HERO program gives opportunity to wounded, injured vets

Many in the U.S. Armed Forces come to a fork in the road when an injury or illness brings their career to an unexpected halt.

With a disability now leaving their military careers in question, there’s all of a sudden a question of “what’s next?” that lingers in the minds of many men and women.

With that thought in mind, in April 2013, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) entered into a partnership with the U.S. Special Operations Command and the National Association to Protect Children (PROTECT) to launch the Human Exploitation Rescue Operative (HERO) Child Rescue Corps program.

The HERO program was created to provide wounded, injured and ill Special Operations Forces an opportunity to receive training in high-tech computer forensics and law enforcement skills, to assist federal agents in the fight against online child sexual exploitation. The HEROs attend three weeks of training with PROTECT to understand the impact of the child exploitation crimes and then seven weeks of training in computer forensic analysis and digital evidence collection at HSI’s Cyber Crimes Center (C3) in Fairfax, Va. They then serve in HSI Offices nationwide in the Child Exploitation Investigation and Computer Forensic Units. Upon successful completion of the program, HERO’s have the knowledge, skills and experience to apply for careers with federal, state and local police agencies and other organizations, in the field of computer forensics.

The success of the program earned it both a 2014 Director’s Award and Secretary’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Diversity Management.

Arata was approached by ICE to manage the program because of his experience working with veterans. While the HERO Program was taking shape, at the same time, the government was going through the budget sequestration of 2013. With limited funds, HSI, PROTECT and the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), worked around the clock for three months to build the program and, at the same time, recruit and process candidates to join the program. The majority of the team had never met each other before the first day of class.

Without a budget, those working on creating the program had to come up with ideas to recruit and select prospective candidates.  “All of the interviews we had with candidates were via video teleconference,” said Brian Widener, HSI C3 Computer Forensic Unit Chief.  “It was made clear during the interviews, that although the program was unpaid, they would receive exceptional training and have the opportunity to work alongside some of the best HSI Special Agents.”

However, the incentive to become involved was two-fold. For those creating the program, there was recognition of the shortage of computer forensic personnel within HSI. For the participants, not only were there opportunities available within HSI upon completion, but the initial success of the program gained the attention of other law enforcement agencies and private sector companies who expressed interest the men and women who complete the program.

That initial success resulted in 15 graduates in the initial class in 2013 with 15 following in the program’s second class. ICE hired 14 of the original class and the second class are working in their 10-month assignment at HSI offices now. The third class will begin in April of 2015. As the program continues to gain notoriety and places successful graduates in positions, the uncertainty of those involved at the onset seems like a distant memory and proves that an injury or disability doesn’t signal the end of one’s military career.

“A lot of these men and women didn’t come from a technical computer backgrounds at all,” Widener said. “If we are able to teach these men and women how to be special forces, we know they have the drive to be successful computer forensic analysts.”