Expert: Chris Wagoner - 12/15/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hi. I'm 17. I've been thinking of joining the Marine Corps, but have also been giving thought to becoming a police officer, my ultimate goal would to become a SWAT officer. I'm not sure if this is taken into account, but I've played 4 years of football, was a captain on varsity. I'm 6'3" 200 lbs and lift and run daily. I would concider myself to be in very good shape. What are the chances of getting into SWAT? Do you know anything about the US marshals? They're federal right? Would someone interested in become a US Marshal first join law enforcement and then apply? What are the average ages of these men? Thanks for any questions you can answer.

Scott

ANSWER: Hi Scott,

First let me say that a career in the Military is a very Honorable and noble life. I myself would have gone the lifer way had I not been injured while in the military. Its a great a rewarding life to be a career military person. Good for you for even considering it! And you could mix both Law Enforcement and military by going into the Military Police (which I was) and you get the best of both worlds.

You should know that the SWAT/ SRT team is a secondary position, not a full time one. That means that you are a regular patrol officer or detective or whatever, and carry the equipment around in your police car with you and then when they need SWAT/ SRT they "call out" the team via cell phones or pagers and you respond to the scene and change into your SWAT gear. SO you have to understand that your a regular police officer first SWAT/SRT team member second.

Your physical fitness is VERY important when trying out for a SWAT team. Here in my area, the SWAT/SRT tryouts have a physical test component and its not easy. If it was, everyone would do it. Your sports and physical fitness will help you in that area.

As for the US Marhalls. Their primary job is hunting down federal fugitives. And transporting Federal Prisoners to different Federal locations. U.S. Marshals are the nation’s primary fugitive hunting organization and capture more federal fugitives each year than all other national law enforcement agencies combined. In order to be hired by them you have to intern, (http://www.usmarshals.gov/careers/fcip.htm)


Let me say that we really, really, really need former military people to get into law enforcement. They have the self discipline needed and the mind set required, along of course with all the skills in firearms and physical training already instilled in them. They are a great fit. Also the GI benefits pay for the schooling!! I run a police academy in North Central Florida and love it when I get good former military people as recruits. They usually end up as my class leaders and almost always get hired by an agency before they graduate, or very shortly after it.

I would suggest getting a college degree. The Feds, Marshalls, FBI, Secret Service, and others, require a 4 year degree to get hired. Some police agencies at the State, County, and City level require College to get hired. Most do not. But you get extra pay as a police officer for having a degree in Florida. I would highly recommend at least a 2 year, if not a 4 year degree BEFORE you get into law enforcement. The reason I say BEFORE is that it is very hard to get into and stay in school while working a full time, demanding job like law enforcement. I know, I did it and wish I had gone to college first, before I became a cop, it would have been so much easier.

You do not need college to become a SWAT team member, but it goes back to what I said above. If the department requires it, then you would need it to get hired, before you could then try out for the SWAT/SRT team.

At 17 I would recommend that you look at going to college and getting a 4 year degree, or join the military, do your tour, get your GI Bill benefits and then come back and go to college (you can go to a lot of college classes while you are in the military, I got 24 hours worth while I was in and CLEPed out of 12 hours more, CLEP test were free when I took them in the Military) Then Look at if you want to go Federal or State or Local. If your looking for SWAT then a larger city or county department would be your best bet for an active SWAT/SRT team. Large Cities like NY, Miami, and the like have very active SWAT/SRT teams.

I hope this answered most of your questions. If you have any more or need clarification on any please feel free to ask more. I don't mind at all. And stay safe, stay out of trouble (arrest records get you disqualified from police work real fast) and stay away from drugs (that gets you disqualified also) and watch your driving, tickets don't look good on an application either.




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: One more quick question for you. I have a hearing defect I was born with in my left ear. I don't notice that I have trouble hearing, but I have something called a cookie bite...I have trouble hearing the middle tones on hearing tests in only my left ear. I'm afraid that it might disqualify me from joining the military and or law enforcement. Do you know if there is somewhere I can go and get tested, BEFORE I enlist, that way I'll know whether I can get in or not, if I can't get it in I need to enroll at a university. Also, what can you tell me about the military police?

Answer
AS for the law enforcement profession. I do not think this will disqualify you, but you can always call the department you are applying to and ask them if it disqualifies you before you bother to go through all the applications process.

As for the military, here is the regulation for the hearing requirements:
The causes for rejection for appointment, enlistment, and induction (without an approved waiver) are an authenticated history of:

a. Audiometers, calibrated to standards of the International Standards Organization (ISO 1964) or the American National Standards Institute (ANSI 1996), will be used to test the hearing of all applicants.

b. All audiometric tracings or audiometric readings recorded on reports of medical examination or other medical records will be clearly identified.

c. Acceptable audiometric hearing levels (both ears) are:


(1) Pure tone at 500, 1000, and 2000 cycles per second of not more than 30 decibels (dB) on the average (each ear), with no individual level greater than 35dB at these frequencies.

I am not sure what your hearing problem qualifies as, but check the above.

I would call a audiologist and see if they can take those requirements and tell you if your OK or not.

Military Police do three different jobs, Police Patrol (like regular police), they do nuclear weapon security, and they do combat operations (also called RACO, for Rear Area Combat Operations). I did mostly nuke security, and about a year of the patrol. Military police is a great job and I have to say, really prepares you well if you decide to get out and get into civilian policing.

Good luck and I hope it works out for you where you are able to do whatever it is your heart tells you that you should.