Active Army to FBI

[Moshjath]

Gents-

Figure I'd tap this forum for some opinions and perspectives. I'm an Active Duty US Army Infantry Captain looking at potentially transitioning into Federal Law enforcement once I complete command. Personal background: 33 years old, coming up on ten years of service (prior enlisted), currently on my third (this go round being very much a sudden surprise) combat deployment, USMA grad, with the usual badges and patches that one gets by this point, Ranger qualified, Jumpmaster, with a background in Airborne and Stryker Infantry Units, and a stint as an OC/T at Polk.

I don't really have a burning desire to be a field grade on a traditional maneuver path, if I stayed in I'd likely VTIP to a functional area. I'm getting to the point where I'm ready for a change.

Have any of yall made a similar transition? Any lessons learned from the process would be appreciated.

[JHC]

Gents-

Figure I'd tap this forum for some opinions and perspectives. I'm an Active Duty US Army Infantry Captain looking at potentially transitioning into Federal Law enforcement once I complete command. Personal background: 33 years old, coming up on ten years of service (prior enlisted), currently on my third (this go round being very much a sudden surprise) combat deployment, USMA grad, with the usual badges and patches that one gets by this point, Ranger qualified, Jumpmaster, with a background in Airborne and Stryker Infantry Units, and a stint as an OC/T at Polk.

I don't really have a burning desire to be a field grade on a traditional maneuver path, if I stayed in I'd likely VTIP to a functional area. I'm getting to the point where I'm ready for a change.

Have any of yall made a similar transition? Any lessons learned from the process would be appreciated.

All I've got is that as an ETS'ing CPT way way back in the '80's when I took the FBI written test it was a kick in nads. I'm really good at testing. It was like the SAT on steroids x 1000. I scored in the high 80's percentile wise and I needed to be in the mid-90's or something to be competitive as a "generalist" without a strategic language, accounting, law or chemistry degree. Oh well, my vision wasn't in standard either. But the lesson I didn't learn til much much later is that I should have broadened my search into other Fed agencies and opportunities there. A lot may have changed since that Paleolithic era.

Good luck Captain!

[TheNewbie]

If I could do it all over I would make my focus going to ICE. If you want the FBI, go for it, but like JHC said, check out your other options as well.

[TGS]

I'm a former Marine officer currently working as a Special Agent for a different agency.

What are you looking for in your career?

[iveschris]

Think hard about the interlocking rings of your life as you go forward. Family? Older family members and your role in their lives?
What's your tolerance for being TDY?
Just LE interests you?
I took the CIA exam (out of SF), after taking to the FBI (who didn't want you tasing in the USAR), DEA, etc. Pre 9/11 and DHS things were very different, of course. Decided to remain a soldier rather become a spook, but it can go either way, Best man in my wedding went the other way anti worked well for him. As for the army it was the same, old "upgefukt" army only smaller by about 1992.
Best of luck as these decisions are Chinese arithmetic.

[vcdgrips]

I am a 20+ year fed prosecutor. I have worked with agents from virtually every federal agency from the FBI to the Inspector General for the National Archives and everything in between.

I have seen or heard of dozens of agents/candidates like you who, as a cohort, do very well in federal law enforcement.

I would urge to ask yourself what you really want to do. You are looking for an "1811 Series" job as a Special Agent with a federal agency. I would NOT limit my search to just the FBI at this point.

This last point is a bit in the weeds, when you finally land your federal job-"buy back" your military time so it goes into the hopper for retirement purposes. There are enough vets in federal service that the HR people should be able to help you with this wherever you land.

[psalms144.1]

Moshjath - I did 12 years active Army Officer (INF and then forced detail into MI). Jumped at just shy of 35 into AFOSI and subsequently into NCIS, now 37 days away from retirement eligibility. Some random thoughts:

1. If you're going to jump, do so sooner rather than later. At nearly 55, keeping up with the young bucks is getting harder and harder, and, even in a "white collar" investigative position, we still do some reasonably challenging work/training.

2. Don't limit yourself to a single target agency, unless you'd rather stay in the Army than being anything BUT an FBI agent. The hiring process is long, complicated, and NOT AT ALL guaranteed, and you're on the clock for getting into a 6E covered position before 37. The "easy button" for this used to be USBP, they're always hungry for bodies, their LE-Retirement "covered," and folks have a fairly easy time going from USBP into other federal agencies. I'd also paper the world on USAJOBS on every 1811 position that's open, OIGs come around fairly frequently, and while they're not "sexy," they get you in the door. On a side note, NCIS is ALWAYS looking for qualified candidates - IF you're good with mandatory mobility (move from 1st office to OCONUS at the 5 year mark, 3 years OCONUS, then fairly steady at your return office).

3. The FBI is the "name" in Federal LE, and they do a lot of great work. They have earned their standing as the Gold Standard in a lot of areas. However, they also live up to the Bureau in their title - the bureaucracy in the larger offices can make your eyes bleed - and, the closer you get to the HQ, the worse it gets. After having worked jointly with the FBI for about 20 years, I'll take the average small office FBI agent on any case I've got, but, if I have to work with a Field Office type, I'll pass.

4. Location, location, location. In some agencies, it's pretty easy to move around. In MOST agencies, if you're in an office you don't like, you better learn to suck it up, buttercup, unless you get into management and promote to a different location. I know folks in HSI who were stuck in NY for over a decade, applying for ANYTHING to get out, and finally had to take a split assignment (husband and wife PCS'd to different offices) to get out of NYistan. Know what you're getting into.

5. FACEBOOK IS THE DEVIL. This extends to ALL social media. Your profiles WILL be reviewed, so, if you haven't said anything stupid yet, don't start. If you have made "questionable" posts in the past, be ready to answer for them.

Hope some of that helps. Feel free to PM me with any direct questions you don't want to post on forum.

[blues]

Agree with the good advice from my brethren in L.E. and the U.S. Attorney's Office. Don't limit your options unless you're dead set.

I spent four years in NYC with my first Treasury agency and the remaining years with my second agency (legacy U.S. Customs) as a special agent in another post of duty. During that time I worked for three or four years in a joint task force for DEA supervisors, a year or two in HIDTA, regularly with ATF, occasionally with IRS, Secret Service, FBI, DIS, etc. and plenty with state and local law enforcement.

There are lots of good people doing good work in all of those outfits and the usual assortment of knuckleheads at the agent and supervisory levels.

Working for an agency, like I did, which allowed one to work multiple disciplines can be rewarding so that you don't get locked into doing one thing for 20+ years. I was fortunate to work narcotics, money laundering, arms smuggling, terrorism related investigations during my years...along with close to a year of undercover work on mob and outlaw motorcycle gangs, and a few years on SRT.

Get your foot in the door at the earliest opportunity, do good work, limit making enemies and move on via lateral if need be along the line.

Any of us will be happy to help with encouragement or advice as needed. Good luck to you.

[WobblyPossum]

I’ll echo what most people have already said. Don’t limit yourself to just one agency unless working for that specific agency was always your dream job. There are dozens of federal law enforcement agencies that have 1811 (Criminal Investigator) positions.

They all have their pros and cons. Most of them work specific types of cases. If you know there are certain subject matters you have no interest in, it might be best to avoid those agencies. I’ve spoken with former DEA agents who left because they got tired of working narcotics. Some agencies are hurting for certain skill sets and won’t let you shift assignments if you demonstrate proficiency in that skill set. Ive spoken to a former ATF agent who didn’t like being pigeon holed into working undercover for his whole career for example. It might be more difficult to move from an office you don’t like than the recruiters make it out to be also. I’ve spoken to two people who left my agency for others because they couldn’t get reassigned from offices they didn’t want to be at anymore.

Your family will need to be okay with you working TDYs that could last months or, depending on the agency, foreign postings that could last years. As an active duty officer, your family is probably already used to picking up and moving to a new duty station but it might be different if they have to move to China with you for three years, for example.

[Gadfly]

22 Years FED LEO. (INS, ICE, HSI)

Currently assigned to FLETC as an academic instructor.

FBI has its up side and downside. The public thinks it is the greatest thing in the world. The marketing hype is real. The reality is, about half the FBI guys have worked with were squared away hard chargers, the other half were accountant/lawyer types who would get seriously hurt if they ever left their desks and encountered an actual criminal.

Don't be afraid to explore other agencies. HSI is a good gig. I can sit here and bitch about office politics, but overall, HSI is a good place to be.

CBP and BP are the largest agencies, and therefore are always hiring. It may or may not be what you want as a career, but it is a good way to get your foot in the door and get experience. Just go to USAJobs.gov and search "law enforcement", "criminal Investigator", "1811" and "1801" to see what pops up.

If you have direct questions you can PM me. I have helped a couple of other forum members through this. I dont check this every day, so be patient if it takes me a while to reply.