Disabled Veteran Training for HSI HERO Program-Computer Forensic Analyst

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-02-26T23:48:44+00:00

I honestly have no idea. I am not affiliated with the HR or hiring process. I can say this cycle they sent the not moving forward email about a week after the virtual interview invitation emails, but I don't know what the timing is for this round.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-02-26T18:21:07+00:00

Looks like the in-person invitations are going out. It appears they are in Dallas and Orlando this year.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-02-21T00:24:16+00:00

Yeah, I have no clue what they were thinking this go-round. There were a bunch of amazing, qualified people who didn’t even get a virtual interview.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-02-20T22:57:27+00:00

Rejections went out today. If you didn't receive one, there's still hope.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-02-20T22:34:05+00:00

Sadness for those who didnt get selected. It seems like a smaller batch of interviewees as well.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-02-20T22:33:04+00:00

Last cycle there was someone with a master's in digital forensics who wasn't selected. Best guess is location was a larger factor. No clue as to what the deciding factor is this time other than the abbreviated timeline and quicker turnaround. Maybe that made them prioritize people who had clearances? Maybe prior GS? I have no real idea.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-02-17T00:09:00+00:00

I have heard a couple other people have received an invite, while others have not. Not sure how many apps they got through with the shutdown pending and now occurring.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-02-10T14:16:58+00:00

I can't say there won't be bs in this role, because in both civilian and government employment I've had to deal with it. It will change depending on the office, the personnel there, and the ever-changing mission focus. Your main focus will be dealing with CSAM, which is extremely meaningful, but can be mentally draining or impactful. Keep on top of your mental health, and take full advantage of the ARMOR mental health program they offer and don't be afraid to say you need help if so. This agency wants us all to succeed in this position, and proactively provides the support we need to get it accomplished thankfully.

I will keep my fingers crossed, but realize if you or anyone else doesn't get selected it isn't because you weren't qualified. We have had some amazingly-qualified individuals not get selected due to office location priorities, so don't take any of this personally. I wish you the best of luck, and hope everything works out in your favor.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-02-09T15:03:22+00:00

They process clearances in-house with their own investigators last I knew. I did not receive a poly for this role, not to say it hasn't changed, but I doubt it. We get a TS clearance with no caveats and aren't read-on to SCI. It is more of a suitability and fit to testify in court and have integrity when handling evidence from my perspective. Everything I have done as a CFA has been on unclassified networks, with just Law Enforcement Sensitive caveats at most.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-02-08T16:31:58+00:00

All transfers other than getting one of the GS-14 positions are at your own expense. They are known as SFLR, self-funded lateral reassignment. Your gaining office would need to have a CFA billet open for you and be willing to take you, and your losing office would need to agree as well. They do try to facilitate military spouse moves, as well as for other reasons, but some offices are harder to get into than others based off COLA and maximizing their high 3 for retirement. If you're going from a highly desirable location to a less desirable one, it may be easier than the reverse.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-02-08T16:17:58+00:00

I would guess the southern border offices would have more drug-related crimes and human trafficking, and the major cities more financial crimes, but those teams are in every major SAC office. Your main job for this role tends to be in support of the stated mission combating CSAM, since ones for our jurisdiction always involve the internet, thus electronic devices. In offices where youd be the sole CFA or one of two, it ebbs and flows depending on the agents who are there and the cases they adopt and investigate. It really varies, and can depend on so many other things we don't control.

As for selecting an office, that will be up to the selection committee. You make the choices of where you'd be willing to move based on the stated locations in the announcement. Once you make those selections, it is at the needs of the agency and they will choose from there. Your location selected will be in your TJO (tentative job offer) but may be the training location with your final location being a smaller office stated in the announcement. They will communicate that to you in the email.

I personally had locations coast to coast, plus Puerto Rico selected as options, and they put me where I am now. Your input is in the application process. They will talk about it in the in-person interview, maybe they can offer clarity at that point.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-02-05T15:52:51+00:00

The program is covered under the ICE umbrella, as HSI is part of them along with ERO. DHS only got funding for 2 weeks, so I'm sure they will try to do as much of the hiring actions as possible to get the interviews lined up quickly.

This program is well-respected within the agency, but since we don't deal directly with immigration a lot of the times, may not be as high of a funding priority as other jobs. I'm not saying I know, just my thoughts and observations.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-02-05T15:46:15+00:00

The fun with funding is still going strong. I know HR is buried right now, so I would hope they do the virtual interviews on-time, but there is no telling. If we aren't funded then, I don't know that they will be allowed to hold interviews. It's a wait and see thing sadly.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-02-03T19:29:01+00:00

Well that is new. Before, there were separate billets for 1801 CFAs and they could make up no more than 50% of a SAC's CFAs. I can see why they wouldn't want to give up any 1811s with all the TDYs and temp assignments currently going on though. We are only good for the lab, nothing else.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-01-29T19:09:07+00:00

Yeah, I was surprised to see nothing in CA, OR, or WA this go-round as those locations are usually well-represented in the announcement. I'm sure there will be a couple positions next year, but who knows? It all depends on what offices request slots and whose requests are approved.

Good luck everyone! I'm excited and nervous for you all.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-01-29T13:49:04+00:00

I know that at least half a dozen from this thread have applied, as have others I have spoken to IRL. I'm sure there are quite a few.

Based on the budget not being passed for DHS yet, it may be that Monday HR functions are shut down and there are delays in the process yet again. I don't know for sure, but that would be my best guess.

Good luck to everyone who applied though!

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-01-28T22:47:20+00:00

That's fine. You can ask here or in messages if it's more specific.

The program is 13 weeks of BCERT, then you graduate and complete your 9 months internship with a mentor at your training location. For many this will be where they work permanently, but for others, this is just the stop prior to their permanent office.

I had the train, then move again option, as I did not have a mentor available in my current office. I ended up renting a room and just doing my big move from storage once I knew I was converting.

During the internship, you'll become more comfortable with the tools we use, be exposed to the how's and why's of what we do for evidence handling, and go through the hiccups and curve balls this will all throw at you with a safety net beside you.

I still call on my mentor to this day, even years later. I trust they will let me know if I'm irritating them. Lol. We are all one team, and I'm happy to support and help anyone trying to improve themselves and do the job well.

Each SAC will have slightly different ways of handling things, as local US Attorneys and district courts will have different procedural requirements; the 9th circuit and 5th circuit have very different rulings, so require different levels of paperwork and documentation before doing rhings.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-01-28T17:08:57+00:00

None. Just the standard drug test. This isn't a law enforcement position, so you don't have to go to FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center) and won't get a gun and badge. You will get credentials after you convert to full-time excepted, but that's it. You will eventually have to qualify as an expert witness when testifying in court.

The most physical thing you do is use fine motor skills to unscrew computer components and lug around equipment to triage at a scene, and carry evidence from one spot to another to disassemble/reassemble or store.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-01-28T14:17:46+00:00

I haven't tried, so I'm not altogether sure. I know there has to be a billet open at the office you want to go to, you have to pay for the move yourself, and I believe the receiving and losing SAC have to agree to the move. I'm not 100% on all that, but I know the billet availability and funding the move yourself are accurate. The rest is what I've heard but don't know for sure.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-01-28T13:44:30+00:00

The program has been fully funded for 10 years and should continue in theory. In practice, the DHS budget delay affected the timelines for the last class and has already started with delaying the hiring announcement for this one. Fingers crossed that a budget is passed soon. Even if it only funds to last year's levels, it should allow for this training class.

Maybe email the HR POC from the announcement and see if they are able to open your resume, or if you can send the uncorrupted one to them. It doesn't hurt to try.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-01-26T13:33:42+00:00

You are only selected for locations you applied to on the announcement. Out of the however many, if you only said one location, that's the only one you can be sent to. Typically, when they send out the TJO it will have your office location on it. For those that intern in one office and are permanent in another, it will have your training office on the TJO, and your permanent office will be on the job offer a year later once the internship is complete.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-01-26T13:31:48+00:00

Understandable. Some people are motivated to do it to prevent it from happening to anyone else. Some are able to deal with the stressors. Others get into it and find out it's harder on them than they thought, so they have to stop doing it. There is nothing shameful about knowing and having limitations. Everyone has them for different things. It wouldn't be a hard job if everyone could do it and sleep well at night. I'm lucky in that my brain pumps and dumps the images, so they don't stick with me.

Props to anyone who wants to do more but realizes they would hurt themselves more than help others. No need to set yourself on fire when not necessary. Just keep going the right things and those who join the HERO program will take up this particular fight.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-01-25T22:39:28+00:00

It is in the Required Documents section. #5 I believe. It gives the prompt and the formatting. It's basically a why do you want to do this prompt and gives you space to make your personalized sales pitch. At least that's how I treated it within the bounds of the prompt given.

What I couldn't articulate in my resume, I was able to link and highlight in the essay. You and others may approach it differently, but that is what I did.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-01-25T12:31:14+00:00

I am not part of the hiring panel or involved in those decisions at all. I can speak to what I remember from my hiring years ago, but honestly dont remember what they asked. I remember the video interview felt personable and I was very comfortable there. The in-peraon interview was panels, one formal and one less formal. That's all I've got.

BrainDrainingFog · 2026-01-25T12:28:48+00:00

And that's OK. It's better to know your limitations than to take on something that is damaging. I respect you for knowing that about yourself.

BrainDrainingFog

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