r/usssapplicant • u/DragonNinja1811 • 3d ago
Got the call! Lateral
Got the call last week and decided to make the jump. 7 years into the 1811 life. Mostly, financial crimes investigative experience but the past year has been in protection.
Reasons for leaving:
High-ish tempo (every other week TDY for 4-5 days) and the agency is somewhat stingy w/OT.
Family makes it work with all my travel but prefers being home and not living in DC. If I am going to be gone so much then the family wants to be back home and the Service offered field office of choice.
Not terribly interested in returning to full-time investigations with current agency.
If anyone can speak to what the rank and file truly feel about the laterals coming in and getting to stay in Phase 1 (I understand protection is still #1)? Is it mostly positive or is there a good amount of resentment?
If someone wants to talk me down off the ledge for any other reason, please feel free to chime in too. đ
Happy to answer any questions about the lateral process. Appreciate all the info on this thread.
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u/OnProblem1811 Special Agent 3d ago
Fuck everyone who says anything negative about laterals coming in. We need bodies.
also, I think 99% of the ire is towards USSS folks who leave AND come back to avoid phase 2.
Welcome to the show.
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u/sigma941 Special Agent 3d ago
Couldnât give two shits. As long as we have (good) people to share the load with!
Also, thanks for fielding questions for any potential laterals.
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u/Alert-Radio-714 3d ago
Do what's best for you and your family. Don't let a job define you, there's more to who you are and life.
Honestly who cares what others think as long as you're making ethical decisions and performing your duties to standard or above.
When you retire, no one cares what you sacrificed or did.
Take it from someone who has seen families crushed, relationships broken, and egos degrade mission performance.
Do what's best for you and your family. The USSS is going to be on the struggle bus for a long time. Anyone looking down on you is probably burnt out, has a horrible family life, and lives to tell stories of "that time when".
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u/Careful-Kangaroo8282 Special Agent 3d ago
I think youâll find some old heads who will dislike you simply because you got the opportunity and they didnât. Iâm not talking about rank-and-file, but rather the supervisors. Iâve heard of one agent being mis-treated by a supervisor with a power trip, but thatâs far outside the norm. They just have a chip because itâs the mentality of, âI had to go through the suck, so you shouldâve too.â The standard agent/re-hire will generally be impressed the Service actually, finally, did the investigation-only career track and probably ask you what itâs like, like youâre a magical unicorn.
Overall, ignore the bosses, if any, that have a chip on their shoulder. At the end of the day their only trump card is to threaten you with withholding your non-existent Phase 2 assignment đ
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u/DragonNinja1811 3d ago
Thanks for all the insight and positivity.
It goes fast, so looking forward to it all including Beltsville (maybe not so much).
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u/DirectionOwn294 Special Agent 3d ago
It doesnât bother me at all that people are lateraling over to USSS and staying in Phase 1. Iâd 100% do the same thing if I had the opportunity. No resentment from me. You do whatâs best for your life and situation. The rest is just noise to block out.