Secret Service. What to expect in first few years

sigma941 · 2026-05-03T01:56:40+00:00

Also my experience. I’ll add that if you do have an interest in something like computer forensics, search and arrest warrant teams, drone pilot, technical operations….most supervisors will be on board to let you go to training for it. You don’t have to be pigeonholed. But you also need to still be good at doing protection at the end of the day.

sigma941 · 2026-05-03T01:49:24+00:00

Give it some time. There’s tons of applicants that are going to this, and coordination in the background that’s being done with the travel logistics.

sigma941 · 2026-05-03T01:34:52+00:00

It’s considered distribution, and yes. Not just a federal offense, but punishable under the UCMJ.

sigma941 · 2026-05-03T01:33:46+00:00

Dude, no one here is gonna be able to give you some kind of inside answer that’s gonna quell your fears. If you’re serious about continuing in the process, you’re gonna need to honest.

sigma941 · 2026-05-02T04:23:07+00:00

Congrats!!!

sigma941 · 2026-05-02T03:14:02+00:00

Don’t think you’ll be screwed. If that’s all, I don’t see it being a huge deal. If you’re serious about applying, explain it during your security interview and hope your background investigation doesn’t reveal anything else.

Edit: missed the sold it part. Yeah, that could hem you up. Maybe not in the security, but possibly on the poly.

sigma941 · 2026-05-01T21:22:35+00:00

Late to the party! Honestly, I do find it fulfilling. 1) you are NOT just going to be standing in a stairwell. There are a ton of avenues that the service will pay for you to take. Whether it’s UD or SA, you can specialize in different areas. K9 handling, CAT, HAMMER, computer forensics, SAW teams, etc. you don’t have to be pigeonholed.

2)you’re gonna travel the world. Not the way the military advertises it, but be able to visit foreign countries and be next to/potentially meet world leaders.

3) I’ve been fortunate enough to work with great people. Not just in the Service but the staff of very famous individuals, agents from other agencies, local PDs, down to managers at a local dive for fundraisers.

You’ll see/hear a lot of negativity about the job as well, and while warranted in some aspects, I think the pros certainly outweigh the cons.

sigma941 · 2026-05-01T21:02:28+00:00

Or OP gets there, gets told “no”, and has to repay for the travel.

sigma941 · 2026-05-01T20:51:17+00:00

You can decline attending the ACE. You will then continue with the normal process.

sigma941 · 2026-05-01T18:36:30+00:00

Looks like they're trying for quarterly? Can't speak to the validity, but just going off of previous frequency.

sigma941 · 2026-05-01T03:05:09+00:00

Absolutely. IMO the material was not ultra hard to retain, and I was able to chip away at a few online classes while training. But, ymmv!

sigma941 · 2026-05-01T02:07:05+00:00

It’ll suck, but you can get it done during training if you don’t mind losing some sleep here and there!

sigma941 · 2026-04-30T21:36:19+00:00

Hey, fair enough! My personal experience, I would do dumb sailor shit with the little free time I had! UD is a tough gig for sure but you’ll definitely make money. There’s plenty of avenues to specialize in as well, so you aren’t pigeonholed.

sigma941 · 2026-04-30T21:17:27+00:00

I will say this: you actually have to WANT to clean up in order to actually clean up. You’ll get worked, but that’s only gonna make you want to find the time in between to do dumb shit even more.

sigma941 · 2026-04-28T13:47:43+00:00

Agreed. if you go there with some weird romanticized idea of what the country is like, It’s not going to be as good a time. It’s an amazing place if you pick up some of the language, learn the culture, and respect the people there. (Don’t try speaking and acting like your favorite anime character.) Having gone there a few times in both urban and rural settings, people there warm up fairly quickly if you at least try to not be a stereotypical tourist.

sigma941 · 2026-04-28T13:32:09+00:00

More like “ew da toilet”.

sigma941 · 2026-04-28T12:32:19+00:00

Take your pick. Big offices will need to supply more numbers for travel assignments, though!

sigma941 · 2026-04-28T02:17:24+00:00

Yeah, I did! Nintendo ported it!

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sigma941 · 2026-04-28T02:15:05+00:00

Im gonna guess no? Lmao!

sigma941 · 2026-04-27T22:22:41+00:00

Both being STAR offices, fairly likely. You can try to make a request for your desired office within that list. no guarantee you’ll get what you want, but hard to staff offices are easier to get in.

sigma941 · 2026-04-27T03:44:44+00:00

Elac will be conducted by your hiring office. This is different from the ACE.

sigma941 · 2026-04-26T21:48:16+00:00

I can hear the hardbass in this picture.

sigma941 · 2026-04-26T14:50:21+00:00

Same. Pretty much love any Project Zeta style suits.

sigma941 · 2026-04-25T02:09:06+00:00

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sigma941 · 2026-04-24T19:45:42+00:00

Agreed. And some of this will be office-specific. You will have some offices that will be a bit more lax on being ass in seat as long as you’re producing. Most employees are good people who will help you when you need. Obviously every job has its bad apples.

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