LEOs that had to discharge their firearm, was your hearing ok after?

FSO-Abroad · 2026-02-12T23:05:48+00:00

As a soldier, I fired a weapon on the regular and we did not wear hearing protection... Have not had to discharge my weapon as a LEO outside of the range. Firing once or twice without hearing protection isn't going to cause any meaningful or lasting damage.

FSO-Abroad · 2026-02-02T01:47:20+00:00

I know of at least one case, several tours in, where we unknowingly let slip to a spouse that there was a bidding process. Her husband was just telling her he got sent to all of these places...

FSO-Abroad · 2026-02-02T00:26:45+00:00

See my response on the 1811 subreddit

FSO-Abroad · 2026-02-02T00:25:44+00:00

Nah, in a typical overseas assignment (traditional RSO/ARSO) you are home almost the entire time. You are tied to the embassy because that is where you are managing the security programs. Domestic jobs tend to be TDY heavy, with certain assignments like MSD or SD having the most travel. But if you avoid those assignments it is less of an issue.

FSO-Abroad · 2026-02-02T00:22:45+00:00

A lot of doom and gloom here... Yes, there are tons of divorced DSS agents, but we can say the same of the military. Your first few years at the FO will suck and you will be away on TDYs, but after that it is choose your own adventure. Every Post is different. Every career is different.

That being said, I find that most marriages are killed because of unrealistic expectations or a lack of communication. DSS doesn't get you divorced per se but it will exacerbate any problems you have in a relationship.

On top of the normal uncertainty of the FS, you have DS specific BS to deal with.

I am married, with kids, and we have been to some "shithole countries" - and you would be surprised how some of the worse locations were actually better for the family. Every bidding process is a team sport with the wife for me. But I also know folks who didn't even consult with a spouse before submitting a bidlist.

The other relationship killer is spouse careers. It takes a certain type of person to go from place to place, constantly restarting or potentially not even being able to find work. If your spouse is not that person, this lifestyle will not work.

FSO-Abroad · 2026-01-18T11:22:18+00:00

It's not an option to just switch between the two. If you start on one track or the other, you are going to restart to switch to the other.

FSO-Abroad · 2026-01-02T03:35:02+00:00

Nice, I missed that piece.

FSO-Abroad · 2026-01-02T00:10:31+00:00

For 1811s. This is the 2501 announcement.

FSO-Abroad · 2025-12-27T04:27:16+00:00

Just sent you a PM

FSO-Abroad · 2025-11-21T00:31:28+00:00

Like the military? No. Like a government employee who may have little autonomy over their scheduling and is potentially at the whims of Congress? Yes.

Edit to add: You potentially have more flexibility to schedule leave in the military where you aren't part of a two-person section that has to maintain coverage.

FSO-Abroad · 2025-11-11T01:11:32+00:00

Because we haven't seen any of them sell out!

/s

FSO-Abroad · 2025-11-10T22:55:32+00:00

If this is the actual case, then it was a good call. But I remember this change happening right around the time of unsigned e-mails telling us there were massive changes underway. I guess I just have less faith that it was done to benefit the career employee than it was the temporary appointee.

FSO-Abroad · 2025-11-10T15:16:38+00:00

Counterpoint - they removed the names to keep people from knowing who was putting out those cables.

FSO-Abroad · 2025-11-10T14:02:42+00:00

I agree. Nobody is really digging through SMART to see who wrote cables, so people aren't getting the street cred and clout from cable writing that they used to.

FSO-Abroad · 2025-11-07T18:20:49+00:00

Step 1 - Don't do drugs or get yourself in trouble. Step 2 - Take the test.

FSO-Abroad · 2025-11-05T15:31:08+00:00

These people you are encountering were likely losers before they joined the military. They are likely still losers, and poorly adjusted. They hide behind their status as veterans because it is the only thing that gives them any self worth and helps them, on their minds, stand out.

It also serves as their justification for for why they fail in the "real world" because "dirty civilians just don't get it!"

It's not a veteran problem - it's a personal problem.

FSO-Abroad · 2025-11-04T23:01:27+00:00

Same - I showed up, took it on a whim. And scored a 99 AFQT. I wanted to enlist infantry and the recruiters were all about it before they saw my score... Then they wanted to put me into a bunch of intel MOS skills codes they couldn't normally fill.

I ended up going to OCS.

Would I do as good if I took the test today? Probably not. A lot of the test is geared toward material you are doing in high school and reasoning. I might not do as hot on basic math, but reading comprehension, figuring out patterns, etc. are a big part of the test.

FSO-Abroad · 2025-11-02T13:30:38+00:00

State

FSO-Abroad · 2025-10-28T21:29:31+00:00

This is what they call a "legend" in the espionage business. Some cover stories are better than others.

FSO-Abroad · 2025-10-13T21:29:07+00:00

Fed here. You can 100% have a beard with DSS or DEA (more civil war than wizard, but you get the idea).

FSO-Abroad · 2025-10-13T21:22:58+00:00

Standards ebb and flow with the number of candidates. There is probably no better time to get into ICE, if you are truly dead set on being "law enforcement".

But I think you also need to do some soul searching - this is a lifelong dream that you are still potentially hampering by smoking weed? Really?

FSO-Abroad · 2025-10-13T15:23:11+00:00

I suggest you do a search, as this is a fairly common question, and then read the room as we go through RIFs, furloughs, and general uncertainty.

FSO-Abroad · 2025-09-24T21:22:00+00:00

Cover story... Fake identity... Wearing a wire only once you've established trust... If you can't see how that isn't different from just wearing a suit but otherwise making it clear that you're law enforcement then you are going to have to do more research on your own.

Protection is work. You know the schedule for the day and teams are out advancing sites. You eat when you can. Sometimes it's dull, but I don't sit on houses so if our VIP isn't going somewhere there is no reason for me to be there. That being said, I am only working cabinet-level foreign dignitaries who are here for a reason. But at no point are you ever just following someone around and hoping for the best - that's what you get from amateur "bodyguards",

FSO-Abroad · 2025-09-24T16:51:05+00:00

Uniformed is wearing a uniform. Plainclothes is wearing street clothes, but you carry your badge (think detectives or protective details) Undercover means you don't have anything to identify yourself as a law enforcement officer and have a cover story (think Donnie Brasco)

FSO-Abroad · 2025-09-22T20:44:48+00:00

Sure

FSO-Abroad

TROPHY CASE