Getting the Field Office I Want

[mbrowne]

All you 1811s out there, I was curious if you got your first choice of location or if you know anything about it. If you could specify agency that would be great. I am looking at ATF, ICE, and DEA. Thanks

[LastChance36]

While I cant answer as a current 1811, I received an 1811 offer from ICE 2 yrs ago that I turned down and although it wasn't for the city where I live (They have a very small ICE office here anyway), it was in the same AOR and Division where I am, so I guess you can say it was as close to home as I could have asked to get with them. Finishing up with USPIS right now and they are trying to keep me in the local office since I already work out of there on a Fed Task Force, know everyone, and they can save on relocation expenses, but I still could get another office in the divison. Ultimately I leave it up to the "Drunk Monkey" rule a DEA buddy told me about years ago. FBI and DEA as you may or may not know, do not receive their city assignment at the time of hire, instead they receive it 6-8 weeks into Quantico. He said "assignment day" is like watching a drunk monkey throw darts at a map of the USA. Some get exactly were they wanted to go, and some 2000 miles from where they wanted to go. ATF will ask you for your preferences, but there are no guarantees you will get it when they call. All the local ATF agents here are from somewhere else, but I do not know if that can be said for every ATF office. USSS here has about 1/4 of their SA's that are local and most of the rest are from within the region. As for other 1811's I know, I would say about 1/3 of them got the city where they wanted to go first. The rest are here because they were assigned here for one reason or the other. I will say that it appears USPIS and ICE currently offer your best chance of either getting your office of preference, or close to it on your first assignment if it is where you live. USPIS is trying to cut down on relocation expenses by keeping new Inspectors in the Division where they are hired from. If you want to move on your first gig, FBI and DEA are your best chances. Obviously OIG's, usually hire for a specific city, so you will know where you are going when you apply. Ultimately you have to go into it knowing you might not get where you want on your first go round, or second, but if it's the job you want, you go where "the needs of the service" direct!!

[Kimble]

All you 1811s out there, I was curious if you got your first choice of location or if you know anything about it. If you could specify agency that would be great. I am looking at ATF, ICE, and DEA. Thanks

If you're interested in being a fed, "mobility agreement" is two words you need to know and understand fully. I'm going to a pretty good first FO, but it was not one of the handful I selected to go to. You need to be ready and willing to go anywhere in the agency's reach, whether it be nationwide, or worldwide. If you can't deal with that, you should probably look for avenues outside of federal LE.

I will say that ICE tends to send people back to the office they processed their application out of once they are through with training at FLETC.

[BP348]

While I cant answer as a current 1811, I received an 1811 offer from ICE 2 yrs ago that I turned down

I too turned down an offer from ICE. Their offer wasn't even close, I.E. not even in the same state :rolleyes: to where I'm at now. If the offer would have been somewhere here in Texas I would have taken it. Matter of fact there were only 2 places wouldn't have accecpted, CA & NY, of course they had to go and offer me LA :rolleyes:.

I only know 2 ATF 1811's and 1 got close to where he wanted to go the other didn't. I also know 2 1811's for USPIS, neither got a city of their choice.

[mbrowne]

Just to add another part to my question, does anyone know where the popular field offices are (aka hard ones to get) and where the easier ones are? My goal is West Coast (Seattle, LA, Bay Area). Anyone know anything about the popularity? Thanks again all you who respond.

[Switchback]

Generally speaking (for most agencies), LA is not too difficult to get.... as is the case for most larger agencies. Now, with that said, you will still get assigned to offices, based on what the needs of the agency are at that time. We had no one in my class going to LA. However, we had something like 10 to DC (between super court & District Court) and then 15 going to NYC (southern and eastern).

Most agencies have some method of getting to a preferred ofice after you are on the job for some period of time, though.

[Kimble]

With my agency, generally any of the offices in western Europe are pretty popular.

[BSmitty]

I moved my family to Fairbanks, Alaska during the pipeline boom in order to get the job (IRS-CID), when no one wanted to go there. It was a great experience, sort of like the gold rush or the old West-every kind of con man, pimp, doper, gambler, etc. Glad I went. I encourage young agents to develop a sense of adventure and don't be afraid to see another part of the country (or world). It's really a benefit of federal law enforcement. When you are older you will be glad you did.

[psu11186]

Smitty,

What was your family's reaction to this??? I am still only in college, but am very interested in Federal Law Enforcement if I get the opportunity after serving a few years at a local department. I ask this question because my father was in the USSS and we moved a few times, but still within the region, so I never really experienced a BIG move.

[BSmitty]

PSU, Our kids were little (pre-school age) and kids adapt anywhere. My wife was supportive. She knew this was an alternative to a militrary career - army CID- which would have meant more mobility for less pay. Being moble is a plus when applying for federal law enforcement. Moving a couple times during your career can make the time go by faster, and make you a better agent. Good luck.

[LastChance36]

PSU, Our kids were little (pre-school age) and kids adapt anywhere. My wife was supportive. She knew this was an alternative to a militrary career - army CID- which would have meant more mobility for less pay. Being moble is a plus when applying for federal law enforcement. Moving a couple times during your career can make the time go by faster, and make you a better agent. Good luck.

Thats a good woman you have there!! I can see now the look on my wife's face if I were to tell her we were moving to Alaska!! :eek: lol I would love to buy you a round and hear some stories about your time up there. I have a friend who left our local SO here in the southeast to be a AK State Trooper. He is now on the most western part of the state, literally a few miles from Russia and he loves every minute of it!! God bless him!!

[mbrowne]

I am all for exploring the country, I go to school on one coast and live on the other, and after seeing a large portion of it, I would love to live and work on the west coast. I thank all those who have answered and will answer, it would be nice to know what my options are. In addition, do any Secret Service agents or anyone I suppose, know if most entry level agents are stationed in DC or around the country. Thanks again for all the info. Just to round of questions, any of the federal agents in here come straight out of college and with what agency?

[Kimble]

Just to round of questions, any of the federal agents in here come straight out of college and with what agency?

Not me, but in my CITP class we had one girl straight out of college (out of a class of 46), but she also did a Co-op program with ICE, which lead to here being hired as an SA upon graduation.

[LastChance36]

I am all for exploring the country, I go to school on one coast and live on the other, and after seeing a large portion of it, I would love to live and work on the west coast. I thank all those who have answered and will answer, it would be nice to know what my options are. In addition, do any Secret Service agents or anyone I suppose, know if most entry level agents are stationed in DC or around the country. Thanks again for all the info. Just to round of questions, any of the federal agents in here come straight out of college and with what agency?

If you are asking if any entry SA's with USSS or anyone else are stationed around DC and the rest of the country, then the answer is yes and yes. Rookies are assigned the DC area just like any other FO around the country. If you want to be a west coaster as an 1811, you would have no problem whatsover finding a slot. LA, San Fran & San Diego are large and hard to fill offices with just about every fed agency. Some agencies will tell you up front when they make you the offer where you will go and some will tell you in the academy.

[Group9]

All you 1811s out there, I was curious if you got your first choice of location or if you know anything about it. If you could specify agency that would be great. I am looking at ATF, ICE, and DEA. Thanks

The answer with DEA is, it depends, but not often (unless your first choice is New York, Puerto Rico, or the southwest border). ATF and ICE do offer region specific slots, I think. DEA is more pot luck, and one agency that means it when they say, "mobility agreement".