Day 4 & 5 – Thursday & Friday

Day 4 & 5, Thursday/Friday

Thankfully, Motor Officer Trevor Stevenson’s condition continues to improve slightly by the day.  Prayers from me continue for him.  The morning of his accident, I shared what happened with just a couple of my classmates from the LA group.

Since that day, word must have spread as not a day goes by that numerous students from different states across the US come up to me and ask for an update on Trevor’s status.  They are truly concerned and always extend their respect and prayers for Trevor’s recovery.  This type of a gesture is another example of what I experience out here by the cops from around the country and even some outside the country.  There is a brotherhood between all cops like no other profession.  I am so proud of the career I am in, and I appreciate being around so many selfless good men and women.

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The last two days of the week included a full schedule of classes, including a two-hour block of PT each day.  I will have a healthy amount of reading and homework in each class, which will certainly help keep me busy during my weekends.   During these last two days, I was introduced to two additional new courses: “Essentials for Law Enforcement Leaders,” and “Stress Management in Law Enforcement.”  Again, I think I lucked out.  Both instructors are awesome, dynamic and smart.  I especially like the instructor of the Stress Management class, as he is from Texas and is super funny, which helps keep the class engaged.

Though I am finding my way around this place a little better then the previous days, I still managed to sit in the wrong class again.  This time however, I realized what I did within about 5 minutes and I was able to get to the right class without being late.

The Thursday and Friday Physical Fitness blocks of training flat out kicked my butt this week.  Both days were circuit style training until muscle fatigue, then short (very short) periods of rest and a move on to another work station.  I have not done this many pushups since the police academy, 27 years ago.  By Friday night, every muscle in my body seemed to hurt and I was moving slowly.  I very much like the Physical Fitness regimen and realize how good this is for me.

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Various field trips are offered during your stay at the Academy; but the New York Trip is by far the most popular and the one that can be a little of a challenge to get into.  Traditionally, the NYPD cops that are attending the National Academy make the arrangements to bus students from the Academy to New York, where numerous behind the scene tours take place at various NYPD facilities, 9/11 Memorials and other cool places.  The trip is 3 days, staying two nights in a hotel near Time Square.

The trip costs about $600 (of your own money) for each student to attend, and I had heard that they sell out quickly.   I kept an ear out for the planning of this trip and was quick to make my reservation and payment.  This trip will take place next month and having not had the opportunity to ever visit New York, I am very excited for it.  I will be sure to post a ton of pictures for that one.

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On the evening of January 25th, the entire FBI National Academy Session will take buses to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington DC.  The National Academy puts on a memorial ceremony for our fallen officers.

I signed up to join several other students that will be reading the names of fallen officers during the service.  I will be reading those from Pomona PD.  Uniformed Honor Guards from local police agencies will also be assisting with the service.

Two of my fellow LA Region officers (LAPD and LASD) volunteered to help coordinate the ceremony for the entire class, and will also be reading the names of the fallen from their respective agency.  I am looking forward to this day to show respect.

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After class concluded on Friday, the LA Region guys (LAPD, LASD, Santa Monica PD & I) were ready to get off the base and have a nice steak dinner.   We had heard of a place that was highly recommended by past FBINA students called “Globe and Laurel” in the City of Stafford, Virginia.  We had the most amazing experience there; the food was great and the atmosphere was amazing.

The Globe and Laurel restaurant, a shrine to the Marine Corps and law enforcement officers who have trained at the nearby Quantico Marine base.

The owner, Retired Marine Major Richard T. Spooner — who fought in World War II in the Pacific battle of Tarawa depicted in the atrium of the new museum, as well as Saipan, and later also served in Korea and Vietnam — opened the Globe and Laurel in 1968.  Spooner, ramrod-straight with his now-white hair still in a crew cut, works the crowd every lunch and dinner.  I googled his name and found the following Wikipedia Page on him:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_T._Spooner

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The restaurant’s walls and ceilings have been covered with relics and memorabilia documenting Marines serving around the world and law enforcement agencies. Shadow boxes built into the walls showcase items such as a canteen carried at Saipan and decorations from the 1890s. There are even examples of the six designs of the Medal of Honor.

I took time to walk around the restaurant in search of a Pomona Police shoulder patch, amongst the thousands that are affixed to the ceilings.  Just as I was about to give up, I FOUND TWO!

We also had the opportunity to meet the owner, Ret. Major Spooner who is 92 years old and still looks awesome.  In fact, before I knew who he was, I asked a waitress standing next to him where the restroom was and crusty Spooner then introduced himself and educated me that they do not have restrooms here, they only have a “head.”   Ha..

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I finally got a class roster so I now know the exact make up of my class.  My FBI National Academy Session (#267) is comprised of 233 students that represent the following Law Enforcement Agencies around the World:

Countries:

  1. United States
  2. Argentina
  3. Belgium
  4. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  5. Brazil
  6. Cameroon
  7. China
  8. Costa Rica
  9. Dominican Republic
  10. Germany
  11. Ghana
  12. Hungary
  13. Indonesia
  14. Japan
  15. Jordan
  16. Korea, South
  17. Kuwait
  18. Morocco
  19. Nigeria
  20. Panama
  21. Qatar
  22. Romania
  23. Spain
  24. Ukraine
  25. United Arab Emirates
  26. United Kingdom

Department Names:

  1. Aberdeen Police Department
  2. Ada County Sheriff’s Office
  3. Addison Police Department
  4. Alachua County Sheriff’s Office
  5. Albuquerque Police Department
  6. Ankeny Police Department
  7. Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office
  8. Argentine Federal Police – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  9. Arlington County Police Department
  10. Arlington Police Department
  11. Army Criminal Investigation Command – Fort Belvoir
  12. Atlantic City Police Department
  13. Atwater Police Department
  14. Augusta Police Department
  15. Aurora Police Department
  16. Aventura Police
  17. Avon by the Sea Police
  18. Avon Police Department
  19. Bay City Police Department
  20. Beckley City Police Department
  21. Bedford County Sheriff’s Department
  22. Belgian Federal Police – Brussels
  23. Bellingham Police Department
  24. Brazilian Federal Police
  25. Brentwood Police Department
  26. Bureau of Indian Affairs
  27. Byram Police Department
  28. Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Department
  29. California Department of Justice – Division of Law Enforcement
  30. California Highway Patrol
  31. Camden Police Department
  32. Cameroon Gendarmerie
  33. Carlsbad Police Department
  34. Champaign County Sheriff’s Office
  35. Cherry Hill Police Department
  36. Chicago Police Department
  37. Clallam County Sheriff’s Office
  38. Coeur d’Alene Police Department
  39. Collier County Sheriff’s Office
  40. Colorado Springs Police Department
  41. Columbus Division of Police
  42. Concord Police Department
  43. Connecticut State Police
  44. Corvallis Police Department
  45. Cranston Police Department
  46. D/FW Airport DPS – Police Department
  47. Dallas County Criminal District Attorney’s Office
  48. Dallas Police Department
  49. Dane County Sheriff’s Office
  50. Department of Energy – National Nuclear Security Administration
  51. Detroit Police Department
  52. Dominican National Police
  53. Dorset Police
  54. Duncan Police Department
  55. East Bay Regional Park District Police Department
  56. East Hartford Police Department
  57. East Ridge Police Department
  58. Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Office
  59. Economic and Organized Crime Office
  60. El Paso County Sheriffs Office
  61. Escondido Police Department
  62. Everett Police Department
  63. Evesham Police Department
  64. Fairbanks Police Department
  65. Farmers Branch Police Department
  66. Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office
  67. Federal Bureau of Investigation
  68. Federal Bureau of Investigation
  69. Federal Bureau of Investigation
  70. Federal Bureau of Investigation
  71. Federal Bureau of Investigation
  72. Federal Bureau of Investigation Police
  73. Federal Reserve
  74. Fishers Police Department
  75. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission – Miami Field Office AOR
  76. Fortville Police Department
  77. Freeport Police Department
  78. Gendamerie Royale
  79. Georgia Bureau of Investigation
  80. Georgia Department of Public Safety
  81. Grove City Police Department
  82. Hampton Police Department
  83. Harris County Sheriff’s Office
  84. Haywood County Sheriff’s Office
  85. Henrico County Division of Police
  86. Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department
  87. Honolulu Police Department
  88. Hope Police Department
  89. Hopkinsville Police Department
  90. Houston Police Department
  91. Hungarian National Bureau of Investigation (HNBI)
  92. Indiana State Police
  93. Indonesian National Police
  94. Jackson Police Department
  95. Kearney Police Department
  96. Keizer Police Department
  97. Kennesaw Police Department
  98. Kenton County Police Department
  99. Kuwait State Security
  100. La Crosse Police Department
  101. Landeskriminalamt Berlin
  102. Lane County Sheriff’s Office
  103. Lansing Police Department
  104. Laredo Police Department
  105. Lawrence Police Department
  106. Lee County Sheriff’s Office
  107. Lexington County Sheriff’s Department
  108. Lexington Police Department
  109. Lino Lakes Police Department
  110. Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office
  111. Los Angeles Airport Police
  112. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
  113. Los Angeles Police Department
  114. Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office
  115. Lower Pottsgrove Township Police Department
  116. Lynn Police Department
  117. Madison County Sheriff’s Department
  118. Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office
  119. Manalapan Township Police Department
  120. Martin County Sheriff’s Office
  121. Maryland State Police
  122. Massachusetts State Police
  123. Maui County Police Department
  124. McAllen Police Department
  125. Memphis Police Department
  126. Mesa County Sheriff’s Office
  127. Mesa Police Department
  128. Michigan Department of Natural Resources
  129. Michigan State Police
  130. Ministry of Interior, Police Director Office
  131. Minot Police Department
  132. Miramar Police Department
  133. Mobile County Sheriff’s Office
  134. Modesto Police Department
  135. Monmouth Police Department
  136. Montana Division of Criminal Investigation
  137. Montgomery County Police Department
  138. Montville Township Police Department
  139. Montville Township Police Department
  140. Mundelein Police Department
  141. Nassau County Police Department
  142. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
  143. National Park Service
  144. National Police Agency
  145. Navy Region Northwest
  146. Nevada Department of Public Safety, Investigation Division
  147. New Castle County Police Department
  148. New Jersey State Police
  149. New Orleans Police Department
  150. New Paltz Police Department
  151. New York City Police Department
  152. New York City Police Department
  153. New York City Police Department
  154. New York City Police Department
  155. New York State Police
  156. Niagara Falls Police Department
  157. Nigerian National Police
  158. North Carolina State University Police Department
  159. North Miami Beach Police Department
  160. Norwood Police Department
  161. Oak Creek Police Department
  162. Oakland Police Department
  163. Ocala Police Department
  164. Organismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ)
  165. Osceola County Sheriff’s Office
  166. Panama City Beach Police Department
  167. Pasadena Police Department
  168. Pennsylvania State Police
  169. Pentagon Force Protection Agency
  170. Phenix City Police Department
  171. Philadelphia Police Department
  172. Phoenix Police Department
  173. Policia Nacional De Panama
  174. Pomona Police Department
  175. Powell Police Department
  176. Public Security Directorate
  177. Qatar Ministry of Interior
  178. Richton Park Police Department
  179. Rio Rancho Department of Public Safety
  180. Rock County Sheriff’s Office
  181. Rockledge Police Department
  182. Rockville City Police Department
  183. Romania National Police
  184. Rome Police Department
  185. Saint John’s Police Department
  186. Salem Police Department
  187. San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office
  188. San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
  189. San Diego Police Department
  190. San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office
  191. San Jose Police Department
  192. Sandusky Police Department
  193. Santa Monica Police Department
  194. Sapulpa Police Department
  195. Security Service of Ukraine
  196. Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department
  197. Selah Police Department
  198. Seward Police Department
  199. Shawnee Police Department
  200. Sitka Police Department
  201. South Carolina Department of Public Safety
  202. South Euclid Police Department
  203. Spanish National Police
  204. Sturgis Police Department
  205. Suffolk County Police Department
  206. Supreme Prosecutor’s Office
  207. Templeton Police Department
  208. Texas Department of Public Safety – Law Enforcement Division
  209. Topeka Police Department
  210. Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office
  211. U.S. Border Patrol
  212. UAE – State Security Department
  213. United States Marine – Camp Pendleton CID
  214. United States Marshals Service
  215. University of Alabama  – Tuscaloosa Police Department
  216. University of Colorado Denver Police Department
  217. University of Missouri-St. Louis Police Department
  218. Utica Police Department
  219. Village of Woodlawn Police Division
  220. Warren Police Department
  221. Washington County Sheriff’s Office
  222. Washington County Sheriff’s Office
  223. Washington University Police Department
  224. Washoe County Sheriff’s Office
  225. Weber County Sheriff’s Office
  226. Webster Police Department
  227. West Virginia State Police
  228. Williamson County Sheriff’s Office
  229. Willingboro Township Police Department
  230. Winchester Police Department
  231. Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department
  232. Ypsilanti Police Department
  233. Yuma County Sheriffs Office

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One thought on “Day 4 & 5 – Thursday & Friday”

  1. Great Blog Mike. This brings back so many incredible memories and I can’t believe Major Spooner is still going strong. Maybe there is something to the one cigar a day diet!

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