I took some time to finish my blog. Thanks to all that have been following along and I hope you have enjoyed.

First off I’d like to thank my family for supporting me while I’ve been gone. The academy was awesome but it was hard being away from home so long. I’d also like to thank all those that came to graduation.

Next I’d like to thank my former and current bosses. Good or bad I learned from all of them what it takes to be a leader both the good and the bad and it is what has brought me to where I am today.

I’d like to thank Sheriff Federspiel and former Lt. Randy Pfau for nominating me to attend the National Academy over three years ago. Without that I would not have been there.

I’d also like to thank the agents at the FBI Bay City Office for choosing me to attend the academy. You guys have always been there when needed.

The National Academy was truly a life changing experience. I feel like I have become a different person both in my personal and professional life. The academy is truly a place to become a better leader and person. In my assignments and papers throughout the academy it involved a lot of personal and professional reflection.

I’d like to also thank Larry Biniecki for his truly blunt and honest assessment about how he saw me as a leader back in our detective division days. That was why I picked him for one of my assignments because I knew he would not hold anything back.

While at the academy I also met many great leaders in Law Enforcement around the US and the world. The new professional contacts I have are vast and amazing and stretch over 47 states and the world. I also made some great friends whom I hope to see again.

In closing although difficult I would do it all over again if given the opportunity. The FBI National Academy is truly the premier Law Enforcement Training for Leaders.

Friday-Graduation Day

Today is the final day at the FBI National Academy. Today my session mates and I will graduate at 10am after 10 weeks of the best training I have ever experienced.

Graduation day was very busy. It went by very fast. It was awesome to see all my session mates graduate. A big shout out to my fellow classmate Bill Suter who made it back for graduation after suffering a tragic loss in his life.

I will take a day or so and post some final thoughts. Thanks all for following my blog of the greatest achievement of my career and personal life.

Thursday

Washington D.C-Family Day

The family headed to DC first thing this morning. We got almost everywhere we wanted to go.

The Capitol tour was short as most of the building was closed off due to the President and VP being in the building. Other places we visited was the Holocaust Museum and Arlington Cemetery.

We also made it to the Pentagon Memorial and all the memorials around the Lincoln Memorial.

Wednesday

Got up around 8 this morning. The only thing on the agenda is homeroom meetings at 9am and then graduation rehearsal.

We got our Yellow Bricks this morning in our homerooms.

Section 2

Had a last lunch with Steve. My family should be here in a few hours and his are coming in this evening and tomorrow.

We’re going to the Marine Corps Museum this afternoon then coming here to the academy and I’ll give them a tour of the facility.

The family made it and I met them at the Marine Corps Museum. We then went to the academy and I gave them a tour of the grounds and facility to include Hogan’s Alley. We then went to Fatty’s for dinner.

Got lucky and got a text from one of the US Capitol Police Officers. She got us all in for a tour of the Capitol tomorrow morning.

Tuesday

Today we have class wrap ups however only 4 of my classes are meeting. I have the same instructor for two classes and we did our wrap ups last week.

Our FBI National Academy Associates Michigan chapter heads are in town and are taking the 6 of us Michigan students to dinner tonight. Many of the other states are having dinner with their chapter reps tonight as well.

Spent the afternoon doing some last laundry and packed most of my things up.

Tomorrow we have graduation rehearsal in the morning and my family should arrive by late afternoon. They will be coming to the academy tomorrow evening and I’ll give them a tour of the grounds.

Dinner tonight was great. We learned a lot more about our Michigan Chapter and what they are about and what they are involved in within the state.

Things are winding down quick at the NA.

Monday

Today we run the Yellow Brick Road at 1pm and tonight for dinner is Louisiana night.

I got a call this morning from my first Sheriff, Tom McIntyre, congratulating me on upcoming graduation. It was very nice to hear from him. Sheriff McIntyre is a previous NA graduate I believe from the 119th session.

I spent some time this morning packing some things up for the trip home on Friday after graduation. Everyone seems ready to be going home but not one person regrets coming here.

The Yellow Brick Road is done! It was tough but awesome to get the chance to run it. 3 miles of hills and obstacle course plus 3 miles of run back to the academy. Our PT instructor prepared us well.

Tonight we ended with Louisiana night with some good Cajun eats. Catfish, shrimp, jambalaya and cornbread.

Sunday

The party last night didn’t disappoint. Good food, drink and the band was great. This was the first time NA students have gotten a band into the academy grounds from what I have been told. Initially there was some resistance by the FBI Leaders here.

This afternoon a group of us went up to the DC area and checked out the NRA museum.

Saturday

Slept in this morning until about 10. There’s no power in the dorm rooms. Apparently it was a planned outage that no one knew about. It’s supposed to come back on around noon.

I had a light lunch and will hit the pool in a little while.

The Unit Chief of the NA is allowing us to have a bbq this evening and also let us bring a band in. The band starts at 6pm.

Friday

Today I have three classes. Law, Essentials and PT after lunch.

We got our final exam on Law this morning. In Essentials class we watched Ike: Countdown to D-Day. The movie depicted the pressures on Eisenhower being the Supreme Leader of the European Front in WWII and how his decisions as a leader affected him.

Our only class this afternoon was PT. It was technically our last PT but on Monday we run the Yellow Brick Road at 1pm.

We had a fun PT today. We did some boxing and then some weightlifting. I had Steve laughing during boxing as I was telling him “come on Balboa knock me out.”

After PT I did a mile in the pool.

Section 2 final PT pictures

Steve, Bill, Josh and I headed off base this evening for dinner and tried a place called Fatty’s Taphouse right here in Stafford. The seafood was amazing. Should have tried this place 9 weeks ago.

Thursday

Today is a full day of classes. This morning in Essentials class we heard from Chief Gould of Bristol Connecticut. He just graduated the last NA class (274). It was a good Q&A with him about leadership.

Our second class this morning was PT. We did a respectable 30 minute upper body and core workout. We finished with some relaxation and breathing exercises.

This afternoon we finished up our Violent Crimes class with some more individual presentations and received our certificates.

Tonight we had our session silent auction at the Clubs of Quantico on the other side of the Marine Corps bass. Many very nice auction items. The proceeds will go Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S)

The initial figures looked like our class raised over 25,000.00.