FEBRUARY 4, 2026 — When Drevon Turner met with the Transition Assistance Program team he knew two things – he wanted to stay in the area, and he wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement.
“Ever since I was a kid, I knew I was going to join the military, and I knew I was going to be a cop,” said Turner.
After about six and a half years as an active-duty Soldier, he decided it was time to make that change. By taking advantage of an Army Career Skills Program individual internship through the Fort Knox TAP, he was able to do just that.
As a former sergeant with the 19th Engineer Battalion, 15th Horizontal Engineer Company, Turner said he learned about the program while attending TAP classes.
From introducing him to the ACSP and tracking his TAP requirements, to ensuring that he met LMPD Academy criteria, Turner said his team made the transition process easy for him and his family.
Turner began his journey by joining the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department Academy in June of 2025. However, the Academy exceeded the internship program’s maximum term of 120 days.
“The LMPD Academy is seven months long and we don’t have a tier that can support that length,” said Johnson. “It took a lot of coordination from our office, the service member, command leadership and LMPD Academy leadership to make sure that this worked out successfully for Officer Turner and that he did not lose the opportunity to participate.”
Turner said everyone worked together to ensure a solution was found to make his transition as seamless as possible. The solution: accommodating leadership and terminal leave.
When the 120-day term for his internship ended in October, he was able to continue the Academy by taking terminal leave until his expiration term of service in November. He officially graduated from the academy on January 16, 2026.
Officer Turner is now on patrol.
Turner said the teamwork between organizations and leadership that made his transition so smooth was his favorite part of the experience.
“My command was very understanding of everything, and they set me up for success; same with the Department,” he said. “They made my transition feel seamless. Obviously, the Academy is fun, but I’d say my favorite part of the experience was the transition because I was able to use this program to have no lapse in employment whatsoever.”
Johnson said about 70% of those who participated in the program have received a job offer. She said though not every participant accepts their offer, Tuner was happy to accept his.
“Ever since I was stationed at Knox, I knew I wanted to stay in the area, and I knew LMPD was the place for me,” he said. “LMPD is really the only department I had interest in because I know their past and I really felt like I could make a difference in bridging the gap with the community.”
According to Turner, he was the first active service member in the Department’s history to take advantage of the program. He said his success has inspired the Department to work toward recruiting more transitioning Soldiers like him.
“I was kind of a guinea pig for them,” said Turner. “Now that they see I have succeeded they’re going to try to recruit more active military members because they see that it can work.
“It makes me happy to know that I was able to be a part of this and to help make this opportunity known so others can do the same if they choose to do so.”
Turner highly recommends taking advantage of the ACSP and other programs offered to give service members an advantage as they transition to civilian life.
“It would be silly not to take advantage of the program,” he said. “Don’t do a disservice to yourself by choosing not to do your research and figure out what you want to do after the Army, because you’re not going to always be in the Army.
“The Army’s resources are there, use them because you can definitely go far and achieve your dream career like I have.”
Editor’s note: The Army Career Skills Program offers a wide variety of options that can be found on the U.S. Army Installation Management Command “CSP Programs and Locations” page and DoW Skill Bridge website. For more information or to speak with a local TAP representative, call 502-624-2227 or 502-624-5222.
Visit Fort Knox News at www.army.mil/knox for all of Central Kentucky’s latest military news and information.
Story by Savannah Baird
Fort Knox