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Community and International Relations Providing
Drug Law Enforcement Information to the The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recognizes the necessity of maintaining the public’s trust. In keeping with this philosophy, the Office of Training is committed to ensuring that the DEA Training Academy is accessible to civic, school and International Law Enforcement organizations involved in ridding their communities of drugs. From October 1, 2004 through September 30, 2005 the Office of Training had 1160 visitors. Visitors are provided briefings, walking tours and when time permitted, interactive activities. Visitors to the DEA Training Academy include school groups ranging from elementary schools to Universities and other groups such as Law Enforcement Explorers, foreign law enforcement counterparts participating in the International Executive Observation Program, the Youth Advisory Board of DARE and the Sunshine Kids Cancer Foundation. LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPLORERS The DEA Law Enforcement Explorer Leadership Program was held in July 2005 at the DEA Training Academy in Quantico, Virginia. The Office of Training hosted 30 Law Enforcement Explorers, ages 15 to 20 who express a keen interest in pursuing a career in federal law enforcement. These Law Enforcement Explorers successfully complete a rigorous application and selection process in order to be selected for this program. The program provides them with one week of intensive leadership training both in the classroom and in the field using practical exercise and team building in training scenarios.
The curriculum for the week is based upon DEA’s career spanning leadership development program that champions the theory, “every agent is a leader,” and there are inherent leadership responsibilities at all levels, including that of a Law Enforcement Explorer. The students are afforded the opportunity to receive expert instruction in leadership development, team building, confidence building, decisions-making, patterns and trends in narcotics trafficking, a DEA recruitment overview, and the importance of physical and mental fitness. The students also experience a “day in the life” of a DEA Special Agent, which includes instruction in firearms, physical fitness, defensive tactics, and a team building obstacle course. At the conclusion of the program, the Special Agent in Charge presents all Explorers with a graduation certificate and a video detailing their activities during their week at the DEA Training Academy.
Organizations such as the Law Enforcement Explorers promote leadership, moral character, civic responsibility, and values that will lead these young citizens into adulthood and provide a solid foundation for them to build upon as future leaders. The DEA will continue to develop and maintain strong relationships with professional and educational organizations that support our goals, promote law enforcement cooperation and seek to improve the welfare and professionalism of the citizens of the United States SUNSHINE KIDS FOUNDATION The Sunshine Kids Foundation exists to provide fun-filled, week long trips for children with cancer to cities all over the United States. The Sunshine Kids, their nurses, chaperones and Foundation sponsors visited the DEA Office of Training on May 19, 2005 for a day long, action packed introduction to the life of a DEA Agent. The trip included interactive presentations by the Tactical staff, TEVOC staff and Firearms staff. These interactive demonstrations provided the children with a positive, rewarding day that they all truly enjoyed. According to the Foundation sponsors, the surveys from the children indicated that, “the DEA is only slightly behind a visit with the President of the United States”! We the DEA could not have asked for more! This is a wonderful way for the DEA Office of Training to be able to “Give Back” to our community.
DRUG ABUSE RESISTANCE EDUCATION The DEA Office of Training began FY 2005 by hosting the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Youth Advisory Board (YAB) over the weekend of August 19-21, 2005. This has become an annual training conference at the DEA Training Academy. This conference brings together select, highly motivated high school students from around the country who on their school’s behalf serve as regional representatives to the DARE YAB. During the course of their stay, students took part in a series of seminars, discussions, interactive demonstrations, and team building activities that promote the DARE mission of abstinence from drug use through education. Students, parent chaperones, and sponsors took part in the conference, which included presentations on issues ranging from club drugs to law enforcement career development. It is anticipated that the DARE YAB conference, which has helped to promote continuation of the strong relationship between the DEA and DARE, will again be held at the DEA Training Academy in future years.
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