my name is Todd Reed I'm a patrol officer with the Mesa Police Department in Arizona I've been with the Mesa Police Department just over 20 years and today is the last day in Patrol yes I joined the military in March of 80 I attended basic training and AIT where you pick up your job at Fort Sil Oklahoma from there I attended jump school at Ford Benning Georgia I had a glorious month there and then I was assigned to the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg North Carolina there I attained you know numerous Awards in schooling I went to jump Master school ricondo school jungle school and some other things and got to do a lot of fun traveling from there I was then stationed at Fort Hill Oklahoma as an instructor I spent a year and a half there and then I always had I always had a a desire to get into Special Forces and join the Green Beret so I put my packet in and was accepted went back to Fort Brag North Carolina and attended the Special Forces qualification course that was 6 Monon long after I graduated that I was stationed at Fort devans Massachusetts and was assigned to the T Special Forces Group uh one of the military operations I was directly involved with was Desert Storm back in 1990 and 1991 I had The Misfortune in April of 91 I was on a reconnaissance Mission and I was walking down a dirt path in Northern Iraq and had The Misfortune of stepping on a landmine that ended up blowing my right foot off and I was eventually flown back to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC where I went through numerous surgeries and when I was released from the hospital I went back up to Fort devans Massachusetts and it took me about a year to get back in shape again and to rehab and you know to learn how to do everything a little bit different and at that point I had decided to get medically retired just prior to that I always had a desire if I ever um got out of the military I wanted to work in law enforcement and become a police officer so in the fall of 1992 I had applied with the Mason Police Mason Police Department to become a police officer and was accepted by the city were you concerned that your injury would you know bench that uh career goal I always wondered if my foot would have any bearing in you know me becoming a police officer because I was different and I don't think at that point anybody had ever attended the academy at an entry level missing a body part so I was a little concerned about that but Mesa Police Department was you know very supportive so now we're we're going to fast forward to a little over 20 years later and you've had that career and you've made the decision to retire can you tell us a little bit about your time here at Mesa PD any regrets no regrets whatsoever I mean I I'm just very proud to be a police officer with the m Police Department I've had a wonderful 20-year career you know I'm I'm not going to act like there hasn't been ups and downs everybody has ups and downs you know in their employment and in in life itself but I've had a great time the the city and the police Department have been very supportive in so many different ways during the 20 years I spent 9 years on patrol as a patrol officer working the street and then had put in for an undercover position I worked four years undercover narcotics and then I decided to come back to the street as a patrol officer and I've been doing that approximately the last seven to eight years so as your in fact today is your last day in in uniform is that correct that is correct it's my last day in uniform well Todd you you've had a very storied life I mean you're not only did you serve your country and the military but then you turned around and went right into a career serving your community with Mesa PD uh and I know speaking for myself uh having known you for all those years I I'm very proud to have known you but what is your message to anyone to if there's a a young man out there a young woman out there that's thinking about either joining the military joining uh law enforcement what is your message to them based upon the adversity that you've faced in your life and as they're making decisions about what they're going to do with theirs one of the things I would tell people you know male female no matter what your background is you know if you have a desire to do something don't ever let anybody tell you you can't do it and don't ever give up I I would just say even when I lost my foot I I knew in the back of my mind that I wanted to become a police officer and and nothing was going to stop me from that happening you know I've had a wonderful career and I've learned how to you know make adjustments and do different things to adapt to you know the difference I have from some other people but it's been a wonderful career and I would just tell everybody out there you know set your goals high and don't ever let anybody tell you you can't do something excellent one thing I want to mention is that you're involved with the Wounded Warrior uh program is that something you're going to continue with it's actually the Wounded Warrior MPT softball team thank you and I hope to continue with them as much as I can the the places we get to travel around the country I mean granted we get to go to some really fun places but what makes it worth doing the most is anytime we take a trip anywhere if people come out to watch us play softball and due to the fact that everybody on the team is a veteran and is missing a body part you know if one person is inspired by what we could do and it gives them the motivation to you know meet and succeed their goals for their future then it's well worth it I hope I can continue to do it