The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) welcomed 28 new computer forensic analysts to their ranks Sept. 12. The ceremony, held at the HSI headquarters in Washington, D.C., was notably the largest graduation ceremony to date.
The newly minted graduates, all military veterans, joined HSI as members of the Human Exploitation Rescue Operation (HERO) Child Rescue Corps Program, and began their training on June 16.
Assistant Director of HSI Cyber and Operations Technology H. Ray Shuler, and Deputy Assistant Director of the Cyber Crimes Center (C3) Michael Prado, attended the ceremony.
“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 Shuler. “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 HERO Child Rescue Corps Program recruits, trains, and hires wounded, ill, or injured transitioning active-duty service members and veterans to support HSI field offices in the areas of child exploitation investigation, child victim identification, traveling child sex offenders and digital forensics. Initially established as a pilot initiative in 2013, the HERO Act, signed into law by President Obama on May 29, 2015, formalized and endorsed the HERO Corps program administered by the C3.
Congress strengthened the Program through passage of the Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017, which made it DHS wide program, ensuring it would be open to all military service branches with pay for HERO Interns.
“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,” said HERO graduate Jamie Umberger. “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.”
The 2023 HERO class graduated after an initial 13 weeks of HSI agency introduction and computer forensics training and will continue the one-year internship with nine months of hands-on training, mentored by HSI computer forensic agents at field offices across the country.
The graduates will support the Fairfax, Virginia-based C3 and be assigned to HSI field offices throughout the United States, from Guam to Puerto Rico.
The program is managed by the C3 and supported by numerous partners that include the Department of Defense military to civilian transition programs, veterans affairs programs, as well as federal and state veteran employment agencies.
Learn more about HSI’s fight against child exploitation on LinkedIn and @Know2Protect on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
