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.
Trooper Miles Burhenn