Grandfather carjacked in store (Rural King) parking lot, police look for armed

[churchmouse]

Thanks. I never went for promotion before and went back and forth on this process, but decided at this point in my career it was now or never. I suspect this will be either 50% or 100% of my promotions. I will *probably* take the LT test the first time I'm eligible, but by the time it would roll around again or I'd be eligible for CPT, retirement will be a very real possibility and "starting over" again likely won't sound very appealing at that point. Our rank doesn't affect our pension (except for the guys who came over from the sheriff's dept), so there's certainly no incentive to go for rank simply for the sake of having rank.

Congrates my friend. Next 5 guys burgers are on me for sure.

 

[Birds Away]

Congrats to BBI.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Friday was my last day as a detective. I made sergeant and am assigned to Operations once I'm done with the sergeant training. I'm looking forward to returning to uniform and am in no hurry to return to Investigations, although that's actually beyond my control.

Back on the road, 'eh. Congrats Bro! Though you say you're in no hurry to get back to investigations.... how long you think you're gonna have to wait until a Sgt position opens up, in investigations, and jump right back over?

 

[KellyinAvon]

Thanks. I never went for promotion before and went back and forth on this process, but decided at this point in my career it was now or never. I suspect this will be either 50% or 100% of my promotions. I will *probably* take the LT test the first time I'm eligible, but by the time it would roll around again or I'd be eligible for CPT, retirement will be a very real possibility and "starting over" again likely won't sound very appealing at that point. Our rank doesn't affect our pension (except for the guys who came over from the sheriff's dept), so there's certainly no incentive to go for rank simply for the sake of having rank.

I never realized how different Police Departments are compared to the military on retirement and promotion. I did know that making Lieutenant as a Police Officer doesn't make you really young and clueless about most things

Organizationally this is a tough one. You need A LOT of Patrol Officers, who in the Military would be junior enlisted troops. But you need them to stay around in that job for many years since there isn't a pipeline of new Patrol Officers coming through Basic Training and Tech School or overseas returnees to move where you need them. The good news is you don't have a huge bureaucracy dedicated to fighting the last war and hundreds of specialties that are never what you need right now

 

[Kutnupe14]

I never realized how different Police Departments are compared to the military on retirement and promotion. I did know that making Lieutenant as a Police Officer doesn't make you really young and clueless about most things

Organizationally this is a tough one. You need A LOT of Patrol Officers, who in the Military would be junior enlisted troops. But you need them to stay around in that job for many years since there isn't a pipeline of new Patrol Officers coming through Basic Training and Tech School or overseas returnees to move where you need them. The good news is you don't have a huge bureaucracy dedicated to fighting the last war and hundreds of specialties that are never what you need right now

That bureaucracy is called "the public," who love you one day, and hate you the next.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Back on the road, 'eh. Congrats Bro! Though you say you're in no hurry to get back to investigations.... how long you think you're gonna have to wait until a Sgt position opens up, in investigations, and jump right back over?

How long before one opens and how long before I'm interested in it are different questions and lets just say I would not characterize it as "waiting". I got what I wanted when I was assigned to Operations.

 

[rhino]

How long before one opens and how long before I'm interested in it are different questions and lets just say I would not characterize it as "waiting". I got what I wanted when I was assigned to Operations.

What you're going to wear to work is a little easier. Congratulations, sir!

 

[Thor]

I never realized how different Police Departments are compared to the military on retirement and promotion. I did know that making Lieutenant as a Police Officer doesn't make you really young and clueless about most things

Organizationally this is a tough one. You need A LOT of Patrol Officers, who in the Military would be junior enlisted troops. But you need them to stay around in that job for many years since there isn't a pipeline of new Patrol Officers coming through Basic Training and Tech School or overseas returnees to move where you need them. The good news is you don't have a huge bureaucracy dedicated to fighting the last war and hundreds of specialties that are never what you need right now

I always thought there was a place in the military for the professional private. Guys who were great at doing the privates job but really wouldn't be good at anything else. Let them do that job and bring in folks to take other positions as needed. It never made much sense to me to take a guy who's good at his job and force him out because he couldn't move up. That is, as long as they understand that moving up is not an option...I've met plenty of people who'd exceeded there Peter Principle quotient too.

 

[actaeon277]

Friday was my last day as a detective. I made sergeant and am assigned to Operations once I'm done with the sergeant training. I'm looking forward to returning to uniform and am in no hurry to return to Investigations, although that's actually beyond my control.

congrats

 

[rhino]

I always thought there was a place in the military for the professional private. Guys who were great at doing the privates job but really wouldn't be good at anything else. Let them do that job and bring in folks to take other positions as needed. It never made much sense to me to take a guy who's good at his job and force him out because he couldn't move up. That is, as long as they understand that moving up is not an option...I've met plenty of people who'd exceeded there Peter Principle quotient too.

That actually makes sense.

I'm curious how young soldiers and officers would interact with a 50 year old private, though. It would definitely introduce new elements into the culture.

 

[Thor]

The Army used to actually have professional privates, people who served to retirement as a private (long ago). The military interactions would be governed by rank not age...though you might want to ask that 50 year private his opinion in a sticky situation he may have seen a time or two.

 

[actaeon277]

Brand spanking new officers have to give orders to 50 year old chiefs/sergeants.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I always thought there was a place in the military for the professional private. Guys who were great at doing the privates job but really wouldn't be good at anything else.

That's what the Spec-5, Spec-6, etc. ranks were for.

 

[rhino]

Brand spanking new officers have to give orders to 50 year old chiefs/sergeants.

I don't know about inside the military, but a 50 year old chief/sergeant is viewed with a lot of respect by civilians like me. I would be curious and suspicious of a 50 year old private. I would wonder what he did to get demoted or why he never got promoted.

True story: my best friend from childhood re-enlisted in the army at the age of 42 because a job was open that he had always wanted (which he got). He then became what I believe was the oldest corporal in the US Army at the time, or close to it. His intent was to go to OCS (he has a BA and MPA), but in their infinite wisdom, when the re-enlistment age was raised to 42, Congress failed to make an accommodation for OCS. Since he was past his 42 birthday, it was a no-go.

Oldest corporal in the army! He is a Master Sergeant (E-8) now, though. I think in terms of his job, that works better for him. The only downside is that when he starts drawing his pension, which would have been better had he been an officer.

 

[actaeon277]

I don't know about inside the military, but a 50 year old chief/sergeant is viewed with a lot of respect by civilians like me. I would be curious and suspicious of a 50 year old private. I would wonder what he did to get demoted or why he never got promoted.

True story: my best friend from childhood re-enlisted in the army at the age of 42 because a job was open that he had always wanted (which he got). He then became what I believe was the oldest corporal in the US Army at the time, or close to it. His intent was to go to OCS (he has a BA and MPA), but in their infinite wisdom, when the re-enlistment age was raised to 42, Congress failed to make an accommodation for OCS. Since he was past his 42 birthday, it was a no-go.

Oldest corporal in the army! He is a Master Sergeant (E-8) now, though. I think in terms of his job, that works better for him. The only downside is that when he starts drawing his pension, which would have been better had he been an officer.

There are some that like to fight, or backtalk dumb orders from superiors.
They tend to yo-yo in their rank.