I joined the military right out of high school and spent three years on active duty. I loved the military but wanted to go to school and get a degree. I also wanted to get married and have a family, but I knew the military is not very conducive for a strong family life. So I joined the National Guard, went to school, got married, had kids, and began a career in loss prevention in the banking industry.
I was eventually deployed to Iraq with my National Guard unit, and upon returning I knew I could not be happy with a desk job for the rest of my life. While deployed, I worked with many people who had careers in law enforcement back in their civilian lives. I discovered the work we did parallels the law enforcement profession in many ways.
When I returned home, I applied and eventually was hired as a city police officer, and I have no regrets. I love what I do and honestly do not know why I didn’t think of it sooner.
Learn more about Troutdale Police Department at: http://www.ci.troutdale.or.us/police/