Time off during academy or FT?

[Markbilliards]

I'm getting married on August 31 of 2008. I plan to get into law enforcement, but I'm not sure if I should wait until after I'm married.

I ask this because I'm wondering if I did get hired, but I was at the academy or in field training over the span of August 31, 2008 when I get married, would they be so harsh as to not let me get the weekend off? I figured that you can't have vacation time when you first start, so an immediate honeymoon is out of the question, but if I told the agency I was getting married would they just say that they'll find someone else for the job or would they be willing to let me not work during two requested days for my wedding.

Should I just wait until after I'm married to try to get into LE?

[Lawson]

The academy is going to be stressful enough. I wouldnt want to add a wedding on top of that.

[Plazoo]

It probably depends on the academy and what type of structure they have set up.

As for the academy I went through, (Alaska State Department of Public Safety Training Academy), you could pretty much forget about having time off. It was a live-in, extremely para-military type environment. Seven days a week, classes every single day, and no going home at night. Hell, we weren't even allowed visitors except for one day midway through then on graduation. From my understanding, most state academies are similiar to that.

Plus, even missing two days of academy time will put you seriously behind in what you need to learn. There is so much info that the academy only has a short amount if time to cram into your brain that it would be unwise to miss any time whatsoever.

My advise would be to either wait until after you graduate the academy, or maybe even until after you pass probation, then get married or do it before you're hired.

Like said already, the academy is way to stressful as is without having to worry about what color napkins go best with the wedding cake.

Good luck.

[chaser]

I don't think it would be a problem, but I must ask why the hell would you get married on a Sunday?

[Kimble]

I recently started my FTO phases myself with my 2nd department and I'm getting hitched next month. Since I'm still in probation (will be until I complete a year and FTO), I don't count as "emergency essential", so I didn't have a problem getting 5 days off in Sept to get married. I'd assume it would be viewed the same elsewhere, but best to check with the patrol supervisors or recruiters at the departments you're interested in to find out.

[BP348]

Unless you're already in the process or have a job offer I wouldn't put the wedding on hold. It's very difficult to obtain a LEO position and if your just starting the process it will probably take a year or more to obtain the desired LEO position.

At my academy we had nights and weekends off, so you could do whatever you wanted on you're off duty time.

[RangeHunter]

Just go on with the wedding as planned and when you get on you get on. If it happens to get in the way of your wedding plans, and your wife has an issue with it, find another wife. Cause its gonna happen a lot more down the road in your career.

[Mike Romeo]

We were afforded no time off at the academy. Field training was better to take leave.

[mcsap]

The academy here in PA is M-F with an occasional Sat. It is also a commute style of setting, no overnighters. You should find out what your state/county does.