Pros
You met quite a few decent people there. Decent people trapped like you.
The post 9/11 concept of privatized Anti-Terrorism specialists was great...in theory.
To the untrained eye, we actually appeared cool, professional, and intimidating.
Cons
A lot of wanna-be law enforcement/special forces types.
The paycheck. As an "Anti-Terrorism Officer" I maxed out at $12 an hour. A Corporal made $12.25. A Sergeant made $12.50. I'm not kidding.
Management, from site level to command staff, was generally terrible. The wrong leaders with the best possible schedules dumping on everyone else except them and their buddies. Favoritism galore. Poor leadership. Non-stop double standards. Supervisors who were actively out to get you.
Ah...the schedule. Are you in the circle? If so, dayshift at the best possible location. Weekends off. Out of the circle? Nights. Wherever they dictate you go. Tuesday and Thursday off. Something totally different the following week. And the schedule for the following week? Comes out last minute on a Sunday night. So good luck planning a life. Not to mention we peasants were often stuck with terribly short turnarounds.
Jumping back to pay for a second, CIS charged the client an obscene amount of money per man hour. We saw crumbs.
One night one of our "field commanders" showed up drunk at the site. I wonder what the client thought. But they could get away with anything, at least for awhile.
Want a day off? Or compatibility with your family or college schedule? Get lost!
Leaving CIS was hazardous. They were known to be very lawsuit happy. They had certain entities in the state wrapped around their finger, and could get away with all kinds of nonsense. They have since had to sell off their uniformed services. including the ATO's. But according to the CIS website today, they just evolved in to more of a consulting role. L.O.L.