by Dan Emmett
The Secret Service is an independent law enforcement agency with full power to make arrests. From its beginning in 1865 until 2002, it fell under the Department of the Treasury. After the attacks on 9/11 and a reorganization of American law enforcement, the Service was placed under the Department of Homeland Security, where it remains; it is unique among federal agencies in its dual mission of investigations and protection. The majority of people think of the Secret Service as the agency that protects the president of the United States. While this is certainly true, the Secret Service is also an investigative agency that helps protect the financial infrastructure of the United States.
Today all US paper currency is printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, in Washington, DC. In 1865, at the conclusion of the Civil War, individual banks produced the country’s paper currency, and much of the paper currency in circulation was counterfeit. It was determined that the creation of a federal agency to fight this plague was needed, and this agency was the United States Secret Service.
On April 14, 1865, the day he was assassinated, President Abraham Lincoln signed the bill that brought the Secret Service into existence, thereby creating the agency that would one day protect the president. Even if the Service had already existed, however, it would have done President Lincoln no good. The Service did not begin protecting presidents until thirty-seven years later, in 1901, after President McKinley was assassinated in Buffalo, New York.
The Secret Service was thus originally created for the purpose of combating counterfeiting. This mission of counterfeit suppression remains one of the Secret Service’s main investigative missions today and is carried out by field offices that cover all fifty states and most of the world. In addition to counterfeit investigations, the Secret Service has the main federal jurisdiction over the statutes regarding credit card fraud and various types of financial crimes, as well as government check forgery. The Service also investigates threats against anyone it provides protection for, most notably the president of the United States.
When a person is hired as a new special agent in the Secret Service, he or she begins his or her career in a field office, which could be located anywhere in the United States. A new agent investigates the above-mentioned violations and does not serve on a permanent protective detail. While these investigations have little media appeal, they are extremely dangerous, and one can unexpectedly be killed.
After an agent serves approximately six years in a field office conducting investigations, he or she may then move on to a full-time protective assignment, such as the presidential detail. This time in the field is really an agent’s tryout for protection. If an agent does not prove to be trustworthy, intelligent, proficient with weapons, and hardworking, it is unlikely he or she will ever see the Presidential Protective Division.
It is mandated by law that the following receive protection: the president of the United States and his immediate family, the vice president and his immediate family, the president-elect and vice president-elect and their immediate families, former presidents and their spouses as well as children under age twelve, major presidential candidates, visiting foreign heads of state in the United States on an official state visit, and anyone else the president so dictates. The Secret Service does not protect members of Congress or the Senate, as is widely believed. That task is performed by the US Capitol Police.
Only the president and vice president must accept Secret Service protection. All others mentioned may decline protection if they so desire, and many do, most notably foreign heads of state who do not want Secret Service agents around them.
Richard Nixon is the only former president to have refused protection. In 1985, eleven years after leaving office and feeling he no longer needed the Secret Service, he hired his own private security detail, saving the taxpayer millions of dollars.
Never confuse the Secret Service with any other government agency, and, please, never introduce a Secret Service agent to anyone as an employee of the FBI or CIA. You have been sufficiently educated.
APPENDIX 2
Glossary of Terms and Acronyms
ASAIC: assistant special agent in charge
ATSAIC: assistant to the special agent in charge
CAT: Counter Assault Team
CP: command post
DSAIC: deputy special agent in charge
FLETC: Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
FLOTUS: First Lady of the United States
Hawkeye: call sign for CAT
Halfback: follow-up vehicle
JJRTC: James J. Rowley Training Center
NYFO: New York field office
POTUS: President of the United States
PPD: Presidential Protective Division
SAIC: special agent in charge
VPOTUS: Vice President of the United States
About the Author
After a stint in the Marine Corps, DAN EMMETT joined the United States Secret Service, serving on the elite Counter Assault Team before being selected for the most coveted of all assignments in the Secret Service, the Presidential Protective Division. After twenty-one years as an agent, Emmett retired from the Secret Service and joined the CIA for six more years. Today the author is an adjunct professor as well as a security consultant for both private industry and for the United States government.
Index
The index that appeared in the print version of this title does not match the pages in your e-book. Please use the search function on your e-reading device to search for terms of interest. For your reference, the terms that appear in the print index are listed below.
AAFB. See Andrews Air Force Base
Afghanistan
agent. See also Secret Service agent
CAT
life of PPD
married
OSS
PPD site
press
single
socializing with
aggression
Air Force, U.S.
aircrafts
arrival of
C-141 Starlifters
call sign
car planes in
crashes
Lockheed C-5 Galaxies
Air Force One
Douglas C-9
duties
flights aboard
new
protocol
tail number 26000
tail number 27000
tail number 28000
tail number 29000
Air Force Two
aircrafts. See also specific types
American cockroach
American Legion
ammunition
black-tipped
bullets as
live
rounds
Anderson, Richard
Andrews Air Force Base (AAFB)
arrivals at
trip to
Anopheles mosquito
AOP. See attack on a principal
Arab fable
Army, U. S.
conscript or all-volunteer
murder of officers with
recruitment by
ROTC
arrest
statistics on conviction and
warrantless
warrants, execution of
ASAIC. See assistant special agent in charge
al-Assad, Hafez
guards of
meeting with Clinton
assailants
assassination
attempts
of Kennedy, John F.
of Kennedy, Robert F.
assistant special agent in charge (ASAIC)
assistant to the special agent in charge (ATSAIC)
asthma
ATSAIC. See assistant to the special agent in charge
attack on a principal (AOP)
Auerbach, Red
aviation
casualties
mishaps
Axis communications
Bagby, Todd
Baltimore/Washingto
n International Airport
bank fraud
Barrett, Mark
bayonet fighting
Beatty, Warren
Behind Closed Doors
Beltsville. See James J. Rowley Training Center
Beretta 9mm pistol
Bill of Rights
bin Laden, Osama
biorhythms
black-tipped ammunition
blue boxes
arrest and conviction statistics on
Bronx target location regarding
telephone companies and
Boeing
707s
747s
bombs, carpet-tack
Bonifas, Art
Boston Celtics
Brady, James
Bremer, Arthur
Bridge of No Return
Bridge of No Return (Korea)
Clinton, Bill, at
North Korea and
briefing
Secret Service agent
sheets
British Airways
Bronx
borough
target location regarding blue boxes
Bronze Star
Brunswick, Georgia
Buckingham Palace
Bud (uncle)
Budapest
Buendorf, Larry
Bull Moose Party
bullets
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Burning Tree Country club
Bush, Barbara
Bush, George Herbert Walker
campaign loss of
children of
as ex-president
at Kennebunkport compound
military service of
as naval aviator
protection of
staff of
trip to France and Russia
trip to Saudi Arabia
trip to Somalia
Bush, George W.
protection of
running and
Bush, Jenna
C-141 Starlifters
Cadillac sedans
Cambridge, England
Camera I vehicle
Camp Bonifas (South Korea)
Camp David
Camp Pendleton
Capitol Police, U. S.
Carbone, Mike
Carlson, Craig
Carter, Amy
Carter, Jimmy
CAT. See Counter Assault Team
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
application process at
Counterterrorism Center of
creation of
mission of
National Clandestine Service of
officers or assets of
on open source intelligence
service at
Charlotte Police Academy
check fraud
Chevrolet Suburban
Chichi-jima
children
China, People’s Republic of (PRC)
Chinatown
Christmas Party, White House
Christy, Kenneth L.
awards received by
as recruiter
CIA. See Central Intelligence Agency
CITP. See Criminal Investigative Training Program
Clancy, Joe
Clinton, Chelsea
Clinton, Hillary Rodham
Clinton, William Jefferson (“Bill”)
administration of
at Bridge of No Return
driving
as Eagle
election of
meeting with Assad
predictable behavior by
running with
site advances for
South Korea visit of
staff of
threats against
trip to Cambridge, England
trip to Jerusalem
trip to Jordan
trip to Russia by
on Valentine’s Day (1994)
Coates, Robert F.
as ASAIC and SAIC
employment offer extended by
interviews with
thank-you note to
Cobb, Jim
Colt M4 rifle
Columbia
command post (CP)
commission
book
U.S. Marine Corps
Congress, U.S.
Congressional Country Club
Congressional Medal of Honor
Constitution, U. S.
corporal punishment
Counter Assault Team (CAT)
abolishment of
acceptance into
advance teams of
agents
background and history of
career with
during Clinton, Bill South Korea visit
creation of
divisional status of
fire team tactics of
freedom within
funding of
graduation
humor
image and reputation of
initial selection course of
at Kennebunkport compound
live-fire exercises of
methods utilized by
mission of
motivation of
offices
PPD and
preselection course for
promotion within
requirements for
running and
tattoo
team leaders within
training within
Uniformed Division
urban deployment of
utilization of
vehicles utilized by
weapons proficiency requirements for
weapons utilized by
work schedules of
counterfeit currency
counterpart
Ferraro staff
foreign
in Israel
KGB
PPD and staff
counterterrorism
missions
new field of
units
Counterterrorism Center
CP. See command post
credit card fraud
Criminal Investigative Training Program (CITP)
graduation from
location of
Cronkite, Walter
crowds
friendly
hostile
Cuba
Cuban missile crisis
currency
counterfeit
paper
D-Day anniversary
death
of Roosevelt, Franklin D.
watch vehicles
December debacle
Delahanty, Thomas
deputy special agent in charge (DSAIC)
Desert Storm
Directorate of Operations
DIs. See Marine Corps drill instructors
Distinguished Flying Cross
Dominican Republic
Donovan, William (“Wild Bill”)
DOR. See drop on request
Douglas C-9
drop on request (DOR)
DSAIC. See deputy special agent in charge
Eagle
East Wing, of White House
Eastern Germany
Eastwood, Clint
Egypt
1811 series
Eisenhower, Dwight D.
administration of
memory of
emergency
first responder
medical
Emmett, Dad
Emmett, Dan
childhood of
courtship of
education of
honorable discharge of
marriage of
on media
metal canteen cup of
parents of
pilot license of
promotion of
regrets and wishes of
retirement of
Emmett, Donnelle
as agent
courtship of
marriage of
Emmett, Mom
Emmett Furniture Company
Enota Elementary School
Essentials of Instruction (EOI)
family
compounds
events, outings and vacations
sacrifices
FBI. See Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). See also specific divisions
academy
funding of
headquarters
history of
Hostage Rescue Team of
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC)
class size at
curriculum at
under evaluation at
fun at
graduation from
instructors at
stipend during
training at
Ferraro, Geraldine
podium banner for
site advances for
staff counterpart of
Ferrer, Juan
Fields, Lee
fighting spirit
fire team tactics
firearms. See also weapons
proficiency at JJRTC
qualification and requalification for
training
First Amendment, U.S.
First Atlanta Bank
First Lady. See also FLOTUS
conversations with
protection of
relationship between Secret Service agents and
at White House Christmas Party
flash cards
FLETC. See Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
FLOTUS (the First Lady of the United States)
Flynn, William J.
for official use only (FOUO)
Ford, Gerald
administration of
assassination attempt of
children of
protection of
foreign customs
Fort McNair
FOUO. See For official use only
France
Frank (firearm instructor)
fraud
bank
check
credit card
Fromme, Lynette (“Squeaky”)
FUBAR (fucked up beyond all recognition)
Gainesville, Georgia
Gainesville Police Department
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gandhi, Rajiv
General Assembly
General Schedule (GS)
-5
-14
-9
General Scott Hotel
General Services Administration
George Washington Hospital
Georgetown
Gilpin, Gunny
Glock pistol
Gorbachev, Mikhail
New York visit of
as Soviet Union president