Twice the citizen, protecting our country

Photo By Amabilia Payen | Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Thomsen, operations noncommissioned officer in charge for the 324th Military Police Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve, deployed Feb. 26, from the Silas L. Copeland Arrival/Departure Control Group airfield to conduct a mission at the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. Thomsen is also a Secret Service inspector in his civilian career and will retire soon from both careers after this deployment. Photo by Amabilia Payen, Mobilization and Deployment Branch, DPTMS.  

FORT BLISS, TX, UNITED STATES

03.12.2015

Story by Amabilia Payen 

Mobilization and Deployment, DPTMS Fort Bliss

FORT BLISS, Texas - A man who is twice the citizen to this country deployed with the 324th Military Police Battalion, Feb. 26, to conduct a mission at the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba.

Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Thomsen, operations noncommissioned officer in charge, 324th MP Bn., embarked on his first deployment to GTMO with more than 34 years of service and is bringing his skills as a Secret Service inspector to the table, of which he has also done for 27 years.

“My jobs are awesome,” said Thomsen. “I have been doing this for a long time, so it’s great. There are a lot of similar skill sets for both jobs, so yeah I enjoy it.”

As a Secret Service agent and inspector, Thomsen sees the president on a daily basis. Being responsible for so many people at the White House, Thomsen says his skills are interchangeable because he is also responsible for people in his military unit.

“Both of the jobs are very similar as far as supervising people,” said Thomsen. “A lot of those skills transfer.”

As a third generation Soldier, his family members are his biggest supporters. Especially his wife along with his son, who also recently joined the U.S. Army Reserve and is scheduled to begin basic training in June. At age 54, Thomsen also glows with delight when he mentions he has a 10-year-old daughter. “I love them, and I couldn’t do this without them,” said Thomsen.

Thomsen plans to retire soon from both careers and plans to begin a new one as a teacher or professor in a college. His first step is attempting to volunteer his extra time in teaching classes to enrolled students at the Columbia College campus located on the naval base.

“I just want to start there to gain experience and so that when I get back, I have some experience,” said Thomsen.

With such a prestigious career under his belt, Thomsen gives this advice to others who also wish to join the Secret Service and remain a Reservist: go to college, get good grades, do a sport plus another activity, then apply.

“The selection for the Secret Service is very high,” said Thomsen. “It took about 18 months for me to get hired. They go through 260 people for every one person that they hire. So, start early because it takes a while to get through the background (check) and polygraphs, I mean it’s pretty extensive."

Thomsen will check off GTMO on his list of accomplishments in about nine months. When he completes this deployment, he will hang up his uniform, and head back to Washington, D.C., where his leadership experience will contribute to our nation’s security and freedoms.

• Date Taken: 03.12.2015
• Date Posted: 03.12.2015 11:53
• Story ID: 156766
• Location: FORT BLISS, TX, US
• Hometown: FORT BLISS, TX, US
• Hometown: FRESNO, CA, US
• Hometown: WASHINGTON, DC, US