Two area youth to attend national
law enforcement academies
Posted 5/1/03

Sheriff Brent Lindgren has announced the selection of two members of the Mille Lacs County Sheriff¹s Department¹s Law Enforcement Explorer Post 2119 to attend two National Law Enforcement Academies. 

Attending the prestigious academies will be Explorer Post Captain Nathaniel Hawley of Milaca and Explorer Post Sergeant Jesse Nichols of Onamia.  

Hawley, 17, son of Bill and Bea Hawley, was selected to attend the U.S. Marshals Academy to be held at Quantico, Virginia in mid-July.

The week-long seminar will focus on law enforcement leadership development. Hosted by the U.S. Marshal Service, Hawley will attend presentations by members of the Marshals, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspectors and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

The participants will be touring Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Marshals as tour guides.

Hawley is scheduled to meet U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft as well as the Director of the U.S. Marshals.

Nichols, 16, is the daughter of Don and Lisa Nichols of Onamia and was selected to attend the U.S. Army National Academy at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. in late July.

This prestigious academy will give Nichols a first hand look at the Army's premier Investigative Division.

Nichols will be meeting with the Director of the Army¹s Criminal Investigative Division as well as learn of investigative techniques, terrorism training and leadership skills from top U.S. Army Command Staff.  

Deputy Bill Hawley, Post Advisor, spoke briefly of the honor of being selected to attend these academies. 

"Only about 125 explorers from across the nation were selected to attend these academies," Hawley said.

³The competition to go is intense with the candidates writing a 500 word essay on ŒWhat Law Enforcement Exploring meant to me.¹ They also must fill out an extensive application focusing on leadership, and contributions to the their Post, Community and School.²

This year four Federal agencies opened up their academies to Explorers which included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshal Service and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Division. 

Those selected to attend then had their choice of which academy to attend.  

"This is a tremendous opportunity for these two outstanding young people," Hawley went on to say. 

Many law enforcement officers could only wish for a chance like this, he added.

Deputy Hawley has been an Explorer Advisor for 14 years and has had seven other Explorers from his post selected over the years to attend the leadership academies.  

The FBI was the first to host the academy with only 25 selected nation wide. Other agencies saw the potential for helping youth and also recruiting young people to the Federal departments - showcasing their respective agencies by hosting these events.    

Exploring is a Division of the Boy Scouts of America Learning for Life Division. This is the only division that allows young women to belong. Exploring gives young people the opportunity to learn about a career prior to college to see if they might like it.  

Both Hawley and Nichols will be raising money to offset the cost of the airfare to their respective academy. Anyone wishing to sponsor either of the youth or donate to this project should contact Sheriff Lindgren or Deputy Hawley at the Mille Lacs County Sheriff¹s Department at 320-983-8250.