Being a training officer for the Sheriff’s office is both immensely reward and infinitely frustrating. Probably the easiest way to convey it I’d imagine you’re a single parent who adopts a 17 year old kid. Who’s 4 weeks from being 19 and going out on his own. And you’re doing this craziness one right after the other as soon as one wave the house you adopt another. Now to add to the craziness you have to prepare them for what is essentially a battlefield in 4 weeks only spending an average of 128 hours with each one. Some are naive some are street smart some are stupid and incompetent. In that 128 hours you have to train them to be self sufficient independent reliable and willing to ask for help and willing to listen to it whether it’s asked for or not. Because you and 55 other people will have to rely on them day in and day out when shit hits the fan and when all is going well. You have to get them to read and understand and remember a book that’s hard to read and well over 400+ pages. They have to be hard but kind just but fair they have to have a thick skin emotionally and you’re trying to do all this in 128 days. And then when that time is up your name is forever stamped on them for better or worse. And quite often they act completely different after they leave. When they succeed you hope they remember you. When they fail accusatory glance come at you from every direction pointing fingers and whispering they trained him. When you get someone and they turn out great it’s amazing. But it can also be crushing when they turn out bad. Immensely rewarding infinitely frustrating in a nutshell. And you do all this craziness for $50 more a paycheck and the hope of better days off. And the feeling of pride you get when one turns out great. And the knowledge that maybe just maybe through your trainees you can make your job a better place.