SWAT posistion. I know my Dept uses the Coopers Standards for LEO to judge your physical aptitude. If you want to be on the team, you have to pass with 60% or better in all three categories. Then you are compared to the rest of the team to see where you fall amongst the team.

I'd be very careful with doing contract work. It's a very lucrative business. There are a bunch of ways to get screwed by Uncle Sam the tax man if you don't know what you're doing. Then again, you have to pass the companies indoctrine and their hiring process the same. I have buddies that do that kind of work, it's only for a single man looking to make some cash! They mostly work 3 months on and 1 month off with a 1 year contract.

Hope this gives you some insight on a future after the Army. The way America is going, they don't want any trained killers in society. They feel that the wolf will never attack the sheep if they stay in a pack. Therefore we as sheepdogs get shunned upon for doing their dirty work! Oh well, time will prove our worth.

 

[some_goat]

U could always use your G.I Bill , roughly $1200 a month full time student . Do that and work a decent part time job till u land something for money or a good career . Gets you an education and may broaden your horizons . Combat MOS's in Civilian Life alot of times are based on State and Fed jobs , which right now arent all to good . Someone plz correct me if im wrong . 10th MNT INF represent

 

[Wetawde87]

Thanks bro I don't want to send this thread in a different direction but I hear a lot of bad things from my cop buddies about the deptartments around here... Particularly JPSO and NOPD. That kinda put a bad taste in my mouth. I just wanna work with guns and good ppl and maybe rope out of a bird every now and then.

 

[Wetawde87]

10th MNT huh? I had a buddy that deployed with them...by chance - Sgt. Ivory. Anyway I'm using the GI Bill now it's great money but only temporary... 36 months. So I'm basically doing exactly what you suggested. Paying bills with that until I can get in somewhere.

 

[BOSS302]

Thanks bro I don't want to send this thread in a different direction but I hear a lot of bad things from my cop buddies about the deptartments around here... Particularly JPSO and NOPD. That kinda put a bad taste in my mouth. I just wanna work with guns and good ppl and maybe rope out of a bird every now and then.

Your going to find that with every department that exists. Don't shy away because someone you know said something. I know some great people that work for both JP and NOPD.

Feel free to PM me with any questions you might have with JPSO and I will try and answer them as best as I can.

 

[Trey@IG]

just throwing more things out there in case is sparks anything -- border patrol ive heard does some pretty fun stuff if you would be up for relocating or maybe you can find a job as a civilian working for DoD doing some kind of training at one of the bases around here?

 

[some_goat]

Naw , dont know the man . My time with the G.I.BILL is almost done . But hopefully i can do something with the degree when i get it . My method is 2 days a week if possible and work the rest . When i got out , after dealing with Iraqi's who couldnt speak English i didnt want to deal with ppl who could barely speak it . So being a cop was out of the question for me . Many other jobs where u can still carry a weapon are on a hiring freeze or a waiting list . If i remember correctly U.S.Marshels is a 2 yr waiting list , hell the T.S.A is a year long hiring process . If u like u could try to go on a reserve for some Law enforcement agency to get some taste in that field . Try that so u dont get rusty . As i said before use that G.I.BILL to your advantage , not necessarily an education but maybe a trade skill . Remember how many of us from the 11B are out an looking for jobs . I can imagine a lot of competition with all the budget cuts and what not going on . If i ever get my fat ass back in shape i was thinking going gaurd as an officer . Depending on how long you have been in and out u may end up missing it .

 

[Russo]

Coast guard?

 

[some_goat]

Coast guard?

The dude just got out the military , looks like he trying to stay civilian .

 

[Wetawde87]

Thanks guys... I appreciate the feed back

 

[kcinnick]

Walmart hires military guys with no other experience on as managers, you can't carry a gun but it is like working in a war zone.

 

[some_goat]

Lets see. Wall Mart. Over worked and under paid. Its like u never left the service. My wife was a manager at the Central Wal mart

 

[Wetawde87]

I dread a trip to Wally world. I couldn't imagine being stuck their everyday. Talk about misery!

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

There is no civilian work as an Infantryman. IF you want to be a Cop you need to start on the ground floor and learn. Your background will help but Cop Work ain't Infantry work.

 

[Just A Number]

I see a lot of new people come in focused on special positions(SWAT, Detective, CSI). The people who are truly great in those positions have one thing in common...they were all good street cops. There are really only two jobs in LE patrol, and supporting patrol.

There is no short road to "cool guy" status jobs in LE. If you are applying with any agency make sure you want to BE a police officer, because no matter your assignment this month you will spend your career in and out of patrol. I'd highly recommend that you take a hard look at what you want out of LE and be honest with yourself. If you're looking to be high speed instead of a good cop you will be doing yourself, your community and your agency a disservice. Be a hard working street cop first. Prove yourself as a team player with your co-workers. Don't slack off your workload on others. Be physically fit, tactically proficient. Take training whenever you can, even if it means doing so on your own time and your own dime. Don't be a "9 to 5" cop. SWAT requires a lot of extra time, well beyond the standard duty day. There is typically a minimum of 5 years on the agency before you will be considered for a special assignment. YMMV but then you are probably at the wrong department in that case as they are setting you up for career failure the first time you hit a court room after a SWAT response with no understanding of how the system or your department works. Shooting policy, Use of Force policy, Less Lethal policies, etc. if you don't have a practical grasp on your Department policy how can you apply it or explain it in court? 11B, education, intent, stuff on your belt, etc does not make up for inexperience. Only experience makes up for it. If you do decide to join, you'll have a seat to the greatest, most bizarre show on earth...enjoy it.

As to the contractor work. The job/contract pool out there is tight, there are hundreds of 11B guys with combat tours hitting the market now. WPPS jobs are drying up, if you're looking for something in the biz you'll have better luck with instructor certs and mentoring type background. Do you qualify for the 3C instructor jobs in Zachary or did you just look into them? (That's rhetorical don't answer as it's not my business just asking you questions to get you thinking). These are the types of jobs that most of the recent monster contracts are looking for, if you don't meet the quals steer clear of contract work for the near and far future; baseline work is drying up FAST.

 

[Edmond]

I just had a soldier ETS. He was 11B. Long term, he wants to get into LE but realizes the process is long so he's going to work a "regular" job until his time comes. A few months before he ETS'd, he started putting his resume together and other documents together. Started sending out his resume and had a job lined up for him before he even ETS'd. A week before he ETS'd, an employer was calling to see if he was back in Chicago yet because he wanted to meet him.

I'm not sure how the hiring process is down here but back at home, average wait was probably a year and that was for patrol officer. And having been in the military yourself, you know that to move up, you have to have so much TIG, TIS, boards, etc...

I'm sure you'll get on, it's just a matter of going through the processes and the time it will take.

 

[kcinnick]

I dread a trip to Wally world. I couldn't imagine being stuck their everyday. Talk about misery!

Oh, the schedule is 3 on and 3 off or 4 on 4 off, but you still dread a trip to "Wally Wally Wally World".