The Sept. 12 graduation of 28 new computer forensic analysts was the largest to date, according to the DHS HSI news release. All of the graduates are military veterans.
The HERO Child Rescue Corps Program recruits, trains, and hires wounded, ill, or injured transitioning active-duty service members and veterans to work with HSI field offices, with a focus on child exploitation investigation, child victim identification, traveling child sex offenders, and digital forensics.
“HSI seeks only to recruit the most dedicated and skilled individuals to join our fight against child exploitation, and what better representation of dedication to duty is there than the veterans graduating here today?” said H. Ray Shuler, Assistant Director of HSI Cyber and Operations Technology. “The specialized skills, expertise, and commitment to service they bring to HSI is unmatched and I’m very proud to add each one of these heroes to the HSI team."
The class graduated after a 13-week HSI agency introduction and computer forensics training. They will continue a one-year internship with nine months of training, mentored by HSI computer forensic agents. Graduates will work with C3, and be assigned to HSI field offices cross the country, including Guam and Puerto Rico.
C3 manages the program with support from the Department of Defense military to civilian transition programs, veterans’ affairs programs, federal and state veteran employment agencies, according to the Sept. 16 news release.
“Throughout this journey our instructors provided resources, hands-on experience, and training that challenged us to attain the skills needed to understand the intricacies of computer forensics. Because of their unwavering support and our devotion to duty, we proudly stand here today as indispensable assets to HSI's human trafficking and child exploitation missions. We Are fully prepared to carry forward the legacy of those who came before us,” said HERO graduate Jamie Umberger.
Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). There are more than 10,000 employees of HSI who work in 235 offices in the US and 93 overseas locations. HIS was created in 2010, when the Offices of Investigations, Intelligence, and International Affairs within US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were combined to a new directorate, known as Homeland Security Investigations, according to the DHS webpage focused on HSI’s history.
