Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens launches new Army program partnership

Cobb Sheriff Craig Owens announced last week that he has created a new pool of quality law enforcement officers for his office following the signing of a partnership agreement between the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Army. This is the latest effort by Owens to fill the open positions in his office to fill what was over 70 vacancies among sworn positions when he became sheriff in 2021.

Said Owens following the signing, “We’re looking for quality people to come work at the sheriff’s office. Being a former Army man, I know the Army produces quality people that are dedicated, determined, and have core values, which is what we’re looking for in our agency.”

Owens is using his own story to help Cobb build its force. After High school, a young Owens enlisted in the Army, where he served four years. Following his military career, Owens joined the Cobb Police Department and transitioned to the Army Reserves, and did a stint in the Army National Guard where he trained soldiers and military police to investigate wrongdoings in conflict zones, including Kuwait and Guantanamo Bay before retiring from the service in 2020.

Commander of the U.S. Army Atlanta Recruiting Battalion, Lt. Col. David Hensel, joined Owens in signing the partnership agreement and said he wanted the program to partner with the Cobb Sheriff’s Office so that a connection could be built between the Army and local police department, among other institutions. 

“From an Army perspective, (this partnership) creates this connection that will persist over the years between the local community and the Army,” Hensel said. “It’s also an incentive for soldiers who are joining because, when they’re done with their first term of service, they have a strong likelihood of jobs waiting for them.”

The Army’s program is a partnership between the Army and both private and public institutions that help soldiers find employment once they finish their service. The program encourages business owners to consider the Army as a reliable source for recruiting employees. Since it began in 2000, over 1,067 employers have partnered with the program.