I posted a while ago about my experience at the academy. I was injured during OC spray training. Oddly enough I was the only one person in class to end up with pretty nasty chemical burns on my corneas. I was on workers comp for about two months waiting for glasses. Yes, it ruined my vision. It didn’t mean I couldn’t work after I got glasses. I went back to the academy but was recycled into another class. No big deal. My family was in my ear telling me that it was a sign of terrible things to come with this job. My husband kept saying that the job wouldn’t work for our family. It’s just me, him and our 9 year old daughter. Our 9 year old was super excited about me being a cop. This was my dream since I was kid. I think my husband hated that my shifts were 2-2 when I did not have to be at the academy. My parents were constantly making snide remarks and honestly they still do even now that I’m not there. It’s “aren’t you glad you aren’t a cop?” No I’m not glad. I’m living with the biggest regret I have ever had in my life. I may have been working for a small agency in a small town but I was still a cop. I was still living out my dream. There wasn’t a day that went by that it felt like work. Now I sit in an office all day as a government contractor pushing numbers into a computer clawing my eyes out. I mentioned to my husband that it isn’t paying the bills and he tells me that I should get law enforcement out of my mind because it isn’t ever happening again. How can someone tell me how to live my damn life? It’s almost like he has to control what I do. I have been tempted all week to just apply for another agency and just say to hell with him. I’m sure my agency probably wont take me back. I didn’t leave on a bad note but I have a feeling they won’t. I’m not sure what to do. I watched so many of my friends go on to graduate the academy and while I am so proud of them I am so jealous that they made it and they had nothing and nobody to hold them back. They also had a support system. Nobody supported me except my daughter. Maybe that should have been just enough.
Absolute regret
r/AskLE
Comments
You got recycled, then quit? Because people were chirping at you?
Your husband’s opinion is important too… it doesn’t seem like you guys have great communication on the issue. The fact that you’re wanting to stick it to him, says a lot about your relationship.
You should work on that before moving forward with more LE applications.
Get your degree and look federal.
You have 0083 with uscp and usss ud.
1811 with many agencies
0025 with NPS protection (do not confuse this with nos interpretation which for some reason is also 0025).
Depending on how bad your vision is uncorrected now it may bar you from some of these jobs. I had to get lasik.
r/1811 r/1801 r/parkrangers
Also, you may want to look into why you cared so much about what others said that made you quit your dream.
Look. I’m not going to say anything to anyone to doxx you or anything, but I was in your class. I remember you saying that LE was what you really wanted to do. I wasn’t married (still ain’t), so I don’t know how it is to have an unsupportive partner. That being said, I think it’s crucial to be on the same page for anything big in life, and I think it’s super important that you guys get there before applying again.
I’m so sorry your new job isn’t working out, but I sincerely hope that you get to a point to pursue your dreams again. I’m always rooting for you.
Did you graduate from the academy? Would you be able to go back? I feel like the OC spray again would not be a good thing.
Not to sideline your questions or hijack the thread, but were there some odd or additional contributing factors to the corneal damage. In 36 years of DT instruction, nothing like this has ever occurred in our training, and we want to keep it that way. Did you ever get a detailed explanation of what was physically different about your eyes or the sequence of events?
Thanks.
Lose the husband and show your daughter what it looks like to follow your passion no matter how much negative talk surrounds you. Life will work itself out. You are strong, and this career IS for you. Apply.