Former Agents Not Being Re-instated

I was an SA for the USSS for ten years, and worked in a major field office as well as completed my protection phase. Soon after 9/11, I reluctantly transferred from the USSS to another federal agency as an 1811 for family reasons (too much travel was creating major issues with my wife and kids), and am currently on one of the Presidential Cabinet Secretary details.

When I left, my supervisor completed my "Re-Employment Recommendation" form (SSF 3229), and I was rated "high" and "exceptional" in every category, and he recommended that be re-employed if I ever applied for re-instatement. I have two years of local law enforcement experience, and now seventeen years experience as a federal agent. I was an intern for the USSS while in college, became one of the ECSAP computer forensic specialist agents while an agent (the USSS spent a lot of money training me for this), and was one of the few Special Agent/Paramedics in the Service. I was the recipient of numerous awards and commendations, to include the USSS Lifesaving Award and a letter of heroism. In short, I loved the job and it was a huge part of my life, but I had to leave if I wanted to remain married.

As soon as I left, I knew I hade made a professional mistake but it was the best choice for my family. I have always thought about applying to be re-instated once I got my family life settled down, knowing that as an older agent who is in Phase 3 the travel would be at least a little less. Two and a half years ago, I made the decision in consultation with my wife to re-apply. This was against the advice of every single agent I knew, but it was what I truly wanted. Even though agents were leaving in droves, I wanted to come back and do what I knew how to do best. I actually travel more in my current position than I did in the Service, and my family has adjusted to it.

I had heard of a few of my former colleagues who had left the Service and then applied to come back, but were turned down. That made no sense to me but I assumed that they had left on bad terms, which I did not. Some left for the lure of big money in the corporate world but wanted to come back when they saw that there is nothing like the Service, but they were turned down. I never thought that would happen to me though as I thought I was one of the "well thought of" agents and had good connections.

As I said, I applied two and half years ago, and had to go through the entire hiring process again. I passed the initial interview, the panel, and then took the medical. My cholesterol level was higher than normal, but nothing else was changed from when I was an active USSS agent. I never got any notice that I did not pass the medical, and never was given the chance to re-test my blood values if I had failed it.

Since I have maintained my TS/SCI clearance since I left the Service, they said they were not sure if I had to take the poly again, but that someone would let me know. However, it never got to that. I got the dreaded thin envelope the other day, which simply said that I was not qualified to be a USSS agent. No explanation, nothing. It did say, however, that I should consider myself proud to have been considered for the position. Lovely.

While some of the agents there say this is a blessing in disguise, I don't see it that way. I somewhat expected when I re-applied to be scooped up right away and put back to work. I never expected to get turned down. Why an agency that has people beating down the door to leave would turn down an already trained, experienced senior agent I may never know. I am certainly happy where I am now, but I really wanted to serve my country again in the USSS, and it just doesn't make any sense to me why I can't.

Any thoughts or ideas? Some have said to call my Senator and to make an issue of it, but that is not a good way to get on an agency's good side, and others have said perhaps it is an age discrimination thing, but I doubt that. I remain very proud of my time with the Service, and take comfort in knowing that things happen for a reason. I would just like to know what that reason is.

The answer to your question is easy: The management of the Secret Service has a long and distinguished history of being among the most vindictive, malicious and vengeful administrations in the entire federal government.

Your voluntary departure from the Service was regarded as disloyalty. It's as simple as that.

I attribute the management attitude to the influence of the top staff of the Nixon years. Remember the watchword of the Haldeman/Ehrlichman years? You get someone in an awkward position and you let them "twist in the wind." Don't just beat them - hurt them!

This management style seemed to move by osmosis into the management of the Service. It has been the tone of the staff ever since.

Consider yourself among the unforgiven.

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Idioms: twist in the wind

Be abandoned to a bad situation, especially be left to incur blame, as in The governor denied knowing it was illegal and left his aide to twist in the wind. It is also put as leave twisting in the wind, meaning "abandon or strand in a difficult situation," as in Sensing a public relations disaster, the President left the Vice-President twisting in the wind. This expression, at first applied to a President's nominees who faced opposition and were abandoned by the President, alludes to the corpse of a hanged man left dangling and twisting in the open air.

[worfusa2008]

Hey Former SA, Consider yourself lucky. The management style of The Suits is explained in my post entitled "Comanche School of Management". It has not changed on 30+years.

I never expected to get turned down. Why an agency that has people beating down the door to leave would turn down an already trained, experienced senior agent I may never know. I am certainly happy where I am now, but I really wanted to serve my country again in the USSS, and it just doesn't make any sense to me why I can't.

Any thoughts or ideas? Some have said to call my Senator and to make an issue of it, but that is not a good way to get on an agency's good side, and others have said perhaps it is an age discrimination thing, but I doubt that. I remain very proud of my time with the Service, and take comfort in knowing that things happen for a reason. I would just like to know what that reason is.

Why do YOU think you were turned down?

:?:

In the eyes of the USSS HQ, you are not worth the cost to re-train you. It is sad that no one in HQ had the courage to tell you so back when you re-applied. HQ never tells the field about these things. The USSS HQ views employees not as persons, but as costs. USSS HQ has followed a tradition of requiring agents who have been off the job for more than five years to go bacl to basic school...at a huge cost to the USSS. They figure that the training costs would be better spent on a new person, rather than taking a chance on you who already bailed once. They want control, at all costs. There have been exceptions. If you are hooked to your "rabbi", are the son/daughter of a boss, worked out at the same gym as the boss, then calls would be made in your behalf. And if you ever did something nice for a boss's kid, but the boss was embarrassed in the process, you're out cold. Without a hook, you are sucking wind. Harsh, but true. Last point: HQ never tells an applicant why he/she is not hired and never gives an applicant any clue of what areas need improvement. They do not bother starting a loop in which they have to defend a very unscientific process that has always been beyond reason or rationale. :roll:

There IS one other possibility.

Maybe you aren't nearly as good as you tell us you are and the service knows it.

OR even if you are good there is some character flaw that they see that made them decide that having you around was more trouble than it would be worth.

Just a thought.........................

Maybe they thought you broke your arm fof patting yourself on the back.