2018 U.S Fish and Wildlife Special Agent Announcement

[Ratatatat]

I guess my point was that exhibit outlines a tin of agents getting into trouble and not so many let go or suspended. Lot of agents getting sweetheart deals in assignments.

They sledgehammer the *outsiders* for the smallest of infractions and coddle and protect the *insiders* with great effort....

I was reading an article about life in the DPRK, and how they utilize a network of 'minders' amongst the proletariat to report peoples private thoughts and opinions up the hierarchy. These reports are used to determine who gets the better positions and who gets the kick to the ribs. My first thought was wow, I've seen that model used before....

Also, they truly don't know what to do with someone who goes totally ham. Want a long career where you promote quickly and are left to your own Machiavellian devices to destroy careers and vital relationships with external entities? Go 100% psycho. Not 99%, but 100%. The powers above simply don't know how to handle (and don't care).

[smclovin]

Does anyone know what the PEB requirements are for this position?

[JB Smoove]

Look up the FLETC PEB.

[sabanist]

Hey I wanted to ask any of the agents who know what you thought about some of the specific officeshave dealt with.

I put lacombe, la combe as my first choice; miami; houston; richmond. Any of those offices filled with good people/boss? Any filled with not so good?

Also, do you mind answering any of these questions

What time do you usually get in the office? time do you leave?

Any teleworking?

PT during leap hours ok? Or do they limit you to hours between 9a and 3p?

Speaking of leap, what do they consider leap there? Just available, or being at your office, or it doesnt count.?

How long are your typical reports. At my current outfit, there is a summary, a report, which has an action attached. So you end up saying the same thing 3 times overall in the entire document. Its tediou, and makes every report a pain. At my old job, it was one, single word document that listed all investigative activity for that period. Very easy

What equipment are you issued? Long gun? What do you qualify on? Specialty equip, like boats or ATV's? Cameras?

Every agent get a take home g ride?

How far can an agents home be from work? Ever hear of exceptions? or small variances? Like if its 40 miles away, would 42 miles get approved?

Outside of smuggling cases, what is the most common case type?

Dress code for normal day?

Personally owned weapons for duty carry?

How soon can you transfer out of your first office?, do you have to?

Thanks

[sabanist]

Does anyone know what the PEB requirements are for this position?

Sorry, what is a PEB?

[canyon_ranger]

Does anyone know what the PEB requirements are for this position?

Fletc standard. 25%. Google it.

[canyon_ranger]

Hey I wanted to ask any of the agents who know what you thought about some of the specific officeshave dealt with.

I put lacombe, la combe as my first choice; miami; houston; richmond. Any of those offices filled with good people/boss? Any filled with not so good?

Also, do you mind answering any of these questions

What time do you usually get in the office? time do you leave?

Any teleworking?

PT during leap hours ok? Or do they limit you to hours between 9a and 3p?

Speaking of leap, what do they consider leap there? Just available, or being at your office, or it doesnt count.?

How long are your typical reports. At my current outfit, there is a summary, a report, which has an action attached. So you end up saying the same thing 3 times overall in the entire document. Its tediou, and makes every report a pain. At my old job, it was one, single word document that listed all investigative activity for that period. Very easy

What equipment are you issued? Long gun? What do you qualify on? Specialty equip, like boats or ATV's? Cameras?

Every agent get a take home g ride?

How far can an agents home be from work? Ever hear of exceptions? or small variances? Like if its 40 miles away, would 42 miles get approved?

Outside of smuggling cases, what is the most common case type?

Dress code for normal day?

Personally owned weapons for duty carry?

How soon can you transfer out of your first office?, do you have to?

Thanks

The answer to nearly 100% of the questions you've asked is, it depends. Everything is subjective. Even down to what you consider to be a good supervisor. There is no standard answer for just about anything you asked.

[Ratatatat]

Answering questions about G rides or personal weapons isn't subjective. Yes, everyone has a G ride, and no, personal weapons aren't allowed.

[JB Smoove]

Hey I wanted to ask any of the agents who know what you thought about some of the specific officeshave dealt with.

I put lacombe, la combe as my first choice; miami; houston; richmond. Any of those offices filled with good people/boss? Any filled with not so good?

Also, do you mind answering any of these questions

What time do you usually get in the office? time do you leave?

Any teleworking?

PT during leap hours ok? Or do they limit you to hours between 9a and 3p?

Speaking of leap, what do they consider leap there? Just available, or being at your office, or it doesnt count.?

How long are your typical reports. At my current outfit, there is a summary, a report, which has an action attached. So you end up saying the same thing 3 times overall in the entire document. Its tediou, and makes every report a pain. At my old job, it was one, single word document that listed all investigative activity for that period. Very easy

What equipment are you issued? Long gun? What do you qualify on? Specialty equip, like boats or ATV's? Cameras?

Every agent get a take home g ride?

How far can an agents home be from work? Ever hear of exceptions? or small variances? Like if its 40 miles away, would 42 miles get approved?

Outside of smuggling cases, what is the most common case type?

Dress code for normal day?

Personally owned weapons for duty carry?

How soon can you transfer out of your first office?, do you have to?

Thanks

The posting said you must live within 30 miles of your assigned duty station. PEB is Physical Efficiency Battery. Look up the FLETC PEB as Canyon recommended. It isn’t too much. The posting also says LEAP is working an average of 2 hours unscheduled each workday. Again, the posting says no teleworking, which doesn’t surprise me. Tough to fight crime from the comfort of your couch. Each office may be different and may flex on some of this stuff, but on the surface I would assume exactly what the posting indicated.

[sabanist]

Ah, physical efficiency battery. PEB. The PT test. FLETC's is pretty easy.

[wildlife97]

What equipment are you issued? Long gun? What do you qualify on? Specialty equip, like boats or ATV's? Cameras?

Outside of smuggling cases, what is the most common case type?

Take a look at the FY 16 annual report to see what type of cases they're working. 65% endangered species, 15% Lacey Act (trafficking, smuggling, etc.)

The old days of working hunters all the time and going on boats and putting the camo on are for the most part gone. Most of the agents in my area can't tell you the last time they worked waterfowl hunters, 20 years ago that was an agent's bread and butter caseload. For me, I couldn't do it. I just couldn't get excited about a guy smuggling in endangered butterflies from Malaysia, or killing some endangered vernal pool shrimp.

As far as gear, once again your looking at the old days vs. current times. It used to be the agents had the ATVs, boats, snowmobiles but with the change in the shift of priorities (domestic hunting type cases vs. international smuggling) they for the most part have gotten rid of those items. Now days for the most part if an agent needs to go on a boat they'll just call up their local state officer or refuge uniformed officer.

[Ratatatat]

There was a time when the typical agent was a master boatman who could identify a Barrow's Goldeneye on the wing. Now very few fit that mold...

A big part of 'why' was the shift from hiring traditional game warden types in favor 'non-traditional' backgrounds a few years back. Someone has a better chance nowadays if they are with AFOSI or a private attorney than if they are a game warden. Seriously.

And they luv wildlife inspectors, with their box opening skills and banker's hours work ethic...

[Ratatatat]

Good questions, there sabanist.

There is very little consistency throughout. Agents at prized one-man stations come and go as they wish. Heck, some show up once a week to get the mail and check voicemails. The rest of the time is writing reports from home office, working with states, interviewing, surveillance, going to training, providing training, on and on. The boss is two states away and as long as the agent feeds the beast from time to time, they are largely left alone.

Others don't have it so peachy. The boss is looking at the wristwatch when the agents arrive at 8:35am. Sign out sheets for lunch. 8 hours plus 2 hours in the assigned workspace (i.e., their desk) everyday. Agents must notify the boss of every activity and get approval. The boss has abundant time to document every misstep (real or made up) and enforce every little policy to a T (even ones they make up, i.e.- "station policies."). Then when it's performance evaluation time, they have ample derogatory narrative to drop on the subordinate. Someone has to be the whipping boy.

One agent stations are highly sought after for this reason. No one likes to be treated as a child.

One agent stations are few and rurally located. Most slots are in big cities and ports.

One agent stations are typically rewarded to either golden children or problem children. So if you're not a producer and a gem opens up in a sweet spot where the cost of living is low where no one will be paying much attention, be a royal pain in the neck. File meritless complaints, be difficult to be around, scowl and sneer, burn bridges, and put max effort into being hated. You'll be rewarded for it....

[sabanist]

sound like where i work now

[Ratatatat]

The grass ain't any greener, bro.

[Ratatatat]

And if you ever point out to management the above disparities, they will think it's adorable that you think they care....

[copperstate]

.... Tough to fight crime from the comfort of your couch....

I'd say it's about the same as doing it from my cubicle. I have a laptop, wifi hotspot, and a take-home ride. I would argue what can I do in my office I can't do at home? Besides listen to other agents and admin staff complain about the topic of the day...

[JB Smoove]

I'd say it's about the same as doing it from my cubicle. I have a laptop, wifi hotspot, and a take-home ride. I would argue what can I do in my office I can't do at home? Besides listen to other agents and admin staff complain about the topic of the day...

You’re right. You’ll be just as good an investigator sitting at your desk waiting for cases to come to you as you would be sitting at home waiting for cases to come to you. No argument there.

[Ratatatat]

Teleworking is allowed at single agent stations. Not officially though. They just get very long leashes. Just as long as they answer phone calls and emails. Some agents 'telework' entire careers. May you be one of the blessed few.

Teleworking is frowned upon at RAC offices (where the boss is). You're to be at the office ten hours a day five days a week, making felony cases from your desk (that's the new direction, in case you haven't heard). Your dogbreath boss will be sitting there, like a hawk, always at the ready to meddle in your business or insult you. Odds are the boss was no casemaker as an agent but did spend 23 months at HQ, which means they've been officially coronated and you're just a peon to pee on. Your boss may be looking to make a name for themselves with upper management and because they are fundamentally lazy and you're right there, you are low hanging fruit. You will be spending as much time keeping book on your boss as you are working on cases because your boss is keeping book on you. You can tell your ASAC how dysfunctional the situation is but it's like talking to a fifth of Johnnie Walker Red, ironic, because that's what he consumes every day. The SAC could not care less until lawsuits and EEO complaints get filed. HR is a total joke. Greatest job in LE!

Again, may you be one of the lucky few who get a single agent station because they mostly stay clear of all the crap....

[Ratatatat]

I used South Dakota as an example. But think about places like SD from this perspective- the cost of living is cheap, real estate is cheap, lots of hunting and fishing time with family, and pretty quiet as the job goes. Contrast all that with being stationed in LA, NYC, Miami, Newark, San Francisco, on and on....

[JB Smoove]

Fair points. Funny you mention those other offices. They were all choices on the assignment preference sheet I was given after the interview.

[Ratatatat]

Yeah good luck with those spots on a GS12 salary...

[JB Smoove]

It is doable on a 12 salary, but difficult as hell on a 9. We hired a guy as a 9 for a position in SF and he was able to make it work somehow so it’s possible. I would imagine that there may be some folks that may back out if they are offered these positions if they weren’t on their preference sheet.

[Ratatatat]

And another one....


https://www.swnewsmedia.com/prior_la...7b1ce24a4.html

[Zoom_32]

Was he retired? I have been to Mystic Lake before. Nice place

[Ratatatat]

Well, according to the article, he claimed to be working undercover (with a .35 BAC).

EPIC FAIL.

[JB Smoove]

An old drunk retired guy gets arrested for having a gun is how the headline should’ve read. BFD.

[Ratatatat]

Sad and pathetic. Epitome of current regime management.