Special Agent Job Announcement

palmfish · June 14, 2012

Announced yesterday agency wide.

"On June 15, 2012 the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will open a vacancy announcement for GS-1811 Special Agent positions. The announcement will be open for 32 calendar days, closing on July 16, 2012. Individuals wishing to apply must do so on-line via the USAJobs.gov website. Per the “How to Apply” section of the job announcement, application forms must be printed out and submitted to the nearest DEA Field Division Special Agent Recruitment Coordinator. No applications may be submitted to DEA Headquarters."

Before you apply info can be found here:

http://www.justice.g...ent/before.html

Recruitment offices page is here:

http://www.justice.g...nt/offices.html

*****This is not a pilot position. One should not apply for this vacancy with the sole intention of hopefully flying for the DEA someday. That said, if you are a rated pilot with a strong desire to serve as a Special Agent conducting investigations on the street for a few years, the Airwing is in need of pilots and now is an excellent time to aspire to getting on the Airwing.

Flying Pig · June 14, 2012

If I knew 15yrs ago what I know now, DEA would have been the way to go for LE Aviation. But as the post says, DO NOT get into LE thnking its a sure way to a pilot slot.

ctimrun · June 18, 2012

I recently spoke to several DEA pilots out of Long Beach who said a rated pilot who becomes an agent needs to be prepared to do 10 to 15 years as an agent on the street before being considered for a pilot position.

Flying Pig · June 18, 2012

How ironic. I talked to a DEA pilot who flew into our pad last week. He said "Several years". He said hes never really known them to have a shortage of pilots. I had always assumed they were looking but never asked. Working observer occasionally wouldnt be a problem, but getting a pilot slot was going to be a wait. Talking to the CBP guys was pretty much the same answer.

edspilot · June 18, 2012

No, CBP is NOT the same as DEA when it comes to the pilots.

DEA hires you to be an agent first and then you may be able to move into a pilot slot, no hour requirement for hiring as an agent.

CBP hires you to be a pilot first and then teaches you the LE stuff you need to know. Thus the requirement for 1500 hours (with a very few exceptions).

CBP is the only federal LE agencies that does it this way vs. the rest that do it the other way.

Hope this clears up some of the mis-conceptions.

Be safe,

edspilot

Flying Pig · June 18, 2012

Im aware of how they operate. Thanks. Referrring to the need for pilots. The pilot I was talking to here started as a BP agent on the fence then put in to become a pilot after working as a civilian CFI on the side. He was flying a Cessna 210. I dont know if its the same for helicopter slots. His comments were that there can be long gaps between hirings if your qualifed and waiting for slots to open up.

edspilot · June 19, 2012

Ok, then it is BP you are speaking of. BP is inside of CBP but a very separate run organization. They are like DEA & FBI & USSS, hiring agents first.

The larger group is CBP's air section, over 600 pilots, this the one that hires professional pilots first.

The "real" message here is, if you are not willing to do the agent work for a long time and without any certainty of ever flying, then do not apply for the agents position with them. Stay civilian flying until you get the 1500 hours, the apply to CBP.

My best,

edspilot

ctimrun · June 19, 2012

Ok, then it is BP you are speaking of. BP is inside of CBP but a very separate run organization. They are like DEA & FBI & USSS, hiring agents first.

The larger group is CBP's air section, over 600 pilots, this the one that hires professional pilots first.

The "real" message here is, if you are not willing to do the agent work for a long time and without any certainty of ever flying, then do not apply for the agents position with them. Stay civilian flying until you get the 1500 hours, the apply to CBP.

My best,

edspilot

Now if only they would hire....

Flying Pig · June 19, 2012

Ed,

Copy that. I thought BP and CBP Air and Marine were one in the same. Wild....even in LE we cant keep track of who is who these days! Ed are you with CBP?

Edited June 19, 2012 by Flying Pig

edspilot · June 19, 2012

They have been hiring, just in small numbers recently. They, like other places hiring get to pick the best of the best right now with the slooooooow times.

When they hire it is in blocks of 25 to 40 to fill a complete class at the academy. They are just hiring to fill behind the people that retire, not to expand with the budgets the way they are now.

My advice, have a job, keep it, do not have a job, "network, network network."

Hang in there, for now.

My best,

edspilot

cryesis · June 22, 2012

contacting local recruitment office tomorrow!

palmfish · June 22, 2012

I recently spoke to several DEA pilots out of Long Beach who said a rated pilot who becomes an agent needs to be prepared to do 10 to 15 years as an agent on the street before being considered for a pilot position.

As I said, there is no guarantee. However, being willing and prepared to wait does not necessarily mean that there will be a wait. One can be selected in as little as 2 years, though that does complicate promotion to GS-13.

How ironic. I talked to a DEA pilot who flew into our pad last week. He said "Several years". He said hes never really known them to have a shortage of pilots. I had always assumed they were looking but never asked. Working observer occasionally wouldnt be a problem, but getting a pilot slot was going to be a wait. Talking to the CBP guys was pretty much the same answer.

The DEA Airwing does not have a shortage of pilots. What the DEA Airwing has is a significant number of pilots facing retirement in the next few years. Demand for pilots is not immediate, but is imminent. This is not the mythical "shortage of pilots" we hear so much about. This is the stone cold fact of mandatory retirement at age 57 under Special FERS coverage.

Im aware of how they operate. Thanks. Referrring to the need for pilots. The pilot I was talking to here started as a BP agent on the fence then put in to become a pilot after working as a civilian CFI on the side. He was flying a Cessna 210. I dont know if its the same for helicopter slots. His comments were that there can be long gaps between hirings if your qualifed and waiting for slots to open up.

The pilot you spoke with (CBP I assume) is likely a "legacy" pilot who did the Border Patrol "street to seat" thing. Since BP aviation and Customs aviation merged and became CBP Air&Marine, this path no longer exists.

BP is inside of CBP but a very separate run organization. They are like DEA & FBI & USSS, hiring agents first.

This is correct, but to clarify, BP is a ground only agency now. There is no BP Airwing. When BP needs air support, they call CBP A&M.

This thread pertains to DEA Aviation. As a DEA Special Agent/Pilot, I feel comfortable with my qualifications to answer questions about the DEA - and I'm happy to do so. As for CBP, it's only natural for them to come up in a topic such as this, and I encourage it. CBP and DEA do have a lot in common, but there are also some important differences.

palmfish · June 23, 2012

I've gotten some very good questions offline so I thought I would post them here for the benefit of others...

Where are DEA Units located?

DEA has offices all over the US, Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe, Asia, and Afghanistan. As a new Agent, you could be assigned anywhere in the US. Your class at the Academy gets a list and you all get a chance to work it out amongst yourselves and then submit your top 3 choices. Of course, it is based on the needs of the service.

The Airwing has about 16 offices in the US (in proximity to the major Enforcement Divisions), as well as a few in South America and one in Afghanistan. In the US, there are RAC Offices (an office with a GS-14 supervisor and +/- 8 pilots) in New York, Miami, Houston, and Long Beach. Other US offices are smaller, ranging from one pilot to a handful of pilots.

How is promotion different for DEA pilots?

DEA Agents are generally hired at the GS-9 level and promote up to GS-13 just like most other agencies. Unlike other agencies, promotion to GS-13 requires submitting a packet that demonstrates casework at the "GS-13 level" and have it approved by the Special Agent in Charge. For this reason, most Agents wait until they have reached GS-13 before entering the Airwing because it is difficult for pilots to demonstrate GS-13 casework (we don't work cases). You could enter the Airwing as a GS-12, but promotion to GS-13 is not as straightforward if you do.

I am currently a GS-12 federal employee. Will I retain my pay grade?

Probably not. Unless you are currently an 1811 with another agency, you will most likely come on as a GS-9. The good news is that you will probably be able to come on at a higher Step Level to minimize any loss in pay. And promotions come every year. GS-9 to GS-11 to GS-12/1, /2, /3 then GS-13. You can promote to GS-13 after one year as a GS-12, but most do not.

So, what's it like in the DEA?

Wow, tough question. It's different for everybody. Are you in a big city or small town? Are you in a money laundering group or a gang task force? For a "single focus" agency, there is a surprising amount of variety to be found, and a lot of latitude to focus on things that interest you. Your first 5 years will be spent at your first assignment after the academy, then you can start looking for something different if you want. Put in for overseas duty and live in a foreign country for 4 or 5 years. Maybe move back to your hometown and settle into a small 2-person office and work with the locals on a task force. Too many possibilities to mention here.

With regards to the Airwing, we have single-pilot offices with a Cessna 206 all the way up to Aviation Division HQ with an ATR, Lear, King Airs, and Bell 412's. For most of us (those of us not at Aviation HQ), we have a desk at the Division we support, but also have an office at the hangar. Most of us don't have an on-site GS-14, so we send our supervisors an e-mail every morning telling him/her what's on tap for the day (mission, weapons qual, maintenance, training flight, etc.). When an Agent in the Division wants air support for an operation, they just call one of us and ask us if we're available - maybe the same day, maybe for a future date.

What is the age limit?

37. We don't make exceptions for military service like CBP does.

Mandatory retirement is 57, but extensions up to age 60 are not unprecedented. They are granted based on the needs of the service.

So, how are DEA pilots different from CBP pilots?

Well first off, we are 1811's but we do not work cases (in spite of rumors to the contrary). The fact that we are 1811's is only significant because it explains how we progress in the Agency (from working cases instead of direct hire to the cockpit), why we have take-home Official Government Vehicles, and why we earn Hazardous Duty Pay on top of our 25% LEAP. I think it's worth mentioning because all DEA pilots come from the street. We support Agents who we worked with side-by-side, executing search warrants and sitting on stake outs.

The other biggest difference is that, unlike CBP, an FAA Private rating is all that is needed to apply to the Airwing. If you are accepted with a Private Certificate, DEA provides the training to obtain your commercial and instrument ratings. Depending on the equipment at your office of assignment, you may also receive RW, ME or type ratings down the road as needed.