CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Everyone who joins the United States Armed Forces has their own reason why.
Isaiah Garate's reason for enlisting in the Marine Corps was to fulfill a childhood dream. He always wanted to be a Texas State Trooper.
"Ever since I was a kid, I saw the cowboy hats, the nice Texas tan uniform, and the black and white patrol cars, and that's always been my goal," said Garate.
He signed up for the military when he was 19 years old to help him kick-start his career.
"I was a military police for a little bit. Then I was selected to go to a special reactions team. It's a specialized unit in Camp Pendleton." he explained. "On the day-to-day, it was a lot of training. So whatever military police couldn't handle, we were their backup. So we were 911's 911."
Garate believes his four years as a U.S. Marine prepared him for a career in law enforcement.
"We dealt with a lot of high-stress situations and high-stress training in the military. So, bringing that here helps me think more and better when it comes to high stress situation or anything that comes my way." he added.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is currently seeking applicants with skills like Trooper Garate's. It's looking to fill about 27 vacancies in the Corpus Christi district. DPS officials believe veterans may be the best fit for the job. DPS is encouraging eligible veterans to use the G.I. Bill if they're interested in a career in Law Enforcement. The U.S. legislation provides various benefits to veterans and active service members of the military. Benefits include education, training, housing, and health care.
- Veterans are eligible to use the G.I. Bill while they are in the academy in Austin and during their 6-month Field Training Program
- Veterans are eligible to purchase some years of their military service to count towards their State retirement.
- Veterans also receive service points when they apply for promotion
DPS is also has opening for C-2024 Recruit School. It starts on August 26, 2024, and Graduates March 21, 2025. The application process ends March 31, 2024, and all physical and written testing requirements must be completed by April 15, 2024.
- Applicants must be 21-years old by March 21, 2025
- Applicants must have at least 2 years of Military Service, or 60 hours of College Credit, or 2 years licensed Police Officer
- Applicants must pass a math, reading and fitness testing to move through the application process (Fitness testing consists of 500 meter Row and 1.5 mile run.
- The application process includes background investigation, polygraph, and conditional job offer testing.
- All graduates of the C-2024 Recruit School will be presented a $5000 stipend upon completion of the academy
For more information contact Corpus District Recruiter, Scott Auth by calling (806) 316-4719 or email scott.auth@dps.texas.gov
Click here to learn more or apply.
More Veterans In Focus stories are available here, along with resources for local veterans.
Contact Veterans In Focus reporter Michelle Lorenzo michelle.lorenzo@kristv.com
