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>> My name is Zoe Cunningham.

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I'm stationed
at McAllen Air Branch.

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I started flying when
I was 17 years old.

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I had always had
an interest in aviation,

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but it wasn't something
that I ever thought

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that I would be able to do,

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until I was coaxed along
by my family

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to take an intro flight
at my local airport.

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And from there,
I began flying fixed wing.

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I transitioned into rotor wing.

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I instructed in both before I
ended up applying for this job.

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I can remember
when I was very young,

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probably seven
or eight years old,

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I saw a movie that had
the Blue Angels in it,

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and I thought, man,
that looks awesome!

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So after I saw that movie,

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there was always
an interest there in flying.

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When I was in college, they
always held a fall career fair.

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I believe it was my sophomore
year that I was there.

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I did see Customs and Border

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Protection there with a booth

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for air interdiction agents.

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I remember thinking to myself

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that I would never have
the flight time

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required for a job
as cool as that.

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But years later, actually,
I think it was 2015

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when I saw this position open.

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I thought, well, I have
the flight time for it now.

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In July, I attended FLET-C,

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the Federal Law Enforcement
Training Center for the Air

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and Marine basic
training program.

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That was about 16 weeks long.

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That included everything
from immigration

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and customs laws
to firearms training,

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to basic PE training as well.

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My career aspirations
are to stay with CBP,

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and to really get
the full benefit

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out of working
at a job like this.

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This really included everything

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that I ever wanted
in an aviation job,

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from flying rotor craft,

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to flying airplanes,

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being able to use my skills
to their fullest ability,

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while enforcing the law.

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My family is proud of me.

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I didn't come
from an aviation background

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or a law enforcement background,

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so this is all new to them.

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So they're just as excited
for me as I am.