Should I go to the military

[Tlash]

Forgive me if this has been discussed be for, I was unable to find an answer, I'm looking over a lot of stuff and what I need to know is if I join the army as an MP for 2 years, after I get done with my time do I still need to take the full academy at pbcc to become certified also I'd like to hear pros and cons of going to the military with plans of joining law enforcement when I'm done.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Hisrighteousness]

going to military is rarely a bad career choice especially if you are young and havent started yet...but you should really consult someone who has more invested in your life (parents, pastor, mentor, etc.) and not a forum even for "just some thoughts"....no this is not a place for significant life advice...its the internet...it will never replace the human investment

[Taylor13]

This has been said many times.

MP's don't really do patrolling around bases anymore. Most likely, you'll be doing security for a patrol, detaining terrorists, transporting them, dealing with terrorist prisoners over in A-Stan, or another place.

[N/E FL LEO]

To answer part of your question, yes after your time you will still have to complete the whole academy. (unless there has been a change) I had several ex-military in my academy, but that was back in 2001...

[Gringe]

I know Florida offers EOT for MP's if you can articulate one year of experience relevant, which I hear is almost impossible now because of their current missions.

Either way, I would suggest going through a full academy anyways to learn how Florida does things.

[Unit453]

It has been beat to death in the past but I'll bite.

Being a former Army MP, life was decent back in the day when we actually did police work. As times change, manpower needs increase, and conflicts and deployments are top priority, I would strongly encourage you NOT to become an MP. The chances that you will be working the road is slim to none, depending where you get stationed. DoD police for all branches (each branch has their own form of DoD police) are running full swing and control most of the installations law enforcement duties. Even if you're an MP and get sent to an installation where a you do work the road, only a handful of you will actually see the road, if at all. You're be right seat riding and surrounded and heavily outnumbered by federal civilian police.

Times have changed my friend. If you're looking for law enforcement experience, look toward actual civilian law enforcement. MP's have been pretty much turned completely into combat troops. You'll be policing alright, but in full battle rattle in some country that ends in "Stan" or Iraq.

Dont join the service to be a cop because you wont get it. Join because its a noble thing to do given the worlds issues today.

Trust me when I tell you this. I'm not filling your head with fluff. It is what it is. I was an Army MP from 1995-2004 and when the Army transitioned to civilian police, I was getting out so I fell right in to the "blue suit" side of the house. As the years went on, MP's got fewer and fewer to eventually none on many installations. And after 4 years within the DoD system as a police officer and a supervisor, the 3 or 4 MP's that we actually did get were pathetic. Most ended up getting arrested, warrants or had severe issues that prevented them from working with us at all. I relieved more than 1 MP from working the road on my shift, on more than 1 occasion. I sent them packing back to their unit and told their command staff not to send them back that we didnt want anything to do with them. Like I said, times changed as did the standards.

Also, dont bank on the equivalency of training either if you do decide to go the MP route. Its not a "gimme" anymore. You have to prove that you were in a law enforcement unit and did actual law enforcement and didnt spend your time standing at a gate or in a combat zone. Besides, since the training has changed so much over the years, MP school now is enough to get you killed. You'll be able to break down an M249 SAW or a .50 caliber MG blindfolded, in the dark, with mittens on, reassemble them and perform a functions check long before you ever learn how to write a traffic ticket or set foot into a patrol car.

If you wanna be law enforcement here in Florida, go through the academy. It can only help you.

[Tlash]

Thanks so much for all the advice all, but I do wanna join the military for other reasons, not just to be an LEO. Unit thanks for the advice also you made some great points. I was hoping that MP's do some type of police work, this was not the first time I heard they don't actually do police work anymore. Most likely I will be signing up and when I get done I get to siging up in the academy.

[Ro-Bear]

FWIW, I spent my time in the Air Force as Security Forces. I constantly worked the road as a patrolman. I attended numerous training courses with Civilian LEOS and had no problem getting my EOT from the state either. I also did my time in Iraq and A-stan doing everything from standing at a gate to working alongside the Army. (Unlike the Army, we usually carry bullets in our guns though ) And from what I'm seeing/hearing, the AF isn't getting rid of Security Forces.

[Sgt. Slaughter]

If you spend time in the Army, you could put in for CID once you meet the criteria. They do investigations, protection details and forensic stuff, but it's not "regular police work" if you know what I mean.

[Unit453]

Tlash, I didnt mean to discourage you in any way. I wanted to tell you how it is. I was never a recruiter who's gonna tell you anything just to get you to sign your papers and ship off to boot camp.

Joining the service today is a very noble thing to do, no matter the branch, no matter the job. It can only help you get a job when its time. I know it helped me a ton having a military background where I work now. Some agencies here in Florida, its the golden ticket to a life long career. Good luck in whatever you decide.

[POGO219]

I guess I will add my opinion as well. I did my time in the Air Force when there were to distinctive sides. One side was Law Enforcement who did law enforcement activities. The other side was security police which did allot of aircraft and priority resource protection. Having dual AFSC's, I got to do both. The LE side was really really sweet. The security side, not so.

Not knowing how old you are I do not know what your realistic goals are but in todays economy the military is a pretty good deal. I think your best option would be to join the military, make it a career of 20-25 years and then when you get out, pursue law enforcement then. Police is work is always going to be there. You get out with good pension, good medical benefits, and years of worldly knowledge. Look into the Air Forces OSI. Thats suppose to be a killer job as well.
I always have believed that a military career and retirement are some of the best options a young man now a days can take advantage of. If you are serious about joining the military, look at all branches and have a true idea of what it is you want to do. The options are huge. Good luck.

[mindthegaap]

Another thing that hasn't been mentioned is that some departments/state agencies (and basically anything federal) will give you veteran's preference, which in a tight hiring environment right now may just be the edge you need (granted it may not be so bad when you would be getting out).

[Unit453]

True, but actually claiming these veterans preference points is getting more and more stringent. You now have to prove that you received an expeditionary medal or something similar for serving in a hostile conflict for more than 6 months or something along those lines. The VA has come out with forms that allow you to choose the conflict that you were involved in and many agencies are adopting those forms. If you werent in a hot spot in the world, you basically dont get any credit.

[Sgt. Slaughter]

Unless the Fed system changes, they won't do that for very long. There are plenty of vets like myself who served honorably during peacetime. To try and lessen their service since they weren't in active combat by not giving them points would be some baaaad juju.

http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp