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Working Conditions
Federal Protective Officers may be assigned to work locations in any areas of the country where the
General Services Administration is responsible for federal properties. These include federal buildings
housing U.S. District and Appellate Courts, federal buildings located in the various states housing the
offices of U.S. Senators and Congressmen, and buildings housing the Selective Service System at any
time during which it is operative.
Federal Protective Officers often work under stressful conditions and are subject to physical injury
when performing their duties. The fringe benefits these officers receive include paid vacation, holidays,
and sick leave; free uniforms and equipment; overtime pay; low-cost medical and life insurance; and
liberal retirement annuity.
Training and Promotion Opportunities
Uniformed Federal Protective Officers enter the force at the level of GS-4 or GS-5, depending on the
quality of training and previous law enforcement experience. After training and a year's probationary
appointment, they are eligible for permanent status. They also are eligible to participate in a management
training program, a career advancement program, or a technical advancement program. The prospects for
advancement in this work are generally favorable. Promotions are based on satisfactory work perfor-
mance, demonstrated abilities in handling more complex tasks, and supervisory recommendations.
Qualified Federal Protective Officers may advance in rank in the following order: Corporal, Sergeant,
Lieutenant, Captain, Major, and Lieutenant Colonel.
BORDER PATROL AGENT
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Justice,
administers and enforces laws that govern the admission, exclusion, deportation, and naturalization of
aliens. Through a variety of law enforcement activities, the INS protects the national security of the United
States and the welfare of persons who live in this country legally. An essential part of the INS law
enforcement effort is carried out by a group of highly trained officers known as the Border Patrol. This
organization offers interesting career prospects to those who qualify. The following are some of the
typical work activities of Border Patrol Agents.
Duties of the Job
The Border Patrol is a highly mobile, uniformed enforcement organization whose primary responsibili-
ties are to detect and prevent the illegal entry or smuggling of aliens into the United States and to detect,
take into custody, and arrange for the deportation of those living illegally in this country. Border Patrol
Agents perform their work along the more than 8,000 miles of land and coastal areas that make up the
international boundaries of the continental United States. In many cases, these borders are barely visible
lines located in rugged and uninhabited mountains, canyons, and deserts. Agents patrol designated areas
to uncover attempted or actual illegal entries into this country. To be effective, Border Patrol Agents use
special techniques and equipment in meeting their responsibilities. These include electronic communi-
cation systems, electronic sensing devices, pursuit vehicles, jeeps, fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and
patrol boats. Electronic sensors, for example, are concealed at strategic points along the borders and are
monitored at headquarters. When these devices are tripped, a signal is received and Agents are sent to the
scene to investigate. Agents perform line-watch duties at points that provide good visibility and use
