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Thread: USSS Work/Life Question.....

  1. #11
    Several of the guys that I started out with went on to the USSS. I've also worked along with the USSS on a few former-POTUS visits and for the G8 Summit.

    POTUS election years can be brutal. At the time I had contact, they worked a 28 straight day schedule.

    One night, one of the guys from the old days was bored and called the squad room. He was on midnight shift standing outside of a bathroom window of a house because the POTUS was staying there for the night.

    While not every agent works protective details as their normal assignment, if POTUS, V-POTUS or a former POTUS comes to town, they get pulled for the detail.

    I was standing guard over the arrival area for a former POTUS visit along with several agents and got to chat with them a good bit. A former V-POTUS who less than a mile away at a different event. They told me that with a few exceptions, the actual elected official were typically easy going but that the junior staffers could be a real pain and would try to treat them as armed porters. If it got too bad, they'd a senior guy to reign in the youngster.

    One of the guys I had been a rookie with was on the above mentioned detail. He was sitting in a room making sure that the cell phone jammer worked. He later wound up on Obama's detail just as he was leaving the White House; so, my buddy spent a lot of time in Hawaii over the next few years. I'm not sure of his current assignment or if he got to have any fun on the islands.
    I had an ER nurse in a class. I noticed she kept taking all head shots. Her response when asked why, "'I've seen too many people who have been shot in the chest putting up a fight in the ER." Point taken.

  2. #12
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    Thanks to all of you for the feedback. Very consistent reporting.

    I'm currently on a volunteer gig typing on my phone so apologies for the brief reply.

    I didn't know enough to ask about what job exactly he was offered, but he talked about WH protection duties as part of the job.

    Smart guy, competent, personable. Someone you'd be proud to be related to as much as I know.

    I don't have many details on his background but he's very concerned about the impact on family. Sounds like not the easiest choice for him.

    I'll likey copy/paste the text of responses to anonymize them and hand them over for consideration.

    Much appreciated.
    Thanks. Sincerely.
    Last edited by RoyGBiv; 04-23-2021 at 06:11 PM.
    "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776

  3. #13
    Our niece married an SS agent. I only see him maybe 3-4 times per year but everything said above is spot on. He seems to have risen to a level where he spends a fair amount of time in his local office but, he also travels a LOT. Quite often my brother mentions that his daughter and kids will be visiting for the weekend because her agent husband is out of the country for 2-3 weeks. From what I can gather he doesn't have a lot of choice. Schedule is posted and he WILL be doing whatever it says. And the travel isn't just for the duration of the Pres or VP's trip. There is a lot of preplanning that needs to happen. From a couple of stories he has told, the man hours involved setting everything up prior to the trip often exceeds the hours the Pres is away...by a lot.

  4. #14
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    There’s a book coming out in May called “Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service” by Carol Leonnig that might be interesting. Amazon recommended it to me and I pre-ordered it.

    There have been other books in recent years by Ron Kessler and Gary J. Byrne that portray the Secret Service as a capable group that is sometimes badly led and always over worked and run into the ground.

  5. #15
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    USSS Work/Life Question.....

    They are hemorrhaging agents despite being among the best paid in that field, and I’ve certainly never heard of an 1811 with another agency applying to transfer there. Those are clues.

    There’s evidence in this thread suggesting that USSS agents have taken a 50+% pay cut to leave.

    That said, if this is an 1811 Special Agent position we’re talking about and not a Uniformed Division Officer position, it’s not easy to get the offer, and it does get your foot in the door. Even a UD position will stop the retirement clock. But those advantages come at a steep cost.

    USSS agents who have gone over to the world of make your own schedule, work from home, never be on call, and don’t even have your phone with you on weekends say that OIG stands for “Oh, It’s Good”.

    I think it’s a shame that the Service is in the shape it’s in. They have a lot of very good financial crimes and cyber crimes investigators, and a rich history of solid work.

  6. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Le Français View Post
    I think it’s a shame that the Service is in the shape it’s in.
    I have insights into this that match everything that has been said in this thread, and I have serious concerns that this becoming a security issue that could eventually have serious repercussions.

    These folks sometimes border on the super-human when it comes to discipline and devotion to duty, but they are still human, and I fear they are being run into the ground.

    Regardless of whether you voted for whatever turd happens to be in the White House at any particular moment, it's in everyone's best interest for them to have a zero-fail security detail.
    I was into 10mm Auto before it sold out and went mainstream, but these days I'm here for the revolver and epidemiology information.

  7. #17
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    Ron Kessler wrote a book that came out in 2010 called “In the President’s Secret Service: Behind the scenes with the agents in the line of fire and the presidents they protect.”

    The Amazon guy delivered my copy of “No Fail: The rise & fall of the secret service” last night. I was off and it was raining so I began reading and enjoyed a few beers. Looks like a fine book and I think I would recommend it to anybody interested.

    The struggles that the Secret Service have gone through over the years, particularly how overworked they are during an election year, have been well known for a long time. The agents deserve better.

  8. #18
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    Apologies to all who replied here, for my not circling back with any update.

    The week following this thread I was not able to catch up with the person from the OP. I did catch them the following week (last week) and gave them a paper copy of your replies, without any names/handles. He was very grateful for the effort. I have not heard from him since I gave him the printout and since the clinic is now closed, it's possible our paths won't cross again. I did give him my contact info in case he had any questions.

    So... Mission accomplished and thanks to everyone who provided their thoughts.
    "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776

  9. #19
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    Heard the Zero Fail author on NPR the other day. Sounds like some good people mixed with bad and the agency screwed over by their overseers and the whacky and immoral behavior of some of those to be protected. Reserved the book at the library.

  10. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff22 View Post
    Ron Kessler wrote a book that came out in 2010 called “In the President’s Secret Service: Behind the scenes with the agents in the line of fire and the presidents they protect.”

    The Amazon guy delivered my copy of “No Fail: The rise & fall of the secret service” last night. I was off and it was raining so I began reading and enjoyed a few beers. Looks like a fine book and I think I would recommend it to anybody interested.

    The struggles that the Secret Service have gone through over the years, particularly how overworked they are during an election year, have been well known for a long time. The agents deserve better.
    I read that one. Carter was an asshole and an idiot with regards to the nuclear football. Karl Rove was well liked. Hillary was a cast iron bitch (surprise!).
    #RESIST

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