Expert: Jack Toomey - 2/14/2008

Question
Hi- my husband is a special forces communications sgt.(E7) in the US army- he is contemplating getting out completely and we're considering all options...including law enforcement, since that is what he wanted to do prior to enlisting.  He has 15 years in (he's almost retired...we know...) but he's had it with the uprooting and moving back and forth, etc.  We want to plant roots.  Anyhow, with his specialized training (ranger, SF, commo, combat diver) what are some options that the police department could afford us?  He is 35- in the best shape of his life (great shape- runs over 30 miles a week) so what would you recommend???  Thanks so much in advance!

Answer
Hi Melissa,

  Your husbands military career certainly is not going to hurt him.  In the "old days" they would never consider a recruit over thirty years old but these days it seems that half of the recruit class is thirty years or older.

  Assuming that he is hired and makes it through the academy he will spend more than a few years in uniform working the street learning everything that he needs to know for more specialized assignments.  But if you are going to be living in an area with a lot of water, and the departments have divers, then his proficency in that area certainly would help him get into a specialized unit sooner.

  When you figure out where you are going to live then he probably should start making inquiries about what departments are hiring, etc.  And a word of advice.......try to avoid these parts of the country that have private police academies where you actually pay to attend and graduate with a certificate and no job.  To me it is a scam but there are places in this country where they operate this way.  I guess it saves the individual departments money since they don't have to build their own academies but I know a girl who paid three thousand dollars for tuition for one of these places and five years later is still looking for a job in law enforcement because no department will hire her.