It's a shame and it extremely saddens that so many veterans have been rejected from CBP supposedly for lying during the polygraph examination. I am also a US Army veteran; ever since I was about 12 years old I made my career goal to become a US Border Patrol agent. Once I turned 18 I thought that it would be a great idea to get a BA in criminal justice and join the military in order to get some experience in that field as well. So I joined as a Military Policeman and eventually became a Military Police Investigator after attending a couple of schools. I obtained a BA in criminal justice, a top secret clearance and deployed to Afghanistan twice for a year on each occasion. I served 8 years in the military and after getting out applied for BP. A few weeks ago I went to my polygraph examination for Border Patrol after having passed absolutely everything and had been waiting on them for 3 years. My experience was very similar to 11xranger, the special agent pretended to act like my buddy and was very friendly at first. I have never been involved in any type of criminal activities nor used any type of drugs in my whole life. Ever since I was a kid I have been extremely responsible and wanted to follow a right path by being a law abiding citizen 100%. I've always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to work in the law enforcement field and that I had to hold myself to those standards.



The questions that were asked to me were very broad and on several occasions I had problems and was told that I was lying. For example I was asked if I had ever stolen anything. Right away I knew that I had never done such a thing but once I got hooked up to the machine I would start second guessing myself and getting nervous. I would then dig deep inside the back of my mind to try to remember if I had done such a thing in the past. After that portion of the test was completed I was told that I had failed that question. I proceeded to tell the examiner that that was kind of a broad question and told him that I may have possibly stolen a few things in the past. Things like an apple from a co-worker that may have been sitting in a fridge at work, a pen from a hotel, lotion from a hotel and so on. The examiner told me that he wasn't referring to those kind of things; he said that he meant valuable objects such of $500 dollars and over. He then later asked me the question again and I passed it. I had trouble with about 3 other questions the same way and each time that he told me that I was lying and I explained to him what might have caused that, he would ask me the questions again and I would pass them. Around 3pm I was told that I was going to be asked 5 more questions about National Security concern and I would be done with the examination. I became very excited and happy knowing that everything was going well so far, I was about to be done and that the topic that we were about to discuss would absolutely not make me second guess myself whatsoever during the questioning. As we commenced with the last portion of the test I was asked questions such as are you a terrorist?, do you have foreign contacts with whom you are involved in criminal activities? and things of that sort. After we were done the examiner told me that the machine had gone crazy when he asked one question in particular and he then said that I had failed. I was EXTREMELY HONEST during the whole process and even disclosed things that weren't even asked nor even possibly mattered just to get of my chest since I felt guilty for doing. Such as lying to a girlfriend once and having gone to a strip club while dating her. I believe that if any... that might be the biggest sin which I could be accused of.



I am extremely angry and disappointed with the fact that so many good candidates have been rejected from CBP after falsely being called liars after their polygraph examinations. I was myself called a liar, a terrorist and a traitor to my country. A country which I love and after having served for 8 years wanted to continue to serve as a Border Patrol agent. I am a patriot and would do absolutely anything for my country and would volunteer in a heartbeat to serve in the frontline no matter how many times are necessary in order to defend it. But now I am called a traior to my beloved country, a terrorist and a liar by an incompetent special agent and a stupid machine? Being a Border Patrol Agent has been one of my goals and dreams in life. Just yesterday I received an email stating that in a few weeks I will receive an official letter withdrawing my application from CBP with no chance to appeal and that if I wish to reapply I will have to wait 3 years. I will apply in 3 years ago since I am not going to quit on my dream of becoming a Border Patrol agent; in the meantime I will pursue another of my dreams which is to be an Army Ranger and serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment. I cant see myself doing anything in life but serving my country by protecting it and fighting for it.



I feel extremely disappointed and cheated by CBP and would like to file a lawsuit. Could anyone let me know if doing such a thing is possible and if so how should I go about doing it. This needs to stop; US citizens can just sit back and let the government falsely accuse them of criminals and liars and manipulate them in anyway that they want.



Thank you very much!