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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS BY KIDS
The Secret Service is unique among federal law enforcement agencies because not only do we work criminal investigations, we also provide protection for the President and Vice President of the United States and their families, former Presidents, Presidential candidates, and visiting heads of state and heads of government to the United States. Therefore, throughout their careers agents will perform a variety of assignments--both protective and investigative. ![]() Secret Service special agents will begin their careers with 6 to 8 years in a field office. After the field office assignments, agents are usually transferred to a protective detail where they will stay for 3 to 5 years. At the conclusion of their protective detail assignment, they will spend an additional 2 to 4 years working in a headquarters office, before returning to the field. However, promotions will affect the typical career path. The basic requirements to become a Secret Service agent are that the applicant must have either a four-year college degree or a combination of education and criminal investigative experience, be in good physical condition, and have not gotten into too much trouble as a child or young adult. Lots of people apply to become Secret Service agents, so the process is very competitive. We always tell people that may be interested in becoming an agent that they should study very hard in school, don' t do drugs of any kind, and be the best person that they can be. The types of criminal cases we work are mainly concerned with safeguarding the nation's financial security. The Secret Service was originally founded in 1865 to suppress counterfeit money. We still spend a lot of time investigating counterfeit money both in the United States and overseas. Additionally, we currently investigate credit card fraud, computer fraud and financial institution fraud. Even though we now rely on computers to help us, we still go out and ask questions of victims, witnesses, and suspects. Talking with people is one of the best ways to tell whether people are telling the truth. We also investigate people who make threats against the President, Vice President, or any of our protectees. These are probably our most serious cases because we have to determine if someone really wants to hurt one of these people or if they perhaps have some problems of their own for which they need help. The reason we agree to "take a bullet" for the President is based on preserving the ideals on which this country was founded, such as democracy. ![]() Fortunately, very few of our personnel have been shot while guarding the President or other protectees, but the risks are always there. Examples of employees who have been shot are Officer Leslie Coffelt and Special Agent Tim McCarthy. Officer Coffelt was shot and killed in 1950 when two Puerto Rican nationalists tried to assassinate President Harry Truman. Officer Coffelt died of his injury. Special Agent McCarthy was shot by John Hinkley, Jr. when he tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Special Agent McCarthy recovered from his injury. In both of those incidents other law enforcement personnel also were wounded. We also had an agent wounded in the attempted assassination of Presidential candidate Governor George Wallace. Special Agent Nick Zarvos was shot in the throat, but survived, as did Governor Wallace. Our personnel spend a lot of time training, and we also make a lot of advance preparations before one of our protectees visits somewhere to try and minimize the chances of someone with a gun getting close to any of our protectees. As of 2003, we have lost 34 employees as a result of on-duty incidents. No, agents do not have to pass a survival test. However, during their training, and even while they are working, we like our agents to be in very good physical condition. We encourage everyone to get lots of exercise by running or lifting weights so that they stay healthy. We also encourage our personnel to eat a healthy diet. The reason Secret Service agents wear sunglasses is to keep the sun out of their eyes--so they can increase their ability to see what people in the crowd are doing. We are sorry but we cannot send you a pair of sunglasses--agents buy their own sunglasses. The swirled wire that you have seen around an agent's ear is attached to a special radio that allows agents to talk with other Secret Service agents without allowing anyone who is not an agent to hear their conversation. Agents have a piece of equipment called a surveillance kit that is part of their radio. The surveillance kit contains a microphone and an earpiece that are connected to a radio. Having a microphone allows them to place their radios on their belts so that they can keep their hands free while they are working, which is very important when you are providing protection for someone. No, we are sorry that we cannot send you a sample bullet. The Secret Service feels very strongly about gun safety, and that includes being accountable for all of our ammunition. In addition, we encourage kids who might come across a gun to follow these rules: ![]() These basic skills include law, firearms training, defensive tactics, and report writing. After completing the first school, all Secret Service agents come to Washington, DC, where they undergo 12 additional weeks of training. ![]() Secret Service agents and officers carry the Sig Sauer P229, 357 caliber pistol. They also are trained on the Remington Model 870 shotgun, the Uzi submachine gun, and the MP5 automatic weapon. Arithmetic is used frequently by agents. In addition to protecting the President and Vice President of the United States and their families, we also investigate financial crimes such as counterfeiting and credit card fraud. Agents must be proficient in math to accomplish these types of assignments. For example, when counterfeit currency is seized it has to be counted. Statistics are kept on these types of crimes, so agents need to have a working knowledge of fractions, percentages, etc. Fulfilling basic math requirements in high school and college is sufficient to prepare a person for possible employment as an agent with the Secret Service. For protective and investigative assignments agents use their standard issue weapon, handcuffs, and radio to maintain contact with one another. They also are issued bullet-resistant vests. We are a federal law enforcement agency, but we do not gather intelligence like the CIA does. Our agents do work undercover during their criminal investigations, which includes investigating counterfeit money, credit card fraud, and financial institution fraud among other things. Additionally, we do have a lot of technical equipment to help our personnel perform their duties. ![]() Secret Service canines remain with the Uniformed Division handlers 24 hours a day. They become members of the family. The average retirement age for a canine varies depending on its physical condition, but for most dogs it is about 10 years of age. When a canine is ready to retire, it is retired to the handler. ![]() |
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Copyright © 2002 United States Secret Service. All rights reserved. http://www.secretservice.gov Home | Privacy Policy | Security Notice | Section 508 | Department of Homeland Security | FirstGov.gov |
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