How To: Border Patrol Agent

So you want to be a Border Patrol Agent….

I get this question all the time…

How do I become a Border Patrol Agent?

How do I join Special Operations?

First you need to apply for the Border Patrol.  You do this by going to USAJOBS.Gov  There they will have the application if they are currently hiring. Once you filled it out you should receive a test dates within days. If you pass that test then you will have the oral exam (Show up in a suit and tie for fucks sake!) and so on an so forth, from Physical fitness test(super easy), health examination, background investigation (takes the longest) and eventually if you make it past all that you will have to do a polygraph (Good luck)….

Once you have made it through all that you will have to get through the ParaMilitary Academy.  If you have any military background you will be comfortable with this situation.

The academy consists of PT and a lot of learning.  Without giving away too much information, anything within the realm of Immigration and Illegal Drug Education as well as Basic Law Enforcement training and driving.

If you don’t speak Spanish well enough to pass a verbal phone test you will have to stay for another few weeks to learn what I call “Working Spanish” just enough to sound like an idiot In front of your Spanish speaking partners.

After all this is complete (about 5 months) you will head to your duty station and start your Field Training and testing.  This will last up to a year.

After two years of being an Agent you will then have the opportunity to tryout for other teams. In this case I will talk about BORTAC and BORSTAR.

There has been confusion that I was a BORTAC Agent, that’s false. I was a BORSTAR Agent attached to BORTAC. I was fortunate enough to be on a team that respected my previous training from the military and was basically pulled in to the team as a medic but was treated as a operator with medical training. This isn’t always the case with other teams.

BORSTAR Selection is about 30 days, with all the respect to the program I will not talk about what the selection is all about since I am one of the people who helped shape the course to what it is today, but I can tell you it’s no walk in the park. I believe it is a very respectable challenge for any level of physical and mentally strong individual.

A BORSTAR Agent can have a similar mission to an Air Force PJ.

I have heard BORTAC Selection is as well a challenge and closely resembles a short version of Ranger School.

Either way be ready for a challenge you didn’t expect to see in the civilian world.

Once you have joined the teams:

BORSTAR’s agents receive additional advanced specialized training in emergency medical; tactical medicine; technical rope rescue; paramedic; austere medic; load planner; helicopter rope suspension training; rescue watercraft/boat operator; cold-weather operations; personnel recovery; small unit tactics; tactical combat casualty care; operations management and planning; and advanced dive, swift-water, and technical rope rescue operations.

BORTAC’s agents acquire additional skill sets in high-risk warrant service; intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance; foreign law enforcement / Border Patrol capacity building; airmobile operations; maritime operations; and precision marks- man/observer.

In my personal opinion having a career in the Border Patrol was one of the best decisions I have made. If you are looking to be a part of the federal system, have the ability to be in the field and be an independent worker this is a career for you. If you want to work hard there is plenty of work out there to find. The pay is comfortable and the action can be frequent. If you join one of the Special Operations teams then life in the Patrol can have more benefits. I was living the dream being a medic for my BORTAC team. Who was in my opinion one of the most talented and experienced teams out there.

Hopefully I have answered all your questions. If you have more questions feel free to hit me up on any of my social media platforms.

So I leave it up to you, if you want to be a Border Patrol Agent, all you need to do is apply!