Going Fed After Being a Local/State LEO

[Maverick24]

Tell "Grouper" I said hi. ;)

LOL! I will!

[Joeyd6]

Decided it was time to move on, which is why im cooped up at FLETC right now

You got TK for law? I had him, and a guy Scott from the USSS and off course, a guy who loved to use "Mr. Chairsy" for all of his examples.

Firearms was a blast. Instructor was a former FAM from Atlanta and basically put me on the last range slot and I was left alone by everyone. As a former FAM, I intentionally laid low, and the instructor advised me to keep my score low, in the 270 range. One former USBP guy was running the mouth about how he was on the Special Ops team there and is the best shot and now beating a former FAM (he was hitting high 280's) and the "Top Gun."

That really was wearing on the instructor who invited me to come back after hours and do shooting and moving drills with him and a few other instructors. Qual day Mr. USBP hit 293 and was already celebrating eve thogh my half gquald the next day. I nailed it with a perfect 300. Then my classmates realized I had played them and the instructor was in on it. Mr. USBP was not happy but learned what the word humiliation meant. It was a lot of fun.

Enjoy that place and the chicken, there will be a day in the future you will actually miss it.

[Maverick24]

You got TK for law? I had him, and a guy Scott from the USSS and off course, a guy who loved to use "Mr. Chairsy" for all of his examples.

Firearms was a blast. Instructor was a former FAM from Atlanta and basically put me on the last range slot and I was left alone by everyone. As a former FAM, I intentionally laid low, and the instructor advised me to keep my score low, in the 270 range. One former USBP guy was running the mouth about how he was on the Special Ops team there and is the best shot and now beating a former FAM (he was hitting high 280's) and the "Top Gun."

That really was wearing on the instructor who invited me to come back after hours and do shooting and moving drills with him and a few other instructors. Qual day Mr. USBP hit 293 and was already celebrating eve thogh my half gquald the next day. I nailed it with a perfect 300. Then my classmates realized I had played them and the instructor was in on it. Mr. USBP was not happy but learned what the word humiliation meant. It was a lot of fun.

Enjoy that place and the chicken, there will be a day in the future you will actually miss it.

For law we actually have someone who is relatively new, but thankfully she is an awesome instructor.

As for firearms we also had a former DCA FAM as our lead range instr. (former FAMS are everywhere down here. I cant tell you how many guys Ive ran into from our old office alone) For the most part they hardly said a word to me on the line, except "nice job" etc. Unfortunately I had to learn a new trigger pull though (DAK trigger) so my scores suffered a bit. I qualled at 293, another guy (former USBP, IEA) beat me out at 297. No 300's though!

As for the chicken, I think Im turning into one right now with all that ive eaten, ugh!

[Kimble]

Unfortunately I had to learn a new trigger pull though (DAK trigger) so my scores suffered a bit.

I feel your pain. My agency is in the process of transitioning from a Sig 9mm to the Sig DAK .40 cal. I like the weapon, but we've seen a lot of scores drop a bit due to the new trigger pull. I still find myself looking for the decock that isn't there. :D

Not sure if you've checked it out already, but the Oyster Shack in Brunswick is probably the best seafood in the area. Really good food, and cool atmosphere for weekend beers.

[Maverick24]

I feel your pain. My agency is in the process of transitioning from a Sig 9mm to the Sig DAK .40 cal. I like the weapon, but we've seen a lot of scores drop a bit due to the new trigger pull. I still find myself looking for the decock that isn't there. :D

Not sure if you've checked it out already, but the Oyster Shack in Brunswick is probably the best seafood in the area. Really good food, and cool atmosphere for weekend beers.

Thats exactly what we shoot. It took me a few weeks to stop instinctively reaching for the decocking lever that was no longer there. I miss my old 229 but I do like the DAK as well.

Love the oyster shack! Hit it a few days ago for .50 wings/oysters. 20 oysters and 15 wings later I was about to pop :D

[Motorolanut]

The DAK transition caused alot of bitching in my agency too when we switched over from the conventional 229 in 357 to the DAK 40.

People started flunking the ICE 250 course and blaming the trigger.
Well FPS management and NFTTU put out enough memos stating there was nothing wrong with the Sig factory triggers and it was all the shooters fault.

The DAKS a nice weapon, I personally feel NFTTU needs to spend more time one on one on the range with Leos who transition over to the DAK. Instead of just handing the pistol over to us.

[Sgt. Slaughter]

How did you guys handle the low pay to start with. I saw a thread on the O.ther site for U.S. Marshals recruiting. The Marshals website shows the Federal Career Intern Program starts at GS-5 level. That's only around $35,000/year.

Do you guys just soak up OT to make better cash or what?

[Kimble]

How did you guys handle the low pay to start with. I saw a thread on the O.ther site for U.S. Marshals recruiting. The Marshals website shows the Federal Career Intern Program starts at GS-5 level. That's only around $35,000/year.

Do you guys just soak up OT to make better cash or what?

Most 1811 federal agents (in fact, all that I know of) have no OT. We get LEAP (law enforcement availability pay), which is an additional 25% added to our salary up front, but we have to average an additional 2 hours per day. Anything over LEAP is not reimbursed except in certain circumstances (ex: USSS and DSS protection details get RSO over time, as do our agents when on deployments in combat zones). RSO (the 1811 equivalent of OT) is not easy to come by for most agents working cases stateside.

That deputy marshal would make his GS-5 salary, plus 25% of his salary through LEAP, plus an additional salary percentage for his locality pay (at least 13+%, depending on where he's assigned). He'd be struggling at a GS-5 if in a high cost of living area, but doing a little better than $35k only.

[Sgt. Slaughter]

Thanks ROS. Is that Intern program a pretty big thing in the Feds, now? From what I was reading, you get a 2-year assignment then see if you get on "permanently." So, am I assuming correctly that they send you to FLETC and all the other training in the hopes that you make it? Sounds like the Intern program is what we local boys call a "probation."

[Nole795]

How did you guys handle the low pay to start with. I saw a thread on the O.ther site for U.S. Marshals recruiting. The Marshals website shows the Federal Career Intern Program starts at GS-5 level. That's only around $35,000/year.

Do you guys just soak up OT to make better cash or what?

If you have LEO experience then you would start at a higher pay. Most LEO's normally get bumped up to a 9 dependant on their background KSA (Knowledge, skills, and experience). Of course this is agency specific as well.

[Stub]

Most 1811 federal agents (in fact, all that I know of) have no OT. We get LEAP (law enforcement availability pay), which is an additional 25% added to our salary up front, but we have to average an additional 2 hours per day. Anything over LEAP is not reimbursed except in certain circumstances (ex: USSS and DSS protection details get RSO over time, as do our agents when on deployments in combat zones). RSO (the 1811 equivalent of OT) is not easy to come by for most agents working cases stateside.

That deputy marshal would make his GS-5 salary, plus 25% of his salary through LEAP, plus an additional salary percentage for his locality pay (at least 13+%, depending on where he's assigned). He'd be struggling at a GS-5 if in a high cost of living area, but doing a little better than $35k only.

DUSMs are hired as GL-0082-5 or GL-0082-7. GL-0082's do not earn LEAP. They do earn overtime for any hours worked in excess of 8 hours in one day. GL-0082 is a covered 6c / 12d position.

Under previous policy, GL-0082's had to complete a 10-week basic course at FLETC. They did not complete CITP when first hired. They remained a GL-0082 for their entire career unless they competed for selection to be a GS-1811. If competitively selected, they returned to FLETC to complete the 12-week CITP. If they graduated from CITP, they were converted to a GS-1811. Under this method many GL-0082-9's and GL-0082-11's were "demoted" to GS-1811-7's. Although, as a GL-1811-7, they were earning LEAP. Under this policy the career path for a GL-0082 was GL-0082-5 for one year, GL-0082-7 for one year, GL-0082-9 for three year, and GS-0082-11 was our journeyman level. Based on experience and education, one could be hired as a GL-0082-5 or GL-0082-7. Under this policy the career path for a GS-1811 was GL-1811-7 for one year, GL-1811-9 for one year, GS-1811-11 for three year, and GS-1811-12 was our journeyman level. Technically, our journeyman level was a GS-1811-11, but that is another story.

As of February 2007, DUSMs continued to be hired as GL-0082-5 or GL-0082-7's, but they completed both CITP's 12-week program and a consolidated 6-week basic course (BDUSM), totaling 18-weeks of entry level training. In addition, all GS-0082's hired before February 2007, were given an opportunity to attend CITP through a program called Criminal Investigator Conversion Program (CICP). Under this policy, a GL-0082 hired in or after February 2007 had to complete a 3-year Deputy Development Program before they were converted to GS-1811. Under this policy, it took as long as 8 years to reach GS-1811-12.

Effective August 31, 2009, our career path has changed again. DUSMs will continue to be hired as GL-0082-5 or GL-0082-7's and attend BDUSM and CITP. However, once a DUSM reaches and completes one year as a GL-0082-9, he or she will be non-competitively converted to a GS-1811-11. After one year as a GS-1811-11, he or she will be non-competitively promoted to a journeyman grade of GS-1811-12. Again, based on experience and education, one could be hired as a GL-0082-5 or GL-0082-7, but now a DUSM will only spend one year at each grade until they reach journeyman level. This accelerates our career path and is a huge victory for DUSMs and the USMS as a whole. As it stands, a new hire GL-0082-7 will be a journeyman GS-1811-12 at 3 years of service.

The next goal is to make our journeyman grade a GS-1811-13.

My hat goes off to our Director and FLEOA for bringing this much need change to our agency.

[Sgt. Slaughter]

Ho-lee ****, that's confusing. Too many numbers.

I hate math.

[mpdcjock]

Wow! I'm actually hoping and praying to get picked up by the FAMS the next application period. I've thought about doing it for a while now and think it would be a really cool job.

Reading all of the posts about it is making me have second thoughts.

[samtellis]

Kimble,
GREAT post. That should be stickied, considering how many people (myself included) are thinking about federal vs local

[spcposten]

what is so bad about being a FAM? I've applied for a FAM position MONTHS ago and apparently they are still going through apps? I'm not sure what is taking so long. anyway, back to my original question..is it really that bad??