"SECURE" Part 1- First Uniformed

All right. So after SO many interviews, calls, schedule conflicts, rejections ('cause of dudes with more experience) and so forth, I got into Allied Universal Security Services on March 9th the day before my 24th birthday.

Day One; Orientation, finding the retirement home so I'd know how to get there on time, then stopping at Dunkin Donuts while I was still early. I remember sitting at a booth table watching Camp X-Ray on my phone with a cup of black coffee, and then driving back to where I was so I could park and get inside. And it was very cold, so once I had my uniform and badge on I needed my nylon bomber jacket.
Yeah. One uniform shirt, and no black pants. No spares. Maybe they didn't have anything else in my size or something, but at the time it was about the dumbest thing I'd seen in the work force.
For some reason at orientation I'd been given ONE white long-sleeve shirt, badge and jacket. My brown hiking boots sufficed till I could at some point get a pair of black ones, and thankfully I'd worn black pants to orientation. So at least I didn't look like some kid the guards plucked off the street.

Once I'd emerged from a stall with my uniform on, I saw an officer in the bathroom mirror. I definitely felt older, like taking another step on the career ladder so to speak.
Since it was my first day it was mostly spent riding around with this one officer showing me around the place doing security tours; on foot and in their pickup truck. On foot we'd go inside a building and hit a few buttons on each floor (in a closet, stairwell, electrical room, etc.) with this small metal wand. I don't know how it works but it pretty much verified that you checked out that area.

Now, my shift was from 4pm to midnight (1600 - 0000). Security guards/officers don't really get meal breaks. You just eat and drink when you can, so I brought whatever I could in a grocery bag. Half the shift would involve checking people in through the gate while some officers did site tours. After those four hours we'd switch positions and check out the buildings that hadn't been secured already. I always liked being on patrol the best. Gate duty was hectic so it was better from 8 to midnight.

I said to myself I day one "this is my life now," that this was my first full-time job and I planned to keep it for as long as possible. I finally had a job where I was a protector in a few ways, like responding to emergencies while on tours and such.