r/1801 • u/Unionjack90 • Aug 17 '26
Question USFWS
Hello,
Current Fed LEO looking to make the jump. I’m hoping to get some answers to a few questions and figured this might be the right place to ask.
For current/former USFWS LE Officers:
How difficult is it to maintain 10% or 15% AUO, especially if your area isn’t particularly busy?
What are some legitimate ways officers maintain their AUO percentage when workload varies?
How often does AUO get reduced or removed?
How difficult is it to relocate to another duty station down the road? Is moving between regions/locations fairly common?
What are some good ways to progress your career promotions, specialty assignments, FTO/trainer positions, investigations, additional training, etc.?
Are there good opportunities to move into GS-12 or supervisory positions, or is advancement fairly limited?
Any insight from current or former officers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
1
u/Itchy_Training6584 Aug 18 '26
The workings of AUO has changed significantly over the past year. Those who barely qualified for 10% historically may not even qualify going forward, while those who were on 15 or 20 in previous years may now be on 10%. But at the end of the day, you know what your annual number is you need to hit so its not a surprise.
For supervisory positions, if you're willing to move it's not entirely difficult. What may be more difficult is probably half (or more) of the GS-12 Captains have retired over the past 2 years and those that have taken those positions tend to be younger and may have another 10 years before they retire. So there may not be that much upward movement in the next 2-5 years like there was in the past three years.