1st Friday-One Week Down!

Friday! A pep in our step as we head into a 3 day weekend and we are done with our first full week! Classes went well today. I am excited about the Media class I am taking that is teaching us about the use of social media for our departments and how to control the message. I hadn’t really thought that much about this kind of stuff, but it’s got me thinking!
Found out I will be going first in my Violent Crime class for presentations. I dug out a doozie of a case to present that I worked on many many years ago. Should be fun. I like going first, gets it out of the way.
Best part of the day was PT! We met with our instructor and got his unique philosophy and I am totally on board! EJ O’Malley is a beast and I look forward to the challenge. He threw down some goals today and I am lucky to report that I met a few of them already, but I am looking forward to going past them.
I swam this morning and this evening! 2 a days!! Got in a total of 1750 meters. There are several us doing the blue brick and we have figured out the math 1095 laps to get to 34 miles. 1095 down and back lengths. I have 95 as of today...that’s depressing haha. I’ve got time I guess.
This weekend a lot of people who live within a few hours of here, drove home. A large group of guys is going to DC tomorrow night and getting a hotel and doing all the sights up there. I am heading to Richmond with my BIL and his buddies-really looking forward to that.
Woke up early after a short night at the Boardroom. Hopped in the pool and got a whole mile in! Assuming everything continues, I should be able to get the blue brick with out to much trouble.
I’ll see you guys next week!
14,508 steps = 6.50 miles
Here is a picture of my media lab. Learning a ton of stuff in here! Really enjoying it.



Lunch-I has eaten the almond rice already before I took the picture, sorry! Carrots were solid.



A classmate alerted me to this. He asked if I was related, I don’t think so, but it gave me pause. The wall of honor here shows NA grads who have died in the line of duty, there are several on the wall. Even us desk jockeys are in harms way.

Moving Right Along

Today was another full day of classes, we have finally been to all of the classes and gotten through the introductions and are ready to get going. In fact, today we had two classes for the 2nd time. One of them in the Violent Crime class, spent the time discussing truckers who are serial killers...was interesting!

There are several people discussing various bricks of sorts! I am sticking with the Blue Brick and I got my half mile plus some in the am. I need to add some more distance on this if I am going to get 34 miles in before I am done here.

Lots of talk about what we we are all doing this weekend. It’s a holiday weekend so with the extra day off those that live within a days drive are debating on whether or not they are going to go home or not. I wished I lived that close to here. I miss Sarah and the kids. We FaceTime everyday and chat throughout as best we can, but it’s not the same. The weather here is a ton better then there so...maybe I’ll just stay here!

Ventured off the base and out of the building really for the first time today! Suffice it to say that Walmarts are the same no matter where in the world you are. Trust me.

Steps 11,239 = 5.00 miles-slow day!

Last class tomorrow is PT-excited for a good workout to break up the classroom stuff!

The guy who had my desk from the last session left this for me! It said good luck and told me to contact him if I needed anything. I emailed him and thanked him today, pretty neat gesture. I’ll leave one of mine for the next class too.

Hall of Honor. Hiring those who graduated from the NA and died in the line of duty and FBI Agents who dies in the line of duty. I walk through here multiple times a day and I think about it each time.

My name tag-Sarah will appreciate this!!! 😜

First Full Day of Classes

Today was our first full day of classes and I didn’t really even get lost! I can’t stress to people enough how big this place is.

Classes went well, teachers here are more then qualified and they are all interesting. It’s as if they have done this before? Today was a day of introductions and I am finally starting to put some faces with names. For the most part though, I still identify people by where they are from!

Had our first PT session today and got some assessments done. No surprise, I have a slight impingment in my shoulders, which basically means I need to get stretching and strengthen them some. Otherwise, I was good to go. Passed the hamstring and squat tests with flying colors. Also had a nice standing broad jump. After that we had our mile run. The other PT groups didn’t get to run today for various reasons, but we did. The 40 degree weather was perfect and our section had a good run. I need to lower my time a bit, but I was happy with a 7:07 mile. I can do 6!

I had my first committee meeting, at lunch time, for the Law Enforcement Memorial ceremony we do in a few weeks. It’s nice to have some people in our class that have some serious connections. The heavy lifting is done there already!

Sorry I didn’t get any pictures today, I will try and get some tomorrow. I’ve already got quite a bit of homework and I hope to get plugging away on that soon. In the mean time, off to bed, I need to swim again in the morning. So far I have made it 40 laps everyday.

Steps-13,047 = 6.02 miles

Super Tuesday

Today was busy! There are 5 sections of students, I am in section 3. We met with and introduced ourselves to all of the people in our sections (I’d guess there are about 50 people in ours). We also have several international students from all over the place. Australia, Taiwan, Czech Republic, Estonia, Haiti...even from as far away as...Canada!

Today I feel pretty lucky! Hearing about what some of these professionals have to deal with, how many departments and issues they handle, makes me realize I have it pretty good! I have a great boss who doesn’t micro manage me and gives me a voice. I heard a few war stories today!

Today is Super Tuesday because you can switch classes and get your schedule in order-if possible! It’s complicated, but you can’t just drop a class and add another one, there has to be an opening and it can’t mess with your section. I didn’t even try. Here are my classes:

Seminar in Media and Managing the Law Enforcement Image (grad level)
Managing Organizational Change (grad)
Fitness (looking forward to this one!) we all take this class
Leadership for Investigative Strategies for Violent Crime (under grad)
Essentials for Law Enfrocement Execs (grad)
Contemporary Issues in Law Enforcment (we all take this one)

It will be nice to have some graduate credits towards a Master’s Degree. Tomorrow we begin the actual class work. We also run a mile for time! Weather has gotten a little warmer here, so I’m hoping it continues tomorrow.

Tonight was the welcoming dinner. I didn’t get any pics sorry. Well I am off to watch Iowa State lose to KU, then up early to get my swim in! Talk you all later, A

PS-I’m going to try and remember to add my steps/miles for the day in each blog post. This place is so big and I usually take the stairs (5th floor) because the elevator lines are long. It’s crazy the amount of walking I have done.
Steps-15,399 = 6.84 miles! Was about the same yesterday.

My lunch. I’ve been pretty safe in my choices-avoiding the ‘cafeteria type’ food. This is a chicken sandwich and squash.

The pool! Pretty nice! Also, very empty at 5 am. We are working towards a Blue Brick, 34 miles of swimming by the end of our session. I’m a half mile in!

These are the prison showers...you get the idea.

1st Day!

Woke up early in Stephens City and got a great breakfast from my in laws! It was so nice of them to have me stay with them before I had to report. They totally took care of me and it was nice to have some home cooked meals! Thank you Burseys!

It was nice to get going on this whole adventure. First day is about over! Got here about 10 or so this morning. Google Maps brought me in a back way that is no longer accessible on a gravel road. Felt like I was back on patrol for minute. Got all checked in and signed a few forms here and there. Made a few trips to unload my stuff in my room. Got my uniforms-kinda-still need some pants. That line was long and took a while. I’ll put a photo below of my clothing (3 of pretty much everything).

I have a room mate, he wasn’t here every time I was in my room-we finally hooked up later in the day. Great guy from Escondido CA. Suite mates are also good guys. One of them used to work for the Iowa DCI, so we have some mutual connections. Small world!

Another small world connection is my good friend Scott, he used to work with me when I first started and he and I had some crazy cases back in the day. He moved to San Diego and was hired as a Deputy out there years ago. His boss is in my class!!!

Also ran into my two Iowa people that are here. Good to see them and have that connection. Amy even helped me with my combination lock (so I forgot how those work...). Thanks Amy! I know she reads this!

I am a bit overwhelmed with everything that is going on. I am a routine person and I hope to get into one as soon as possible. I have a bunch of other things to report, but I am saving those for some other posts.


Here is my dinner tonight-still learning the food process here.


Here is my uniform-$420 so far...


My awesome kids and wife packed me some stuff to open each week, this was the first one! Treats, pictures, notes, and some interesting facts about beer! Well played Sarah, well played!



Front of the building-large building to the left is my dorm-5th floor!




More to come tomorrow! Thanks, A