Strength, means and intelligence.

.
.

Once upon a time three Protection Agents were walking through the woods and suddenly they were standing in front of a huge, wild river. They desperately needed to get to the other side. But how, with such a raging torrent? The first Protection Agent knelt down and prayed to the Lord: “Lord, please give me the strength to cross this river! "

*poof*

The Lord gave him long arms and strong legs. Now he could swim across the river. It took him about two hours and he almost drowned several times. BUT: he was successful!

The second Protection Agent, who observed this, prayed to the Lord and said: “Lord, please give me the strength AND the necessary tools to cross this river!”

*poof*

The Lord gave him a tub and he managed to cross the river despite the fact that the tub almost capsized a couple of times.

The third Protection Agent, who observed all this, knelt down and prayed: “Lord, please give me the strength, the means and the intelligence to cross this river!”

*poof*

The Lord converted the third Protection Agent into a Field Agent. The Field Agent took a quick glance on a map, walked a few yards upstream and crossed the bridge.

.

[worfusa2008]

This would be funny if it weren't so true. See my post "Happy Thanksgiving.

[Cruel Truth]

This would be funny if it weren't so true. See my post "Happy Thanksgiving.

What's really sad was seeing rookie agents with no law enforcement background sent directly to protection shortly after attending the training schools. They then rose through the pay grades to the point that when they finally got sent to the field they often became the SAIC of a field office, with no idea of how a good investigation should be conducted. Their incompetent meddling in complex investigations was very frustrating to the skilled field agents doing the actual work.

And through it all they maintained an inappropriate swelled ego because of the time they had spent in "Protection" and because they had attained high rank.

Oh well..........................

.

[worfusa2008]

When I came on "back in the day", the only criteria to be a Field Office SAIC was "who's next on the list?". While some offices got good Bosses, some got SAIC's with "personality disorders". The term "Potomac Fever" became popular later on in describing PPD Agents, not so much VPPD. Harry Truman is reported to have described it as, "going to Washington and getting a swelled head because you forgot where you came from". I personally knew Supervisors from Protection who had trouble adjusting to running an office because they didn't understand the difference between the Field Office and the Oval Office. Apparently, not much has changed. Happy Thanksgiving.

.

There was another term used to describe agents who bounced from assignment to assignment in DC, gathering rank as they went along. Many completed their entire career in DC, often in supervisory jobs in Headquarters.

Remember the term Beltway Bandits?

:lol: