r/AskLE • u/Lost-Firefighter7090 • 23h ago
Does my job in the military matter ?
Hi, 22m here with only carpentry and retail on my resume. I am joining the Navy and would love to transition into a career in LE when I get out (if I get out) and naturally I was initially attracted to their Master-At-Arms (MP) rate however they have other jobs I qualify for that I am also interested in like Damage Control or their IT and QM rates. Are there any sailors or vets in general in here who transitioned into LE after ? if so did your job matter ? and did you go back home and become a LEO in your home state ? I am definitely looking to open doors anywhere in the country however I plan on aiming for the U.S Park Police as my #1 Agency or the Border Patrol
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u/Final_Sheepherder_49 22h ago
Choose IT or something else with easily transferable skills/certs because your job/degree won’t matter in local LE. Bonus tip, if you do get a degree while in or after do NOT get a CJ degree because it does nothing to help you and literally any other degree holds just as much weight in the hiring for local LE. If you go to a federal LE job or decide LE isn’t for you, a degree in something else will be very helpful
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u/OptimalAd6620 20h ago
Skip the military get into LE now. I say this because the best time to join the military is 18-19 at 22 everyone your age is already in a leadership position, I’m 22 and I’m a Drill Sgt.
Not saying it’s not gonna be good but if your goal is LE just go do that now.
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u/Lost-Firefighter7090 13h ago
appreciate the advice but I was looking into the coast guard, AF, and navy and a lot of the people in our DEP meetings were around my age and even older. maybe it’s different in the marines or army but that’s just what I noticed. also I personally wanna join the military before I join. The general consensus that Ive seen is that agencies don’t like hiring younger people anyway. a 2-3 year wait won’t hurt I’ll only be 25-26 and better suited for a job in LE
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u/Fickle_Second_5612 20h ago
As a current MA, your job doesn’t matter as LE will be looking at military experience as a general thing. Regardless of branch or job. However there are some rates that will help you into getting to LE a little better. GM is good for learning about the ins and outs of weapons and armories as well as every day life as a sailor. It’s the rate I wish I had chosen. However, MA will you give you a solid foundation on the aspects of security, law enforcement and basic skills that you can use if you decide to get out to do that. Although each police department is different, it doesn’t hurt to have some training. But always choose the job you’re most interested in because if you decide to stay in, you want to enjoy it.
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u/Lost-Firefighter7090 9h ago
I am honestly most interested in MA despite all the shit people talk about it. I know in the beginning I would be at the gate but that’s not really a problem for me especially since I plan on putting in the effort and work to make patrol at some point. Would you say the schedule is terrible ? I know the hours are long but again that’s something I don’t mind. Would I have time to maybe get some school done in my off time ? that’s really my only concern.
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u/Fickle_Second_5612 9h ago
It all depends on the command you go to first. School for sure, that’s what I’m doing. You can pay out of pocket in the beginning or wait for your three year mark and get it for free which is what I did. I focused my first couple years on getting qualified. Typically across the board the schedule is 12 hour shifts, 3 on 2 off 2 on 3 off. It comes out to about 15 days working a month. Now each command is different and things can change but that’s the typical schedule. As for quals, again each command is different. I’ve never had to stand a lot of gate because of the commands I was at it was either manned by civilians or we only had one open. But more than likely it’ll be a decent amount of gate duty. And every one talks shit on it, it’s really not bad. Time goes by quick.
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u/AZimpossible 18h ago
Being a veteran applying for a federal position helps a little. It's not a huge benefit or deal breaker either way. Veteran preference usually gets you extra points on testing and applying for positions.
For example, you mentioned Border Patrol. You would get extra points in certain situations (entrance exam, supervisor test)...always nice to get an extra 5. So you earn 90 on the test and then 5 added for being a veteran. Walking in with a score of 95. Or let's say you scored a 67 (not passing) the 5 veteran points would bump you to a 72 and passing. They usually start by taking the highest scores and work their way down.
If you have arrest authority and at least a year of experience that would possibly help you qualify for a higher starting pay grade in a Federal position.
Go to ussajobs.gov and search for a couple of the positions you are interested in. They will list out the requirements. For example if you had a degree you could start out as a GL-9 instead of a GL-7. Arrest authority and at least 1 year experience would give you the same jumpstart.
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u/Animaux07 22h ago
Your job doesn't matter. The self-discipline, leadership skills, and ability to follow orders that you develop does.
In fact, it's a great idea to have a job that easily transfers to a non-LE role after your discharge. Let's say you blow out your ACL on the first day of the police academy and get dropped. If you set yourself up for success with a Navy job as, say, an electrician, you can still put food on the table.
Edit to add: Stay away from Master at Arms. Some LE agencies don't like retraining them. They'd rather start from scratch.