US Army - here we come

[katzeyze]

My husband has been attempting to pursue a career in LE. He applied with several local agencies all to no avail, but we didn't know why. Finally, when he had his background interview with MCSO we found out that his extensive criminal background - which consists of fishing without a license and one count of misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia from 1988 - combined with some "inconclusive" answers during the polygraph (for two different agencies) has rendered him pretty much ineligible in the state of Arizona.

It has been six months since my husband went to see a recruiter about re-enlisting (at 38 ) in the US Army. We agreed that if he truly wants to pursue LE that this is going to be his only option. So we will be going back to the recruiter in the next few days to sign his soul over to Uncle Sam.

I'm not going to lie, I am not real thrilled. I don't look forward to packing up my house, getting rid of our pets (some that we have had longer than we have been married), quitting my job (okay, I am kind of happy about this one), and moving away from my mom. This means my kids will no longer be 5 minutes away from their "grammie" and I will no longer be able to see my 10 year old niece who I have helped raise.

I'll be busy over the next weeks sorting and discarding things that have been sitting in the closets and garage over the last 7 years. I only hope that wherever the we land I can try not to resent his decision. It breaks my heart all over again when I think of the fate of our animals. I know that most of them end up euthanized either due to their age, breed or temperament. Four of the cats are in the 10-15 years, one of the dogs is a pit bull and one of the cats is just a mean little stinker. *sigh*

[Irishluck31]

Good Luck!

[IMachU]

Well, if you are going to relocate anyway, why not have him try for a So Cal agency or two? We are all hiring and it would keep him in one place for a while. And you could keep the pets! Just a suggestion. I hope everything works out for the best for you!!

[just joe]

He is not going to be doing much, if any, LE in the military police. The MP's primary role is combat and combat support. You can go for years without a LE assignment in the Military Police Corps. Also, know that if he is branching MP he will be going to 'ganistan or Iraq. I tried to re-enlist at 42. I have acid reflux, which, come to find out, is an automatic no go.

If your husband wants a civilian LE career, start testing out of state if Arizona is not going to work out.

Best of luck to you and yours.

[Ex Army MP]

Why not a Department out of state like someone else suggested? There are many big city departments desperate for officers. From what you mentioned about his background, it sounds like he'd have no problem with NYPD( assuming he did enough years in the service to put his age under 35) DC or Baltimore.

It sounds like AZ is pretty strict.

[Ex Army MP]

He is not going to be doing much, if any, LE in the military police. The MP's primary role is combat and combat support. You can go for years without a LE assignment in the Military Police Corps. Also, know that if he is branching MP he will be going to 'ganistan or Iraq. I tried to re-enlist at 42. I have acid reflux, which, come to find out, is an automatic no go.

If your husband wants a civilian LE career, start testing out of state if Arizona is not going to work out.

Best of luck to you and yours.

It sucks to hear that. When I was in that's about all I did was LE work ( minus that damn stint in a physical security tower on Johnston Island).

[katzeyze]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I have suggested to him out of state agencies, but with just one of us working it isn't financially doable for us to have him apply elsewhere. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing him apply in Michigan, that way if I have leave AZ at least I can go back "home". I think that he's afraid that ANY state or city agency will see him as "damaged goods" and not want to take a risk.

[Jellybean400]

I hope that it works out for you.

That makes me very sad about the pets. That would kill me, too.

Good luck.

[JonMcD1980]

I don't think I would go the Army route...why not try the USAF Security Forces? I am former Army and if I had it to do all over again that would have gone the USAF SF's. I've always heard (obection your honor, HEARSAY) that they are the most high speed and do the most LE type work of all the Military Police units.

[CruiserClass]

I don't think I would go the Army route...why not try the USAF Security Forces? I am former Army and if I had it to do all over again that would have gone the USAF SF's. I've always heard (obection your honor, HEARSAY) that they are the most high speed and do the most LE type work of all the Military Police units.

I worked side by side with both as a contractor and didn't notice any discernible difference between the two as far as high-speediness (yeah, I just made that word up).

[Bearcat357]

I've always heard (obection your honor, HEARSAY) that they are the most high speed and do the most LE type work of all the Military Police units.

While the AF does have LE slots, one has to make rank to get those slots.... Before you do that, you work gates and the flightlines.....

Plus, AF are sending more and more folks to Iraq to assist the Army..... DC Air Guard just sent a unit over to do convoy escorts.....

[JonMcD1980]

Point taken CruiserClass and Bearcat357.

[LCPLPunk]

What about Navy Master at Arms?? Let him know that he can apply for Army CID anytime he wants. If he has CID under his belt he'll be golden with Federal and Local LE agencies.

AND...does he have a degree? You guys should look at ALL routes to become an Officer if you are going in. Don't take my word for it, go look at the pay scale and compare someone at an E-6 rank with 6 years in and an 01 on their first day in the job.

E-6 with 6 years in is 2,519, whereas that brand new Lieutenant is making 2,469. Now, that may not seem like much, but doing 6 years to get that doesnt' seem worth it. Now, the really bad part is seeing how it goes up after that. Let's take an E-4 with four years in and a Captain with 4 years in.

E-4 with 4 = 1,978 a month. And now the good part..
Captain with 4 years = 4,392!!!!

The Captain is making DOUBLE what the enlisted guy is!
If your husband wanted to make that monthly as an enlisted guy before his twenty years is up the ONLY way he could do it is to be a Sergeant Major. He couldn't be a First Sergeant or anything else, he would have to be at the top, and getting SGM isn't an easy task.

I am in the process of applying for Army OCS. If your husband has a degree tell him to apply for that when he gets the chance, and the sooner is better!

Good luck!

[Irishluck31]

While the AF does have LE slots, one has to make rank to get those slots.... Before you do that, you work gates and the flightlines.....

Plus, AF are sending more and more folks to Iraq to assist the Army..... DC Air Guard just sent a unit over to do convoy escorts.....

Those SF cats are doing a great job. Remember, their deployments are a bit shorter. 6 months compared to the Army's mandatory 15 for active soldiers.

Just food for thought. I could do 6 months standing on my head after 3 and a half years of deployments 12 to 14 at a shot as a reservist.

I do notice the AF guys and gals are happier to be here., than a troop going on 10 months, knowing he has 5 to go.

[Bearcat357]

Let him know that he can apply for Army CID anytime he wants.

He can't apply "anytime" with CID. He has to:

U.S. citizenship
- No record of psychological or pathological personality disorders
- No record of unsatisfactory credit
- Suitable character established by a Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) leading to a Top Secret clearance
- No civil court or court martial convictions
- Physical profile 222221 or higher, normal color vision
- ST score of 110 or higher. ST 107 if tested on or after 2 January 2002
- Ability to speak and write clearly
- Minimum age of 21 with at least two years of military experience but not more than 10
- 2 years of college or at least 60 semester credit hours
- Maximum grade of E-5 Sergeant (non-promotable)
- 60 months of service obligation upon completion of the apprentice special agent course
- Prefer Soldiers with civilian or military law enforcement experience

http://www.cid.army.mil/recruiting.htm

If he has CID under his belt he'll be golden with Federal and Local LE agencies.

At his age, he won't be "Golden" with Federal LE Agencies....as he's over the age limit for a good 6c job. That means no FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, USPP, etc.....

I am in the process of applying for Army OCS.
Good luck!

You do know that CID has no commissioned officers as Field Agents....? MP Commissioned Officers only run the Ops portion of the office.....plus it's a PITA to get into a CID Field Office as a Commissioned Officer....and you only stay there 2 years or so....then go back to the MP Corps.....