CBP officer

[aa737mia]

Hey guys, when you are at FLETC are you allowed to go to the range after class or during the weekend and practice shooting at your own time?

No, they only give you extra practice if your score's are consistently poor ~60% (~80% is pasing). My wife and several others in her class asked, they said not necessary. They all failed the initial Qual. They all passed the re-qual. THEY ALL went out and shot on their own!

[kc12]

No, they only give you extra practice if your score's are consistently poor ~60% (~80% is pasing). My wife and several others in her class asked, they said not necessary. They all failed the initial Qual. They all passed the re-qual. THEY ALL went out and shot on their own!

The only time there is extra practice and instruction is if you fail to qualify. I'll wager the number of failures have gone down drastically now that the CBP course has been implemented at FLETC. Most of the rounds are now shot at or from less than 7 yards. Really at the 7 yard line aiming can be optional. At the 3 yard line aiming isn't required, just look at where you want to hit, point there, and shoot. Assuming proper trigger control, you will hit very close to where you are looking/pointing.

My philosophy is, if you are training for the world, shooting at the 3 yard line no aiming should be taking place (this is one of the changes that can be done at your port, but not FLETC if your new to shooting). Most police shootings occur within 7-10 feet. There isn't any time for aiming, if an attacker is coming at you. You have time to draw and fire that is it. You don't even have time to bring your weapon up to eye level. I've gone as far as 15 yards without aiming, but my grouping is too large for my comfort and I wouldn't do it on a living moving target. At my last agency we fired from the holster two rounds in either two or three seconds at the three yard line. Basically we had enough time to draw and shoot twice without aiming.

The only positive thing going to a range before the academy without instruction will accomplish is getting over nerves about shooting a pistol. Without the instruction you will most likely have to change the way you hold the firearm, change your stance, change the bad habits you started to form, etc. You might do better by going to the range before the academy, but odds are you will have to change what you learned before the academy when you get to the academy. For an experienced shooter it probably won't be an issue, for those just starting out it could be a big obstacle to overcome. I would work more on hand strength. The lighter the trigger feels the less likely you will start shaking from the pull of the trigger (it's not that heavy to begin with).

[co94]

My BI was with the Department of Treasury. He met me at my house. He complimented me for dressing in a full suit and tie. He said, a lot of applicants don't dress to impress and that speaks to the integridy of the applicant.

Mine told me he would be by sometime during the week. Called me 15 minutes before he showed up to say he was in the neighborhood and asked if it was alright for him to come now. I was outside mowing my lawn when he called and just finishing when he showed up. It was mid July, so no suit and tie while mowing. He spoke to my wife, me and about six or seven neighbors that weren't on the list. He had asked me before hand if he could do that. I told him he could speak to anyone in my neighborhood. He left without saying goodbye, then called me 2 days later and said "I am done with you. As far as my report is concerned, you should have no problems in the hiring process." That was on 7-31-08(on or around). On 8/8/08 I was in TSU.

[merlin436]

All these firearms related postings(yes...mine too) are getting too much...if you ask me.

This is an unsecured site. Who knows who might be reading it? There are people out there who don't like LE and might be here looking for ways to gain advantage. Do we really need to be discussing how we qual, where we qual from, yada yada, etc?

If you're an applicant...wait. It'll come. There's no need for you to know everything 8 months in advance. Work on your pre-hiring needs at the moment, the rest can and probably should wait.

[Drew23]

Hey guys, when you are at FLETC are you allowed to go to the range after class or during the weekend and practice shooting at your own time?

They actually just opened an indoor range about 10min away from FLETC called Shooters of America. It's right past the entrance to the 95. A few of us from my ICE class went there to practice before qual day.

[IronHorse0311]

Hey everyone....I have been reading about all of these postings about shooting. Some of this stuff sounds like an eight year old who is scared to fly because he threw up on a plane once before. He gets so worried about it prior to the flight, by the time he gets on the plane he knows he is going to throw up.

Look guys....take it from a Marine Sniper who never fired a gun before boot camp. Listen to what the instructors have to say and most importantly relax and BREATHE.

If you are worried about it now, think about how you will feel on the firing line. Also, if you try to go to someone else to help prior to the academy and you don't know the exact course of fire on the CPBO range, you are only going to freak yourself out more. You will earn the basics and fundamentals from some of the best firearms instructors there are. But more importantly, you will be doing it their way. The way they want to see you qualify. My suggestion...save your money on range time, rounds, and renting guns ...Relax, wait until you get there and LEARN LEARN LEARN. Stop psyching yourselves out by worrying so much. It will only hurt you in the end.

[kc12]

...Listen to what the instructors have to say and most importantly relax and BREATHE.

If you are worried about it now, think about how you will feel on the firing line. Also, if you try to go to someone else to help prior to the academy and you don't know the exact course of fire on the CPBO range, you are only going to freak yourself out more. You will earn the basics and fundamentals from some of the best firearms instructors there are. But more importantly, you will be doing it their way. The way they want to see you qualify. My suggestion...save your money on range time, rounds, and renting guns ...Relax, wait until you get there and LEARN LEARN LEARN. Stop psyching yourselves out by worrying so much. It will only hurt you in the end.

+1

I sang stupid songs to myself between shooting just to keep it light, and my mind of the sprained wrist made worse from shooting.

[NAL06]

I've gathered that joining the CBP's union, NTEU, is optional. I'm new to the union thing, so I decided to read up on some of the benefits. Why would CBPO's not join?

[aa737mia]

All these firearms related postings(yes...mine too) are getting too much...if you ask me.

This is an unsecured site. Who knows who might be reading it? There are people out there who don't like LE and might be here looking for ways to gain advantage. Do we really need to be discussing how we qual, where we qual from, yada yada, etc?

If you're an applicant...wait. It'll come. There's no need for you to know everything 8 months in advance. Work on your pre-hiring needs at the moment, the rest can and probably should wait.

http://www.fobp.us/Files/Docs/GovPol...s%20Policy.pdf

All this stuff is on the Web. It may be old, but contains the course of fire.

Good information here also:

http://www.friendsoftheborderpatrol.com/pollibrary.htm

[AlmostDone]

Another week of hell in pend-ville. *sigh*

[fedpolice]

http://www.fobp.us/Files/Docs/GovPol...s%20Policy.pdf

All this stuff is on the Web. It may be old, but contains the course of fire.

Good information here also:

http://www.friendsoftheborderpatrol.com/pollibrary.htm

I have seen several posts that they reduced the course to a 150 course of fire. Is this a rumor? What did they do take out the 25 yrd line???

Fedpolice

[kc12]

I have seen several posts that they reduced the course to a 150 course of fire. Is this a rumor? What did they do take out the 25 yrd line???

Fedpolice

They did away with the training course of fire at FLETC and strictly went with the short course of fire listed in the manual.

[co94]

Perception is the problem. To someone that has little weapons experience even with group instruction many details can affect the outome. All I am saying is that a majority of FLETC instruction (CBPO) leaves out many details. Maybe that is to prevent over thinking??? At the end of the day what is difficult to some may not be to others, but you instruct to the lowest common skill level.

That is precisely why I say you shouldnt practice. Be the lowest common
skill level and you will get the training. I was in the Military. I never picked up a gun in my life. The military is no superstar when it comes to instructors either. But because I had no idea what I was doing when I first fired a weapon, it made it alot easier to understand their simple logic that they were teaching almost all beginners. If you go practice with someone who is not a certified instructor, then you will probably learn all of their bad habits and never fix the ones that you were born with. Then you will take that and an "experienced" attitude with you to Glynco and wonder why these instructors "cant teach you right".

[merlin436]

http://www.fobp.us/Files/Docs/GovPol...s%20Policy.pdf

All this stuff is on the Web. It may be old, but contains the course of fire.

Good information here also:

http://www.friendsoftheborderpatrol.com/pollibrary.htm

Yes, I know.

Sadly way too much stuff is available out there for those who care to search for it.

Still, that doesn't mean we have to wrap it up in fancy paper and gift it to anyone. Many of the applicants on this board are unwilling/unable to search this thread alone for answers that have been posted a half-dozen times. Why make it easy for anyone? For an applicant, knowing everything about the firearms policy isn't going to help anyone, there's no advantage in an applicant knowing the off-duty-carry policy or the flying armed policy, or the qualification course, so why put it out there?

At best, people get dumped on with a bunch of information that has no relevance to them until months down the road when they finally make it to FLETC and/or start at the PoE. At worst, some BG will see it and use it to their advantage.

I just don't see much for good reasons to post it in the first place.

[High Roller]

Another week of hell in pend-ville. *sigh*

Yep, I've been a resident of pend-ville for roughly 9 weeks since the start of my BI. 5 months total No one seems to want to talk to me.