The Millstone Times February 2019

Secret Agent Man By Pam Teel

Michael H. (can’t give you his name, might have to kill you, lol) worked for the Secret Service Agency for a few years. He had always wanted to work in law enforcement in some capacity. When he noticed an ad on Instagram, of all places, saying they were recruiting,; he thought it was fake, but sent a resume in anyway. When he actually heard back and received an invitation for an interview; he was floored. Soon one interview led to many others. After extensive testing, written examinations, polygraph tests, questions about his past, stress tests, home interviews to see how he lived, numerous checks of his stability and his background, personality checks with friends and neighbors, any criminal records he might have had, even things that might have happened in the past like fights at school, or other circumstances, he got the job. Lesson to be learned from Michael, what you do in your youth might affect whether you get in or not. Say if you get into a fight one night when you got drunk at a high school party or you’re on someone else’s website looking drunk and out of control and they learn of this, it could count against you. Even your credit scores and if you’re late on loan payments, could make a difference in whether you get hired or not. So try to make good decisions in your youth because one day they might come back to haunt you. A career with Secret Service offers one-of-a-kind training, a high level of responsibility and

a future as you continuously apply new skills, making a positive impact in one of the nation’s most important federal law enforcement areas. You’ll join an organization with more than 140 years of experience building highly skilled teams worthy of trust and confidence. The Secret Service employs approximately 3,200 special agents, 1,300 Uniformed Division officers, and more than 2,000 other specialized administrative, professional and technical support personnel. The secret service is not just men in suits and ties. There are different divisions you could work under. Special agent- The U.S. Secret Service recruits personnel of the highest caliber to carry out its integrated missions of investigation and protection. The job of special agent offers qualified men and women a challenging and fulfilling career. While the executive protection mission is known worldwide, the U.S. Secret Service’s investigative mission continues to grow due to developments in technology. Special agents investigate violations of laws relating to financial crimes such as credit card and access device fraud, as well as computer-based attacks on the nation’s banking and telecommunications. In the field of protection Secret Service special agents develop and implement innovative strategies to mitigate threats to our nation’s leaders. They are trained in investigations such as threats against the President and Vice President, and more. The Uniformed Division’s mission is to protect facilities and venues secured for U.S. Secret Service protectees. Today, the Uniformed Division has grown both in size and scope of responsibility and is mandated by law to provide physical security for the White House Complex, U.S. treasury, Eisenhower Executive office Building, and the Vice President’s residence at the Naval Observatory. It also provides security for the foreign diplomatic missions in Washington, D.C. This division is more protection based, like a traveling police force. They deal more with arrests techniques, civil rights, and physical security. They are trained to defend the President and V.P. on foreign and domestic soil. SO Special Officers-special officers perform a wide range of security functions and support assignments as part of the protective mission for the Secret Service. Assignments may include maintaining designated protective security posts; inspecting all operational, safety, emergency, and convenience equipment of protective vehicles to ensure peak operating condition; driving protective vehicle or follow-up; controlling the movement of persons into and around multiple Secret Service facilities and associated areas; monitoring and operating various communications equipment and employing various advanced x-ray screening technologies in order to detect and identify high-risk items. Special officers are authorized to make arrests in connection with their official duties. Administrative, Professional, and Technical Secret Service -APT employees play a critical role in ensuring the Service’s overall success. They are always looking for talented, diverse individuals from all segments of the American society to serve within the ranks of their administrative, professional and technical (APT) occupations. According to Michael, the Secret Service looks for a type of person that pretty much has a squeaky clean record. They want someone with stability who can handle different circumstances. You are there to do a job, know your place with high-ranking officials, not to idolize those you protect. They like someone who is highly organized, can control their temper, and can be respectful to diplomats of other countries. Though it’s not impossible to get a job, be prepared to have your whole life picked apart. You need to be that type of person who won’t crack under pressure, will not be afraid to step in to protect our leaders, no matter the consequences, and most importantly can handle being away from your family for long periods of time. They look for people with different backgrounds such as degrees in Engineering, criminal justice, secretarial skills, etc, depending on what you are applying for. It requires you to live within a twenty-mile radius of your assignment. Yes, you might travel to foreign countries and see a bit of the world, but there is not a lot of down time in between. It’s like you are always on duty. You really need to make a commitment because the job can take a toll on a young family as it did with Michael. He was happy that he was able to serve his country in many different ways but once he had a child, he was torn in two different directions and he decided to resign. His suggestion to you, make sure you are ready to devote most of your time to your job. Think about the risks of being away from your family at long lengths of time before you apply. Circumstances can change, as they did for him. Keep focused on your goal, you can do it, but remember what you do in your youth can make a difference in whether you get hired or not. If this is your dream, you can apply online at: https://www.secretservice.gov/join/careers/

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The Millstone Times

February 2019