Families who move to Artesia to participate in the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center come from all over the United States. Some families have a parent who is a cadet. Some families have a parent who is an instructor at FLETC. Many move from other border towns either along the southern border with Mexico or from the Northern border with Canada. Still others come from locations around the nation’s capital. Some families move for the border patrol, some with the secret service, some with the air marshals, or the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)–the list is long of which branch family members serve.

Oftentimes, FLETC families are not destined to lay down roots in Artesia. Cadets can be in training from anywhere from a few short weeks to several months. Instructors and trainers often come for 2 to 3 years at a time. A few that teach at FLETC stay for the long haul and raise families or even retire here.  Teaching in Artesia leads to other career opportunities and opportunities to advance within the respective branches that they serve.

FLETC families move to Artesia from all different places and have seen many different towns and cities. They’re used to a lot of amenities and services that Artesia doesn’t necessarily have yet. Often times, Artesia can feel distant and alienating because at first glance the town doesn’t share commonalities of other places. Families coming to Artesia know that they may not be destined to remain in New Mexico. They have a harder time wanting to join local congregations because it is harder to say goodbye to people when the time comes to follow a new career path in another city. While it’s more difficult to join a congregation for some families, participating in community activities becomes a priority because they want to find other families with kids of similar ages. Story time at the library, swimming lessons, sports leagues, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and groups for moms (like MOPS and Mom’s Life) are important to this demographic.