Military to LEO.....best path?

[mike_the_wino]

Hello all! My son is 15 and has decided he wants to join the military and then become a sheriff deputy. Sac county doesn't require a 4 year degree as of now but I do know they require candidates be at least 25. So the military to sheriff seems logical. Any particular branch better than the next? Specific MOS? I had heard he can take the ASVAB up to 3 times but do you keep your highest score or the last one?

He runs cross country and has started lifting weights so physically in 3 years he should be fine. I don't really want to talk to a recruiter just yet since it is so far away.

Thanks for any advice or guidance.

 

[ZeroFoxGiven]

As far as Law Enforcement is concerned, they will not care if your child was a cook, military police or special forces, etc. That has no translation from service to Leo.

They will be more concerned with not getting into legal trouble, honorable discharge, no DUI’s, none or minimal drug use(no hard drug use), and minimal traffic violations, no Domestic Violence, public intoxication, disorderly conduct, theft, etc. A big one is also having to much personal debt.

Have your kid figure out what interests them and align the service and job ideas from there. I’m a Former Marine, but I would always recommend the Air Force for technical/tech savvy jobs as these always transfer well into the civilian market job place.

Also, your child is only 15 so they may change their opinion on a future career path.

 

[jarhead714]

Nobody likes Military Punks. If he’s gonna join the military, make sure he gets an MOS that’s fun and not the subject of derision.

 

[RickD427]

I'd actually advise your son to avoid any directly law enforcement related MOS's. I'd actually avoid any military service that uses MOS's. He'd be much better off joining a service that uses "Ratings" to describe the duties performed by their members. He'll be a lot better off in the long run.

The key point being that military law enforcement is a bit different. Agencies are looking for recruits based on their potential, not some amount of related training. They want to train you according to their doctrine, not the military's. The worst thing that a newly hired LEO can ever say is "In the ______, we did it this way..."

I'd advise your son to pick a rating that they would enjoy, and that would give them early access to leadership opportunities. That will help set him ahead of other recruits when he gets to a LE agency.

LE agencies have also learned to steer clear of recruits who have a high "F*** Up" potential. Your son needs to ensure that he doesn't earn any black marks during his time in the service.

I'd also advise him to stay in the reserves once he goes to an agency. It can be really demanding at times, but he'll have access to leadership opportunities beyond what his agency can offer him, and that can help set him ahead. I did that, and now I have full military retirement benefits along with my civil service retirement.

 

[.dC0m]

LE agencies have also learned to steer clear of recruits who have a high "F*** Up" potential. Your son needs to ensure that he doesn't earn any black marks during his time in the service.

^This statement alone.

While your son is still young, he's entering the age where he is nearly an adult and have the freedom to make adult decisions. Regardless of which military branch he chooses, or however long it takes him to get to a LE agency, make sure he stays on the straight and narrow.

LE agencies spend a lot of time digging through your background - even if it was something minor that occured when (no pun intended) he was a minor - they will find out. Driving records/infractions (any moving violations), criminal (and civil) cases, relationships (ex-girlfriends/wives), and even credit scores/debts will be pulled during the background investigation process. So long as he keeps his record clean, he should not have anything to worry about.

 

[Dvrjon]

Hello all! My son is 15 and has decided he wants to join the military and then become a sheriff deputy. Sac county doesn't require a 4 year degree as of now but I do know they require candidates be at least 25. So the military to sheriff seems logical. Any particular branch better than the next? Specific MOS? I had heard he can take the ASVAB up to 3 times but do you keep your highest score or the last one?

He runs cross country and has started lifting weights so physically in 3 years he should be fine. I don't really want to talk to a recruiter just yet since it is so far away.

Thanks for any advice or guidance.

First, double check your sources and information. Sac County Sheriff Minimum Requirements age is 21 at the time of Academy graduation.

I’m retired military (not LEO) and think it’s a great aspiration for youth. But there are other paths which get one to the same place without a major commitment to find out you don’t wanna do the job.

A couple of non-mil experience stories:

-My son-in-law’s brother worked as an unarmed security guard at a mall (yup, Mall Cop) learned a bunch about human interaction and defusing situations while meeting and working with a bunch of retired LEOs who ran the company. They provided recommendations and he went to the academy. He did his indoctrination tour through the jails and he’s currently on patrol in the North Sac area.

-SIL’s best friend worked for Orkin Pest control. He applied for and was accepted to CHP. He’s been in for 15 years.

Past law enforcement experience was never required.

At your son’s age, look into the Sheriff’s Explorer program. He can participate in high school (and it will meet the school’s community service requirements) and get a sense of what goes on. If he wants to go .mil, he can when he graduates. Or, he can enter community college and study police science while working and staying in the Explorers. If, as he heads for 21, he is still interested, he has educational background, workplace exposure and in-house contacts as references. If vacancies are open, he could pin on at 21 and start his career.

Or he can move on to something else.

 

[sklepych]

recommend the Air Force for technical/tech savvy jobs

Interesting—back home, I got contacted a few times after finishing my master’s and during my PhD to join by what I’d think of as the local equivalent of the NSA for SIGINT and cyber warfare. I’d imagine they must be some of the most tech-savvy people around.

 

[ZeroFoxGiven]

Interesting—back home, I got contacted a few times after finishing my master’s and during my PhD to join by what I’d think of as the local equivalent of the NSA for SIGINT and cyber warfare. I’d imagine they must be some of the most tech-savvy people around.

Nice! I was only speaking of military side as that was OPs question.

But yeah, NSA and some of the other three letter agencies are so far out there in terms of tech and skills.

 

[Subotai]

I also highly recommend the Explorer program. It'll give him a taste of it and his interest will grow or peter out. Good learning experience.

 

[Yetiultimate]

OP...congrats to you and your son for putting together a career plan. Not very many do so this speaks volumes. I will offer my 2-cents here, although he may not like it.

Have your boy get his college degree. Even if he goes military, find a way to get that degree. It doesn't matter what the degree is in...CJ, Underwater Basket Weaving, English, whatever...but he will need that piece of paper. Most large agencies will hire at 20.5yrs old and that's great but he will not be able to promote past slick-sleeve without the degree. Some of the smaller agencies won't even interview a candidate without at least an AA. LEO hiring is not what it used to be, and the majority of candidates applying these days have degrees...this has become the new standard and will only get more important in the future.

Trust me on this. Good luck to your son, I hope he finds a successful 20yr career and 30 more years of pension.

 

[NorCalBusa]

Have him start deleting any social media posts that have controversy of any kind. His goal is to become the grey man online. Talk about his favorite sports teams- sure. Cool places to visit- you bet. Just be milk toast in everything he says, support the US, Law Enforcement, Firefighters. You get the drift I am sure- nothing a background checker can hang their hat on 5 years from now.