Wounded Veteran Helping Catch Child Predators
Department of Homeland Security Internship Prepares Injured Service Members for New Careers
It may seem like tedious work, sitting in front of a computer screen for hours, but for the men and women involved in the Human Exploitation Rescue Operative Child-Rescue Corps (HERO Corps), the mission is what matters. HERO Corps is a year-long program to prepare wounded veterans to work with Homeland Security to help stop child predators, and keep kids safe.
Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) partners with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to help find the right candidates ii injured veterans registered with WWP that have a jumpstart on their computer education through the Transition Training Academy (TTA).
TTA provides hands-on computer education to wounded veterans. It is one of 20 life-saving programs and services offered, free of charge. TTA offers different skill levels of computer courses leading participants towards careers in information technology (IT). Wounded veterans can earn certifications as they pass each level of IT proficiency. This training also makes the injured service members ideal candidates for HERO Corps.
Dominic Malgieri, an Army veteran, knew about TTA and HERO Corps when he first registered with WWP. “I thought it would be a good idea to get my IT certification before I applied to HERO Corps,” Dominic said. He served just shy of three years in the Army before a training accident left him with injuries to his lower body.
Through HERO Corps, wounded veterans are trained to track down potential child predators lurking on the Internet. Injured service members are trained in the program initially, and then deployed to a ten-month internship at a DHS office located nationally across the country. During that internship, participants work side-by-side with federal agents to track down potentially harmful individuals. They are then involved in the process to acquire warrants used in the arrest and later prosecution of the individual. These internships not only help provide the skills, but also an opportunity for the wounded veteran to show they are worthy of a full-time position.
Dominic says in this program, persistence is key. “Currently, I am helping with search warrants on suspects and analyzing computers and other devices we take from a suspect’s home.”
Dominic has just a few more months of his unpaid internship left, but he has a goal through the program. “I’m hoping to catch on with Homeland Security Investigations after my internship, for a full-time job” Dominic said.
WWP listens to the needs of all our more than 81,000 registered Alumni. Through the 2015 annual WWP Alumni Survey, WWP can adjust programs and services to meet the needs of wounded veterans. See the results or download the executive summary at woundedwarriorproject.org/survey.
About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To learn more about WWP and the PH&W program, visit woundedwarriorproject.org. (Photos courtesy WWP)
By Rob Louis
