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I have never been able to come up with a single, tangible reason why I chose to enter law enforcement.  Most times when people ask me “why did you become a cop?” I have to shrug off the question with a half assed reason, like “I don’t really know.”  In reality it was just something that happened.  I don’t have one of those cliché answers like “I want to make a difference” or “I like helping people.”  While all that is well and good, it had nothing to do with my choices.  In reality I really wanted to join the military at that time in my life.  I tried to get in to every branch of service but I was nearly 400lbs at the time and none would take me.  Had I not been the lazy, childish, hard-headed kid that I was I might have lost the weight and tried again.  Standing here looking through the “I wish I knew then what I know now” binoculars that we all carry in our life gear I truly wish I had done just that.  I regret every day not getting into the military.  But being that I couldn’t handle rejection well back then I chose the “if you don’t want me then I don’t want you” route instead.  Too bad really because I believe that I would have been a lifer.  I really like the rank-and-file lifestyle.  I enjoy having a sense of order and direction in my work since my life seems to lack it so much.  That is sort of how I fell into the law enforcement avenue.  It’s paramilitary and after being rejected I paid my way through the police academy at the local community college just to do it.  I actually did not intend to work in law enforcement as a career, but more as a hobby.  I worked as a part-time, non-paid reserve just a couple of days a month for fun.  Then one day I was laid off from my real job and then long story short, here I am.  No glory, No “there are 4 generations of cops in my family,” nothing.  It just sort of happened.

I have found that law enforcement has become a good status quo.  What I mean by that is that it is a good job, it pays the bills and I am at a point where leaving (with the salary, benefits and retirement) would be an irresponsible move on my part.  But at the same time, I am truly not married to the job.  The job is what I do to live, I don’t live for the job.  If I was fired tomorrow or incapacitated to the point where I could no longer perform the functions of the job I would miss the money and that is about it.  I would find something else and move on.  Lessons learned and experiences had.  Don’t misunderstand me, I have had many great experiences and lessons learned in the nearly 6 years I’ve been doing this.  I would not trade any of those for the world.  There have been moments that I pray to never re-experience and hope beyond hope to be able to forget.  I have images in my mind that no person should have to carry with them.   But there are have been very few moments of glory and true accomplishment that I can put up there as being life affirming.

So now I come to the point of this Blog.  Becoming a CIT instructor and being selected to the Hostage Negotiator Team are a couple of my proudest moments in law enforcement.  Becoming a Motorcycle Traffic officer is another really great accomplishment.  Had I known what it was going to take to get here I would likely been too afraid to try, but now that I made it through I am glad I did.  The problem with me is that I get bored easily in my work, so I am sure that (should G-d let me live long enough) there will come a day where I will say, “enough of this.”  [That is another benefit of law enforcement is that there are hundreds of jobs available within the department.]

Well today was without a doubt one of the highlights.  It is a day that, if I am ever blessed to have children and grandchildren, I will tell them the story of my first high speed escort.

The Brook Army Medical Center here in San Antonio is a world renowned military hospital.  Many of the wounded soldiers are flown here for treatment.  BAMC is one of the best burn hospitals in the world and the Army’s only Level 1 trauma center.  But they did not have a place for the families of these soldiers to stay.  Well Denzel Washington and Rosie O’donnell were some contributors that donated big bucks to build the Fisher House as well as the Center for the Intrepid there.  {See this article about Denzel  http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/denzel.asp }.

Well these building were being dedicated today and huge people were going to be there.  Denzel and Rosie were coming, but also the likes of Senator’s John McCain and Barrack Obama as well as the Future President of the United States, Senator Hillary Clinton.  Not to mention high ranking military personnel from all over the world.  [ http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/breaking/2007/01/dignitaries_open_center_for_th.html ]

Well the Pentagon requested my Unit’s assistance in escorting the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 4-Star General Peter Pace.  He was flying in and needed an escort from the airport to BAMC and then immediately back to the airport after the ceremony.  He doesn’t like waiting and he want to get there ASAP.  There were two traffic cars involved in the escort, 1 in front of the convoy and 1 in back.  Then 2 Motorcycles, my partner and I had the lead and were responsible for clearing the road ahead and stopping traffic at the intersections.  What an experience.  Though I am sure it won’t be the last, it was the first… and what a rush.  I have never experienced anything like blowing through traffic at 100 mile an hour with lights and sirens blaring to catch up to a convoy of several vehicles moving 70 mile an hour, only to have to stop at the next intersection and do it all over again.  What a blast.  Then after the ceremony we escorted the General all the way onto the Tarmac to his awaiting airplane.  It was a large private Learjet that was painted much the same as Air Force One.  It was white on top with blue on the bottom, with the words “United States of America” emblazoned on the sides.  Upon approaching the plane the four of us stopped about 60 feet back and lined up side by side.  With lights still going, Mark and I stood besides our bikes and Aaron and Chip stood beside their cars and we watched as the vehicles pulled up alongside the jet and throngs of people disembarked from the vehicles and began getting on the plane.  Then the General came out from the limo and, unexpectedly he turned towards us and began walking our way.  Though I did not look at the other guy I can tell you without a shadow of doubt that they all suddenly stood tall and straight upon seeing his approach, just as I had.  Several of his staff and a secret service looking guy realized what he was doing and ran to catch up to him.  As he came up to us, military photographers in dessert camo started taking pictures as he walked up to me first. He put his hand out to shake mine and as we shook he said, “a small token to say thank you for an excellent job.”  In doing so I felt he had palmed something to me, much in the way you would palm a tip to a Maitre D’.  I replied in turn, “it was a pleasure and an honor.”  As he walked over to Mark next and onward to the others I looked down at my hand at what he had given me.  It was truly unexpected and it is something that I will cherish and it fills me with great pride just to look at it and hold it in my hand.  It shows the immeasurable character of the man, for he owes us nothing as we were doing what we were instructed.  For a man of that rank to acknowledge a subordinate was awe inspiring.

Without a moments hesitation or need for reflection, I can honestly say that Today was the greatest and proudest day of my career.