Army combat engineer to police dog handler

). Sergeant First Class Jeremy Cruz joined the Army to join the Douglas County Sherriff Department in Nevada.  Cruz desired to work in law enforcement since junior high school when the Carson City Sheriff gave a presentation during an exploration program.  The only problem was he had to be 21 years old to carry a firearm. In the mean time like many teenagers Cruz was figuring out life and working three jobs. 

 In 1998, Cruz decided to stop working three jobs and find an occupation with valuable skills and steady pay. He joined the Army to be a combat engineer to work with demolitions, obstacles, explosives, and infantry tactics. Fourteen years later Cruz has deployed to Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He has been stationed in England, Germany, Fort Leonard Wood (Mo), Fort Jackson (S.C.), and Fort Carson (Colo.).

  He said, “My job is to create and destroy obstacles on the battlefield and to conduct route clearance”.   Combat engineers also work with mine dogs.  Cruz spent seven months in Great Britain training with British dog handlers.  This training took him to Fort Leonard Wood  as a combat engineer and Army dog handler. He said the skills he learned as a dog handler will help him in his second career in law enforcement.

Cruz has been more than a combat engineer-he has worn the Round Brown Drill Sergeant headgear   serving as a drill sergeant at Fort Jackson training new recruits. Now, he is finding new recruits (Future Soldiers) as an Army recruiter stationed at the Northland Army Career Center off of Barry Rd. in Kansas City, Mo.  He enjoys being a recruiter and talking about his Army career to potential recruits.  Cruz plans to return to Fort Leonard Wood after his tour of recruiting and join his combat engineer family.

Cruz said, “The Army is like a brotherhood, one big family, and the Soldiers I have served with at other duty stations, well (we) still talk every week”.  Serving, family, and off time is important to Cruz.

In his down time Cruz is edging his way to a law enforcement career by pursuing on a bachelors degree in criminal justice with Post University on the Army’s tuition assistance program.  He believes he transferred in over a year of college credits through his Army schools.  He figures a criminal justice degree coupled with a 20 year Army career will assist Cruz in pursuing a second career in law enforcement.

Meet Sergeant First Class Cruz at the Army Career Center off of Barry Rd and Village West Parkway.

Army Strong!