thedrifter
04-06-09, 07:34 AM
April 6, 2009
Madison officer's career on hold for military service
Marine reservist gets orders for deployment with his unit to Iraq
By Jake Remaly
Daily Record
MADISION -- Borough police Officer Alan Imperiale went on his first solo police patrol about two weeks ago after completing months of field training.
But in May he's expected to temporarily leave his job in Madison to begin training with his Marine reserve unit before deployment to Iraq.
While Imperiale, 28, was still completing his Madison police training in February, his Marine reserve unit was given the orders to go to Iraq.
The activation came sooner than he expected and will result in shift changes at the Madison Police Department.
"It comes with the territory," Imperiale said on Thursday. "You just accept it."
As a result of Imperiale's deployment and three vacancies created through attrition when three officers retired, Madison police are planning to hire three dispatchers to free up patrol officers who typically have to work the communications desk, department spokesman Lt. Darren Dachisen said.
The department also is reducing by one the number of officers working a shift at a given time, Dachisen said.
Imperiale, a Belleville resident, has been a sworn officer in the borough for about four months, since Dec. 8. The deployment will be Imperiale's third deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Imperiale is a Marine captain. He provided daily intelligence briefings to Gen. Raymond Odierno, a Rockaway native, when he was stationed in Baghdad from January through July 2007, he said.
Prior to that, he served in eastern Afghanistan disposing of weapons caches and clearing improvised explosive devices, called IEDs for short, with the 34 Marines under his command, from June 2005 through January 2006.
In all, he was on active duty in the Marines for five years, after voluntarily extending his four-year contract by a year so he could make the deployment to Iraq.
After his Iraq deployment ended in July 2007, he pursued a career in law enforcement. He completed his police coursework and, in October 2008, joined his Marine Reserves unit, 6th Engineer Support Battalion, Bridge Co. B.
He knew the unit could be activated but didn't think it would happen as soon as it did, he said.
The borough council authorized a military leave of absence for Imperiale from May 18 through June 4, 2010. The military leave won't count against Imperiale's benefits, including his pension contributions, according to the resolution granting the leave.
Police Sgt. Steve Carpenter, Imperiale's lead field training officer, said Imperiale is "a good kid, a smart kid, very easy to train."
"I'm looking forward to picking up with (him) where we left off when he gets back," he said.
Jake Remaly can be reached at (973) 428-6621 or jremaly1@gannett.com.
Ellie
Madison officer's career on hold for military service
Marine reservist gets orders for deployment with his unit to Iraq
By Jake Remaly
Daily Record
MADISION -- Borough police Officer Alan Imperiale went on his first solo police patrol about two weeks ago after completing months of field training.
But in May he's expected to temporarily leave his job in Madison to begin training with his Marine reserve unit before deployment to Iraq.
While Imperiale, 28, was still completing his Madison police training in February, his Marine reserve unit was given the orders to go to Iraq.
The activation came sooner than he expected and will result in shift changes at the Madison Police Department.
"It comes with the territory," Imperiale said on Thursday. "You just accept it."
As a result of Imperiale's deployment and three vacancies created through attrition when three officers retired, Madison police are planning to hire three dispatchers to free up patrol officers who typically have to work the communications desk, department spokesman Lt. Darren Dachisen said.
The department also is reducing by one the number of officers working a shift at a given time, Dachisen said.
Imperiale, a Belleville resident, has been a sworn officer in the borough for about four months, since Dec. 8. The deployment will be Imperiale's third deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Imperiale is a Marine captain. He provided daily intelligence briefings to Gen. Raymond Odierno, a Rockaway native, when he was stationed in Baghdad from January through July 2007, he said.
Prior to that, he served in eastern Afghanistan disposing of weapons caches and clearing improvised explosive devices, called IEDs for short, with the 34 Marines under his command, from June 2005 through January 2006.
In all, he was on active duty in the Marines for five years, after voluntarily extending his four-year contract by a year so he could make the deployment to Iraq.
After his Iraq deployment ended in July 2007, he pursued a career in law enforcement. He completed his police coursework and, in October 2008, joined his Marine Reserves unit, 6th Engineer Support Battalion, Bridge Co. B.
He knew the unit could be activated but didn't think it would happen as soon as it did, he said.
The borough council authorized a military leave of absence for Imperiale from May 18 through June 4, 2010. The military leave won't count against Imperiale's benefits, including his pension contributions, according to the resolution granting the leave.
Police Sgt. Steve Carpenter, Imperiale's lead field training officer, said Imperiale is "a good kid, a smart kid, very easy to train."
"I'm looking forward to picking up with (him) where we left off when he gets back," he said.
Jake Remaly can be reached at (973) 428-6621 or jremaly1@gannett.com.
Ellie