Mid-Valley Students Get A Sampling Of Border Patrol Agent Training
Three criminal justice students attending classes at the Mid-Valley campus are going beyond the classroom to gain experience in their field of study. Students Melinda Martinez, Esteban Gonzalez and Belinda Pulido are taking part in the Weslaco Station’s Border Patrol Citizens Academy.
The Citizen’s Academy is an eight week course designed to provide the community, in an academy setting, first hand information on the daily operations of the Border Patrol.
Mid-Valley Criminal Justice Club advisor Kelly E. Peterson says the Citizen’s Academy is a great way to prepare the students for their field of study. “They get to see exactly what will happen out in the field,” he said. “You can’t teach this experience from a book.” Peterson is also a board member of the Border Patrol’s Community Partnership.
The students are getting “their feet wet” so to speak. The first week in the academy the students went out on boat patrol with agents on a routine surveillance of the Rio Grande River. What they saw left them nearly speechless.
“My participation in the Border Patrol Citizens Academy has been an eye opener for me, said Martinez. “It’s been fun and exciting. We actually got to see people trying to smuggle drugs and illegal immigrants trying to cross the river.”
The second week of the academy was truly a hands-on experience. The students joined agents in firearms training.
Although Martinez might not be a candidate for Border Patrol agent she says she is taking advantage of the training. “I wouldn’t be able to learn any of this anywhere else,” she said.
“I have found it interesting to see much of my coursework come to life,” said Belinda Pulido. “The Academy combines what I have learned in the classroom with real life experience and that is invaluable.”
A total of nine students and Peterson have participated in the Academy since spring 2004.
“The Mid-Valley Criminal Justice Club and I have worked with the Weslaco Border Patrol Station in community partnership efforts for two years,” noted Peterson. “Our groups have developed a great working relationship and I am pleased that two or three of the club members are allowed to participate in each Academy.”
“The Border Patrol Citizens Academy is a great tool to get a full understanding of what Border Patrol Agents do everyday,” said Gonzalez. “The Academy really helps people appreciate the great work Agents do day in and day out.”
The Academy is intended to provide an increased understanding of tasks of Border Patrol agents incurred on a daily basis. The classes include an overview of Border Patrol operations, immigration laws, port of entry orientation and specialized units such as boat patrol, K-9, bike patrol, water rescue, medical and special response teams. Students receive hands-on training with the various firearms used by agents and night vision devices such as the portable “Skywatch” units.
Students are chosen to reflect a broad range of the community, men and women of all ages of different ethnic, cultural and civic backgrounds and have included State Representatives, individuals from the Mexican Consulate, Mayors and other government officials, business owners and managers, as well as local farmers and ranchers. Acceptance into the Academy is competitive due to limited class space and Border Patrol personnel requirements.
Photo caption: A Border Patrol agent (left) oversees STC Mid-Valley student Melinda Martinez as she prepares for the firearms training. Esteban Gonzalez is seen in the background.
Last Updated June 20, 2007