Training Superior Law Enforcement Officers

Mark J. Hunter
Assistant Director for Training
Remarks at Honor Graduate of the Year Ceremony
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
Glynco, Georgia
(as prepared for delivery)

Thank you, Ken, FLETC staff, and distinguished guests.

Good afternoon. It’s an honor to be here today with all of you at FLETC – the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

Because of the outstanding work and achievements of agents such as Shane Dixon, the FLETC Honor Graduate of the Year --whom we are here to recognize, the Diplomatic Security Service has grown and evolved into the highly respected organization that it is today. So it is with great pleasure and pride that I am here to congratulate Special Agent Shane Dixon for being honored with FLETC’s most highly esteemed award, the Honor Graduate of the Year.

Since opening its doors in the 1970s, FLETC has produced superior law enforcement officers. Although the Diplomatic Security Service is by no means the largest agency in terms of the number of students who pass through FLETC, in terms of quality, I am pleased that our students have ranked among the Best of the Best.

This is the third time that a Diplomatic Security Service Special Agent has won the FLETC Honor Graduate of the Year Award. The agency’s first recipient, Special Agent Philippe Furstenberg, won the award in 2000. The second time was in 2005 when DS Special Agent Victoria Anzaldua received the award. As many of you might know, Special Agent Anzaldua was the first woman in the Academy’s history to receive the FLETC Honor Graduate of the Year Award. With Special Agent Dixon’s achievement, we are doubly proud. It is my understanding that in the 17 years that the award has been presented, the Diplomatic Security Service is the only agency that has won the Honor Graduate of the Year distinction two consecutive years in a row.

While the achievement in all three awards must be credited to these agents themselves, they and the host of agents who trained alongside them owe a debt of gratitude to FLETC and the excellent instructor staff assembled here. Diplomatic Security’s relationship with FLETC goes back a long way. We have worked closely with FLETC since 1984, and we consider FLETC’s programs to be key building blocks in the career development of a special agent. The training provided by FLETC is the foundation for the entire Diplomatic Security Training program. It is the crucible event that every agent that comes through our agency shares in common.

It is also a unifying experience for all federal law enforcement agencies. More than 80 partner organizations train at FLETC. It is not only the largest law enforcement academy in the country, but it is truly the finest. The educators here on the FLETC staff do a remarkable job of teaching new recruits, many of whom have no investigative experience, the basics in criminal investigation as well as give instruction on a wealth of other subjects. We, at the Diplomatic Security Service, appreciate your dedication and the fine work that you do.

As the law enforcement and security arm of the Department of State, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security has special agents assigned in 159 foreign countries, 200 foreign cities and 25 U.S. cities. The basic Criminal Investigator Training Program provided by FLETC has been essential to the success of our agents. It has given them the fundamental tools they’ve needed to perform the duties required in their assignments. It has helped them develop skills to protect dignitaries domestically and overseas, investigate identity theft, passport and visa fraud, and manage a multitude of security programs that protect our nation’s embassies and consulates worldwide.

Moreover, by training at FLETC, our recruits have gained much more than basic skills. They’ve gained an identity. When they leave FLETC, they have a sense of who they are and what their role is within the United States government and as federal law enforcement officers. They understand that in the performance of their jobs they are expected not only to wear a badge and carry a gun, but also that they are responsible for upholding the law, protecting our society, and demonstrating the highest levels of integrity commensurate with the critical responsibilities they will undertake. This is all part of the molding and shaping process that takes place at FLETC. It is also part of the foundation that is built before new recruits report to their agencies for follow-on training to better develop their skills to fulfill their agencies’ missions.

The partnership between FLETC and the Diplomatic Security Service has been long and fruitful. This is an outgrowth of the excellent cooperation we have had with one another and the bond that we share built on trust. We know that our agents will graduate well-equipped with the comprehensive skills necessary to carry out our mission of ensuring that the United States can conduct diplomacy safely and securely around the world. Likewise, FLETC can count on us to remain steadfast in our support of this fine institution as we continue to work together in the years ahead.

Perhaps there is no better way to celebrate the success of our partnership than to recognize the excellence of Diplomatic Security Special Agent Shane Dixon. Shane is a superb example of how hard work, persistence, and pursuing a dream can and does achieve results. His accomplishments here are exceptional, and he has made all of us at the Bureau of Diplomatic Security very proud.

In 2006, Shane was the top graduate of the nearly 4,000 students who graduated from one of the eligible FLETC basic training programs. He also was the Honor Graduate of his Criminal Investigator Training Program class. To earn this distinction, Shane graduated with the highest average scores on his academic exams, firearms testing, and physical efficiency battery tests.

During his training, Shane achieved an overall academic average of 98.10, a perfect 300 score on his firearms testing, and a physical efficiency battery average of 92. In addition, along the way, Shane received numerous awards including the Distinguished Expert Award in Firearms, the Distinguished Fitness Award, the Driver Award, the Academic Award, and the Director’s Award. The Director’s Award is especially impressive. To receive this honor, Shane was selected by his classmates as the person who most exemplifies the core values of a Federal law enforcement officer.

With all of these amazing accomplishments, it could appear that Shane lives a charmed life and that his success came easy. But it didn’t. Shane has worked hard to get where he is today. I’m told that as a boy growing up in a small town near Nashville, Tennessee, Shane always wanted to help people, so he decided to become a doctor. He had a curious mind, loved to read books, and was a natural investigator. Like many small town kids -- he was bitten by the travel bug and yearned to see the world.

Shane got his chance when he joined the United States Marine Corps. He served as a heavy machine-gunner, reaching the rank of Corporal. When he finished his military service, Shane headed back to Tennessee, planning to apply for college and study pre-med. But finances were tight and he found himself instead looking for a job. His mother knew the local Sheriff and Shane was offered a position as a Deputy Sheriff in Wilson County, working in the jail.

After a year, Shane did head for college. But he didn’t study pre-med. Working as a Deputy Sheriff had sparked his interest in the criminal mind. He wanted to know why people do the things that they do, and why some people follow the rules and others don’t. Shane graduated from Tennessee Tech University with a Bachelors of Science in sociology and an Associates Degree in criminal justice. He then got a job as an Intelligence Specialist with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Regional Organized Crime Information Center. There, Shane assisted in the storing and sharing of criminal intelligence for crime-related cases in the Southeastern United States. He did well and was promoted, but he wasn’t satisfied. Shane wanted to take part in investigations, not just analyze intelligence.

Shane next landed a job with the Department of Energy. He became a Federal agent and was trained to protect nuclear materials. After six weeks of spending eight and a half hours a day at the shooting range, he became an expert marksman. But he didn’t get any closer to his goal of working on investigations.

It was at this point, in May 2006, that Shane joined the Diplomatic Security Service. Since that time, he has excelled as a Special Agent and has proven himself to be an adept investigator in our Los Angeles Field Office. Among his assignments, he is the lead agent on a multi-agency, international visa fraud investigation involving Korean foreign nationals.

At long last, Shane’s hard work and persistence have paid off. He pursued his dream of becoming an investigator, and it has now become a reality. His curious mind, his many talents, and all of the training that he received here at FLETC have been finely honed and put to good use.

Shane has not given up on his other dreams. He still has the itch to travel and will be deployed this fall to his first overseas assignment as the Assistant Regional Security Officer Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. He also still plans to become a doctor. But that dream is in the distant future. For now, he is looking forward to a long and committed career with the Diplomatic Security Service – that’s right, isn’t it Shane?

Congratulations, Shane, on your remarkable accomplishments. We, at DS, are extremely proud of you. You exemplify all of the qualities for which we strive. My thanks for representing Diplomatic Security so ably….and my thanks, again, to the fine leadership and staff of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center here in Glynco, Georgia.