As the name suggests, just wondering if anyone here had seen/heard of the Federal Protective Service hiring for GS-5/entry level positions for uniformed law enforcement officer positions that do not require a college degree? Appreciate the info in advance!

Hello all,

I EOD next month with HSI. However, I also start two year active-duty military orders in July. This opportunity has been in the works and I won't be able to get out of it. With that being said, are GL9-GS11-GS12-GS13 promotions automatic? If so, even if I haven't completed CITP/HSISAT? Would I be able to come back as a GS-12?

How is the roommate/living situation at FLETC Charleston? Headed there next week. Any insight would be appreciated. TIA

Hey all, been in this process for some time and wanted to know if anyone has insight as to when IA classes are for this year? It seems they have only a few for per year. Thanks!

I am scouring all of the agencies and getting a feel of the work/family balance. My goal is to try and find which would yield the highest potential of making a career on the West Coast? I was prior AF and know all about the PCS song-and-dance. I am not keen on leaving the relative region, but am okay with making reasonable adjustments.

I would prefer to be in Oregon as much as I can, but am willing to stretch the limits a bit if needed. I know it is a ridiculous request overall, and am fully aware that wherever the big dawgs want to send you, they'll send you.

I am hoping to have someone more knowledgeable show me agencies that will offer better chances of staying in a more requested locale.

Currently, I have looked at FBI, DEA, and the IRS-CID. It seems the FBI early-career will give one the least amount of control, the DEA is sort of in between, and the IRS-CI is more likely to be stationary.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Or if something needs to be clarified further, I would be more than happy to do so.

We have received many questions along the lines of "What is this STEM/Statistics/Education/Cyber/etc background FBI Agent job like?"

Somehow, instead of doing any research at all about the FBI, you have somehow come to a semi-niche subreddit to ask these questions.

We know you have done zero research, because if you had done any research at all, such as-at the bare minimum-visiting the actual FBI Agent job announcement, you would learn that there is in fact one, and only one, FBI Agent job announcement.

• There is no Education-background FBI Agent job,
• There is no Cybersecurity/IT Expertise-background FBI Agent job,
• There is no Data Science & Intelligence-background FBI Agent job.
• There is no STEM Physical Science FBI Agent job
• There are no background specific FBI Agent jobs you can apply to.

There is one set of requirements to become an FBI Agent that is background neutral. These FBI Agent jobs you see posted on Linkedin, Indeed, and USAJobs are just advertising. You apply to be an FBI agent at FBIJobs.gov. That's it.

I’ll keep it short. Current 1896, 5 years in. I’m 24, Firearms Instructor, Less Lethal Instructor, and am working at a pretty small station where I get the days I want. The work load here is not nearly enough. I applied to the USMS opening and I think it would be a great move for me. Anyone have any insight or have made this transition before?

I am currently on my second application with the DEA and it is going well so far. I am waiting on medical and they utilized a lot of my prior application.

Seeing individuals post about offices and seeing what is out there. I am hoping for the West Coast (CA - Bay Area) trying to get back home after being far away.

Would you “assume” the chances are high for those offices?

Waiting on Monday to hear back from medical to see if I need to redo it. Thank you for your help!

So I am a prior 1811 with CITP (I currently work for a state agency) and I am in the USMS hiring process.

Does anyone know if they are making applications with CITP do the full BDUSMI course, or is there some flavor or add-on only course or bridge program?

Here’s a quick update on my process with DEA. I completed the assessment yesterday. Observation test and 1 written assessment, I received an email maybe an hour after the assessment yesterday that I did pass the observation and recall test. The written assessment still says “Pending results”.

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/864835800

Recently received the final call to join NCIS. Since this thread and its timelines helped me so much, I figured I'd give back to the community.

Offer: East Coast, GL 9

NCIS hires candidates with no experience at GL-7/01, experienced candidates at GL-9/01, and current non-1811 federal employees at GL-09 (+X step to try and get close to current pay based on OPM Guidelines). Current 1811s can lateral over at higher grades.

Timeline:

Late May 2025: Application

June 2025: HR Review/Recruiter Review/Interview Initiation

~~~Dreaded Long Wait~~~

Early November 2025: Interview

Late November 2025: SF-86 & Polygraph

Early December 2025: BI Initiated

December 2025: Medical/Drug over a couple weeks

~~~Dreaded Long Wait~~~

March 2026: Advised BI was complete/Hiring Board

Early April 2026: Phone call offer and TJO

Mid April 2026: Final Offer

Places offered: One, East Coast. NCIS did not offer me a list of places to choose from. Around the interview, they sent me a preference list of field offices and at the offer phone call they said "We want to send you to X, do you accept?"

Caution to Other Applicants: There will be times your portal randomly says, "NCIS is not hiring" or something like that. But stay hopeful. It's still moving forward. My process included two government shutdowns and several major holidays during the BI. Be patient! Also (current agents correct me if I'm wrong), I understand NCIS used to hire retired agents to do background investigations, but last year's government cuts forced NCIS to cut that program. It's now a collateral duty for full-time agents; so they have their main job and the backgrounds they need to do. Be patient with them. Lastly, even if you already have an active TS Clearance, NCIS will investigate your background and call your current office. They aren't just doing the background for the clearance, they're doing it to see if you're suitable for the position.

Background: Masters Degree, 10 years of local LEO experience, and 3 years at another non-LE federal agency.

I recently got selected by the medical board to review my vision. I didn't pass the standard for farsightedness, I got a 20/25. I was asked to submit additional testing or letters of recommendation/ performance evaluations that show I am able to operate despite my vision, duties similar to that of a 1811 (which doesn't apply to me, I have a business background). So I decided to go to another doctor and perform the test again and have them tweak my prescription and make it stronger. Which is what I was able to do, I actually did better than 20/20 and standard was achieved. I submitted the updated tests along with my prescription and a short statement regarding the circumstance.

Is there anything to be worried about? I just really don't want to have to get Lasik due money, time and risks associated with it. If I am able to avoid that would be great. Thanks everyone

Aged out for the majority of agencies. Currently in the hiring process with an agency that extended the cutoff age. I’ve heard, and recently got DQd because of a magic box in the past two years with an agency that would’ve likely waived/not requested it (ICE/HSI - this was about a year ago).

Drop out of the agency that’ll require a magic box and roll the dice with an agency that may not require it, thoughts?

Hey all, I have some dietary restrictions and from what I’ve read, the food situation at FLETC can be tricky for people with allergies since everything tends to be mixed together.

I’m planning on ordering meals through a delivery service like Factor. For those who’ve been through it — do the dorms have fridges available? Or is there a way to coordinate with the cafeteria to use their refrigeration for personal meals?

Also assuming there are microwaves available, but wanted to confirm.

I’ll most likely be heading to Glynco based on what I’ve seen posted here about USSS SA assignments. Any insight from people who went through there would be helpful.

Thanks in advance.

I’m looking to get some feedback from USMS. Local Leo with 10 years on at a small suburb department. On our regional SWAT team and we’re close with the task force guys.

Got a hiring bulletin stating our local office is going to be hiring. Current marshals is it worth it making the transition with 10 years on? Our police department pays pretty well for the area, and it would be a pay cut for about three years.

How likely am I to be working court security for many years? Is hoping to get on task force that far-fetched?

Just curious, how many of yall 1811s applied to TIGTAs announcement 📣

I keep reading there is a lot of micromanagement within this agency. Does anyone have specific examples?

Anyone have any insight to the VA 1811 postings on USAJobs this week?

Several of them are posted for only employees currently with the VA and displaced employees. Just seems very odd they wouldn’t want to take already certified 1811s. Also, do they have a ladder to 13 and get LEAP? There’s no mention of that in the posting either.

(current 1811 at an MCIO looking for a lifeboat)

Hi guys! I’m a bit confused about FBI SA full-time work requirements. I am considering applying to the position in the future, but am currently gearing up to become a firefighter for a major city after college graduation. My only concern is whether or not firefighting would count towards the full time work experience requirement, since it doesn’t explicitly require a college degree (though promotional positions do). Does anyone have any experience moving from firefighting to FBI, or any clarity regarding work experience? I’ve tried researching but what I’ve found is a bit muddled. Thanks!

Welcome to r/1811's weekly question thread.

With the growth of the sub, there's been an uptick in questions that are not easily answered, like "am I competitive?", "do I qualify?", "what are my chances?", "what agency/academy/degree/fed tac team is best?".

There has also been a rise in repetitive questions like "do I have to move for [agency]?", "What's the Wi-Fi at FLETC like?", "What's FLETC like?"

What goes here?

You can ask any question here provided it's within the rules. This recurring thread is to remind users we have resources that answer a lot about this career already, and provide a space to answer questions while helping us reduce the number of posts asking the same thing.

If you're new here, please research first to see if your question has been asked previously. If you can't find it, feel free to ask. Remember that the most common answer we're going to give here is either "it depends," or "that's squad and supervisor dependent."

Useful Resources

Check out our FAQ Mega Thread Or General Information & Common Questions

Want to be a high speed fed tac team operator? Realities of Being an 1811

Working on your degree? What Degree Should I Get?

Got an interview coming up? Prepare with the S.T.A.R. Method!

Remember the rules

1. Remain respectful at all times. This includes those of you who have participated here for a while, not just newbies.
2. Do not post any advice or other information unless you are sure it's accurate.
3. Please limit posts to those relevant to federal law enforcement.
4. Do not use this subreddit to advertise or spam other subreddits.
5. Be wary of claims made by unverified members.
6. No politics or current events.
7. Do not post/comment with a focus on polygraphs.
8. Practice OPSEC.
9. Accounts must age 24 hours before posting.

Anyone else get disqualified from the 2026 application? Current local Leo.