THE UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE is the oldest federal law enforcement agency in the nation and is recognized as one of the most elite in the world. It is a self-contained organization, not part of the FBI or CIA. At the mention of the Secret Service, most people conjure up images of big men in dark suits and sunglasses, surrounding the leader of the free world wherever he goes. Indeed, the agency has a long history of protecting not only presidents, but vice presidents, their families, foreign dignitaries, and even presidential hopefuls. However, this is only part of the Secret Service story. The agency was initially created as a division of the Treasury Department. In the wake of the Civil War, there was a large quantity of phony money in circulation. In fact, it is estimated that more than one-third of American currency was counterfeit at the time. President Abraham Lincoln established the Secret Service to combat the problem and to ensure the integrity of the nation's financial infrastructure. Ironically, Lincoln signed the legislation creating the agency on April 14, 1865 - the very day John Wilkes Booth assassinated him. Yet, it would be another 36 years before the Secret Service assumed the responsibility of protecting American presidents. Since its inception, the agency has been investigating and guarding against financial crimes, such as counterfeiting, identity theft, computer fraud, money laundering, and all types of financial fraud. It also took on anyone "perpetrating mass frauds against the government," which included the likes of the Ku Klux Klan, among others. In 2003, the Secret Service was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security. Today, it fights crime on a global scale, investigating a growing list of technology-based crimes, such as cyber-attacks against the nation's financial and telecommunications infrastructure, and technological attacks that hack into government systems. There are training programs for Secret Service special agents, totaling 27 weeks. The agency provides one-of-a-kind training, designed to prepare agents for the high level of responsibility they will take on. Making it this far does not guarantee entry to the Secret Service. Failure to pass any test along the way is cause for immediate disqualification. New special agents who do successfully get through training are assigned to posts in one of the agency's domestic field offices. It takes several years of experience in a field office before an agent is qualified to transfer to protective duty. Officers in the Uniformed Division also go through months of rigorous training. Unlike special agents, who can be assigned to offices anywhere in the US or overseas, officers in the Uniformed Division are typically assigned to protect government buildings and embassies in and around Washington, DC. A career with the Secret Service is more than a job. Each day is challenging and demanding, yet exciting and rewarding all at the same time. It takes hard work and dedication to prepare for this career, but those who have made it insist the effort is well worth it. The rewards start with great pay, great benefits, opportunities for travel, and fascinating work. First and foremost, it is an honor and a privilege to ensure the safety of the nation.