Retired From the Badge, Committed to the Mission
As of now, I’m done. My official retirement from law enforcement is on December 31, but let’s be honest, the final shift already passed. Quietly. No fanfare. Just one last decision from the admin forced me to hang up the uniform for good.
Looking back, it’s a strange mix of pride, exhaustion, and clarity.
I wasn’t supposed to be here in the first place.
Back in 2008, I was working in motorsports when the economy tanked. The financial crisis didn’t just hit Wall Street. It hit home. Budgets collapsed, contracts dried up, and I had to pivot fast. Law enforcement wasn’t Plan A. It was a calling I hadn’t heard until everything else went quiet. I stepped in thinking it might be temporary. Then I was selected to serve on the SWAT team, fueling my passion, and it became 18 years of purpose. Eventually got hired full-time, even if that chapter was short. The road wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t clean. But it was mine. And I gave it everything I had.
There are parts of this profession that break your heart. The political games. The backstabbing. Watching good officers get stepped on so someone else can grab a promotion or task force slot. The ones who lead with ego, not service. I’ve seen it. I’ve felt it. I won’t miss it.
But then there’s the other side. The real reason we show up. The nights that change lives. The violent moments are interrupted by courage. The kids were pulled from danger. The doors breached to end cycles of fear. And the bonds... forged in chaos, sealed in silence. You don’t explain that part to anyone. You live it.
The military has deployments. Law enforcement doesn’t. There’s no end of tour. No break. Just trauma on repeat. It chips away, call after call, scene after scene. And somehow, you still show up, because someone has to.
I’m grateful I did. And I’m thankful I get to step away.
This isn’t the end of the mission. I’ll still be deeply involved with MTAC, building training that matters and supporting professionals who take readiness seriously. And beyond that, I’m stepping into the next phase. One focused on strategic partnerships, business development, working alongside companies and organizations that still believe in service, integrity, and doing things the right way.
To those still wearing the badge, I hope the tides shift. I hope leadership, authentic leadership, finds its way back into this profession. Less theater, more substance. Fewer careers built on politics, more built on courage and care.
To those I’ve served with, bled with, and stood beside, thank you. You know who you are. And I’ll always have your six.
—Eric McBride
Founder & CEO, MTAC Holdings