Border Patrol Making the Rounds at Texas Motor Speedway

Agency looking to fill thousands of jobs with "patriotic" individuals

By BRETT JOHNSON

Updated 5:00 PM CDT, Sat, Apr 4, 2009

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The U.S. Border Patrol is looking for more than just a few good recruits -- actually, it could use 3-thousand "patriotic and adventurous individuals."

"It's not just Border Patrol Agents we need," says Michael Olsen, U.S. Border Patrol Assistant Chief, "we are looking to fill all types of careers... administrative assistants, accountants, mechanics," and the list goes on.

Olsen says the Border Patrol sets up a recruitment booth at every NASCAR race and says they get between 100 and 200 applicants at each event. "It (the race) helps get our message out that we're recruiting."

At a Border Patrol Booth along the TMS midway NASCAR fans joyfully posed for pictures next to a U.S. Border Patrol NASCAR. Young men and women talked to current Border Patrol agents about the possibility of applying for a job.

One agent was overheard telling a potential recruit who had inquired about some of the requirements of the job, "once you give two years to the southwest borders you can start putting in for transfers throughout the U.S."

"It's a lot of fun, like Boy Scouts for law enforcement," a female recruitment officer told a pair of high school students.

"Border Patrol looks like a pretty good choice for me," said 19-year old Brent Osborn of Irving, who added that he's having a tough time post-high school trying to determine what he wants to do in life and how difficult it is looking for a good job in a slow economy. "It's hard and I'm trying to become an outstanding young man and I think this will help me alot."

To look into a possible career with the U.S. Border Patrol go this link: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/careers/