8 replies to this topic

[1desertrat]

Ranger, I have NO standing to speak on behalf of the Bureau and am not doing so. Please accept my personal gratitude for your service and your buddies. While you were humping your tools in 100 degree heat, me and my family were sleeping well under your protection. No one in ATF is happy about this policy or how it will effect the future of our proud Bureau. I know this will give you no comfort, but this decision has resulted in many veterans of military and law enforcement being passed over and in some cases, lesser qualified fast track candidates being hired. We have turned away veteran law enforcement candidates with masters degrees. We have turned away veteran Secret Service agents, DEA agents and ICE agents. I am not an attorney but I do know some. This is a travesty and a byproduct of mismanagement. We in the field want the best of the bestn,whatever their ethnic background. We have seen what prior fast track friends of the director has gotten us. Garbage in garbage out. Feel free to contact me through the CUATF email system and we can discuss.Some things are worth fighting for. Remember, you do have elected officials and I'm reasonbly certain Senator Grassley and others would be interested in this.My personal belief is that ATF is the most dynamic and effective agency in Federal law enforcement. Thank you again. Semper Fi

Ok guys, here is some info that you might profit from. Years ago in the early 1990s the USDOJ Executive Office For Immigration Review (EOIR) implemented a "secret" policy via memo that said not to hire any more white males as Immigration Judges. This memo was eventually leaked and picked up by Washington DC law firm Kator/Parks. The memo became the smoking gun and all white males who applied for an immigration judge job during the period were part of the class action.

Long story short, the Government paid millions and the typical slice of the pie was SIGNIFICANT. I would suggest that you consider contacting the firm. At a minimum I would preserve your status with letters asking for updates on your application etc that force ATF to respond and document your application. Keep copies of all correspondence. If the "secret" memo is flushed you are all in for some $ and/ or jobs. Good luck, but be careful what you ask for.

[x1811]

Thanks for the support guys.

Reread my post and hope I did not come across as a whiney complainer. We just want to be treated fairly in the hiring process. We are not not asking for special treatment. But ATF is not even accepting our applications. I studied hard and took the TEA exam as required and I hear the new hires are not even required to do this. Is this true? We are all warriors and want to help America fight crime, gangs, Mexican Drug Cartels.

Vince have been following your story on here. Your guys at ATF have no idea what it means to be a US Marine and that you will not be bullied and intimidated and f&&^ed with. Semper Fi!

Contacting my Vet organization and ask if anything can be done concerning the ATF hiring process. I should just drop this but really pisses me off.

I agree with a previous post from an ATF Agent that you should pursue your applications with the DEA and ICE. I was speaking to a friend of mine who just retired from the FBI who worked in their human resources deartment. Not only are they adhering to the 5 points veterans preference points, they are also waiving the maxiximum age of 37 if you are coming out of the military. Also this individual told me that with the poor state of the economy and looming budget cuts, it is possible that hiring may be frozen and pay cuts across the board are coming. He also said they are hiring 700 agents in fy 2011.

[ISpy]

Ranger, thank you for your service. We do appreciate it. And NO, we don't take it as whinning. What we will see is a repeat of the Schedule A mess and the Friends of the Director batch that was hired. How many of that last group got fired or quit before they got fired? Do talk to your veteran contacts. Nothing within this Agency will be fixed from within. The powers that be are too concerned with their status jobs and future employment outside of ATF and don't give a damn about fixing anything or listening to the little people. It will take outside intervention from the press and Congress. Its sad how history has a way of repeating itself and this Agency is a prime example. The Waco coverup by HQs was a prime example. HQs arrogance thought they could cover up their mess by trying to put the blame on the UC Agent and everyone else. Fortunately for us, it was such a big deal that it was all over the news, the Agents in the field told the truth to the outside Agencies that investigated it and to Congress. Their bully attitudes finally caught up with them, even though some of them were allowed to retire and not fired. Maybe if the press and Congress got interested in this hiring situation, especially with a Veterans Group leading the charge, something would happen. Good luck to you and again, THANK YOU.

[Retired and loving it]

Ranger, thank you for your post and especially for your service to our fine country. You are correct that veterans are supposed to be given preference for Federal jobs. If ATF isn't doing this, it is just one more example of an agency that has gone rogue. Reading about the minority preference that is currently being given reminds me that history has a way of repeating itself. ATF did Schedule A hiring in the 80s and 90s and brought in people who did not have to meet the more stringent requirements that others were required rto meet. This ia a large part of the cause the current problem in ATF. One would think that Ken Melson might consult with some of the past ATFers who went through this and who witnessed the results. If he would do that, he might not be so hasty to repeat those same mistakes. If he is being driven by DOJ to do this, he should stand up and, based upon the agency's history, refuse to implement this policy -- even if it means his resignation (what's one more Acting Director?). If I were you, I would focus upon securing one of those DEA OR ICE positions. While ATF was once a very good agency for which to work, that was then and this is now!

[Ranger]

Thanks for the support guys. Reread my post and hope I did not come across as a whiney complainer. We just want to be treated fairly in the hiring process. We are not not asking for special treatment. But ATF is not even accepting our applications. I studied hard and took the TEA exam as required and I hear the new hires are not even required to do this. Is this true? We are all warriors and want to help America fight crime, gangs, Mexican Drug Cartels. Vince have been following your story on here. Your guys at ATF have no idea what it means to be a US Marine and that you will not be bullied and intimidated and f&&^ed with. Semper Fi! Contacting my Vet organization and ask if anything can be done concerning the ATF hiring process. I should just drop this but really pisses me off.

[VINCENT A CEFALU]

Ranger, I have NO standing to speak on behalf of the Bureau and am not doing so. Please accept my personal gratitude for your service and your buddies. While you were humping your tools in 100 degree heat, me and my family were sleeping well under your protection. No one in ATF is happy about this policy or how it will effect the future of our proud Bureau. I know this will give you no comfort, but this decision has resulted in many veterans of military and law enforcement being passed over and in some cases, lesser qualified fast track candidates being hired. We have turned away veteran law enforcement candidates with masters degrees. We have turned away veteran Secret Service agents, DEA agents and ICE agents. I am not an attorney but I do know some. This is a travesty and a byproduct of mismanagement. We in the field want the best of the bestn,whatever their ethnic background. We have seen what prior fast track friends of the director has gotten us. Garbage in garbage out. Feel free to contact me through the CUATF email system and we can discuss.Some things are worth fighting for. Remember, you do have elected officials and I'm reasonbly certain Senator Grassley and others would be interested in this.My personal belief is that ATF is the most dynamic and effective agency in Federal law enforcement. Thank you again. Semper Fi

[Ranger]

I thought I would post on here as this is Veterans Day. A day where we as Americans celebrate the sacrifices made by American vets who fought and died for our freedoms. I just found this web site after applying to ATF for over 3 years. I am a military veteran who served 3 tours in Iraq in my reserve unit and have 8 years law enforcement experience conducting investigations involving narcotics , gangs and firearms. I am in excellent physical shape. I am very discouraged that I cannot be considered in the ATF hiring process. I have 3 highly decorated Vet buddies all very well qualified who are also applying for ATF. We were all turned down and we were not told the reason why. I just heard through a family friend that ATF is conducting a special hiring of only minorities only for agent positions. I know of someone with no experience who was just selected under this new secret and discriminatory hiring process. She forwarded the secret ATF email to me and the email said not to tell anyone about this hiring process. Why is ATF so secretive about their hiring process? When I asked ATF to consider my application under this new secret hiring process I was told no way. How can ATF legally do this and discriminate against American military servicemen based on the color of their skin? Aren't federal agencies required by law to give preference points to Vets applying for Fed jobs? Why doesn't ATF do this? On a positive note I have applications in for Secret Service DEA and ICE and is looking good. I noticed that they all gave me Vet preference points when I applied. To all of the Vets in ATF I salute you and your service