The Call…

Phone rings and you just got “The Call” from your new agency…now what?

Lets start with the basics:

Depending on your new career path most likely you will be attending the Glynco GA FLETC site for your basic training. If you are a new FAM or Border Patrol recruit you will be heading to Artesia NM FLETC.

If you are prior military or law enforcement you will be a bit surprised on the atmosphere

compared to boot camp or para-military style of training. The best description I ever read was “Its like college with a purpose…with guns!”. To be honest, that is pretty accurate but your new parent agency will set the tone.

In my opinion, the training staff and facilities were top notch (tax money hard at work) and it provided a very solid base for additional training. I was expecting it to be a bit more para-military but overall not many complaints. Our parent agency held us to higher standards with additional PT, daily formation, and a passing grade of at-least 80 on each test. There were several other agencies that also “raised the bar” such as US Marshal Service, ATF, US Capitol Police, US Secret Service, etc. There were also some agencies that really lowered the bar but it would not be professional to name those offenders in a public forum, once on base you will quickly know whom I am writing about.

Here is the good, bad, and ugly on FLETC:

Good:
- Training staff / campus.
- Free room and board.
- Maid service (seriously).
- St Simons Island on weekends.

Bad:
- Fire ants and assorted crawling creatures that bite/sting daily.
- The food isn’t “bad” but it doesn’t fit in the good category.
- Southeast GA summer heat and humidity.
- Not being in the “Taj” and possible roommate.

Ugly:
- The RCL in downtown Brunswick has claimed multiple careers before they started. Not saying don’t go, just be careful.
- St. Simons Island, don’t be a drunken fool and get canned.
- People who think “I am a Fed (almost) and untouchable”.

Enjoy you time at FLETC and don’t just hang with your agency classmates. Now is the time to network and make lifelong friends across the Fed LE spectrum, chances are you will not spend 25 years at agency XYZ so these contacts can help you moving forward.

Finally, be serious about the training as it can save your life but don’t forget to have some fun along the way.

If you have any FLETC tips, stories, etc…please leave below in the comments section.