Before I hired on with the Montana Highway Patrol, I was a Deputy for seven years in South Dakota. I work on two different sheriff Offices.  The first one being on a reservation and the other being one of the larger counties in the state with only four deputies to cover it. The workload was overbearing, with so many days where you would watch the sun go down and watch it come up again before you got to go home to your family. Every officer I had worked with completely quit law enforcement, so when my wife said she wanted to move close to family in Montana, “I said let’s go!”

When I hired on with the Patrol, I wasn’t sure what to expect but I wanted to stay in law enforcement as I believe we truly impact lives for the better and make our communities safer. Everyone needs a hero at some point in life, and I want to be that hero when it’s needed. I have found the Patrol to be one of the most professional departments I’ve ever seen. I love the amount of training we continually get every year; it makes me feel more confident and prepared for what I may encounter. I meet a lot of good people on the road which is a big change from running from bad situation to bad situation where nearly no one is glad to see you. The job is so much more than just pulling over cars. You may find yourself going to a crash, helping a stranded motorist, removing debris from the road, assisting another agency and much more. I get to go home and see my family at the end of every shift, with only the rare exception. I get to have days off where I feel I have a home life separate from work. I have overtime opportunities if I want them, which is nice if you need a little extra money for a vacation. The opportunities with the Patrol are endless. It is by far the best career decision I have ever made.

My seven-year-old boy wants to be a trooper like daddy when he grows up. I will turn my lights on for him as I go down the driveway because he gets excited every time, he sees lights or hears a siren. Every day he says don’t forget to turn your lights on for me daddy and runs to the window to watch his hero leave.

I will forever cherish the moments when I receive thank you letters from individuals I have help, telling me I was a true example of Integrity and Respect. That truly is the Montana Highway Patrol, and I am proud to be a Montana Trooper.

For Trooper Barbara Armstrong, a career with the Patrol allows her freedom to travel the state and help the public in a positive way, whether it is changing a tire for a motorist or arresting a driver that is under the influence.   For her the most rewarding aspect of the career is being able to help people in a positive way as they travel through our State, especially those that truly need help and are not breaking a law.  It is very rewarding to be in a positive light and educating the motoring public in the laws and ways of the State of Montana.   The Patrol is well trained and offers the potential to work anywhere in the state, and the career can take a person in almost any direction they want to go.

When I made the decision to pursue a career in Law Enforcement, I knew I wanted to be a Montana State Trooper.  It was the Patrol’s professionalism and reputation that gave me the incentive to apply.  Since being hired in 2007, I have always enjoyed educating and protecting the motoring public in all areas within the State of Montana.  Our agency offers each Trooper the training to expand their career in any direction they desire.  In my career, I have been a Field Training Officer, Camp Commander, Standardized Field Sobriety Test Instructor, Drug Recognition Expert, Jiu Jitsu Instructor, and a Deadly Encounter Instructor to name a few.  Each day is exciting to come to work, because you never know what you will experience, who you will meet and where you will travel to during your shift.