Crime & Safety

Attention Military: Woodridge PD Wants You

The application deadline for those interested in becoming a Woodridge police officer is July 13.

Editor's note: Application deadlines for those interested in being a Woodridge police officer are in July. The department encourages those who have served in the military to apply. Full details can be found . 

Daina Carauskas knew she wanted to go into the military when she was 1. 

"I must have been 10 to 12 months old, and there's a picture of me in my diaper in my dad's combat boots," she said. 

Find out what's happening in Woodridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Her father served in the Vietnam War in the Air Force and went into the Army reserves. "I really looked up to my father a lot," Carauskas said. "(The military) always fascinated me."

Carauskas served in the Army reserves for 12 years, including three deployments to Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. During her service, her military and police careers became intertwined. She is currently one of the two K-9 officers.

Find out what's happening in Woodridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Just like she knew she wanted to go into the military at a young age, Carauskas also knew she wanted to be a police officer. She enlisted in the Army reserves when she was 19 and started testing for the Woodridge Police Department when she was 21. 

To be hired as a Woodridge police officer, applicants must go through entry level police officer testing, which the department conducts every two years. After testing, the applicant may be placed on the department's eligibility list, which the department will pull from to hire for new positions. 

In 2001, Carauskas volunteered to go to Kosovo for a six-month active duty rotation. She tested for the Woodridge Police Department just prior to leaving. 

After Sept. 11, 2001, her home reserve unit was activated, and she was sent to Fort Hood, Texas. She then was re-assigned to a different unit and deployed to Iraq from Jan. 2003 to Feb. 2004.

Just before she left, she received a call from the Woodridge Police Department offering her a position. After returning from Iraq, she went to police training academy and started work as a Woodridge police officer. 

Carauskas' unit was activated again in 2006, and she was deployed to Afghanistan from Aug. 2006 to Dec. 2007. While away, the police department's squad cars each had a decal in her memory. 

Carauskas said her military experience aides her in her police job. Police work is paramilitary, she said, and going into the military is a very good stepping stone to taking a job at a police department. 

"A lot of stuff from the military helps you on this side of the field," she said.

One advantage is being able to relate to many types of people. 

"In the military, you have the opportunity to meet people, all types, from all around the country," Carauskas said. "Woodridge is a more working class community, white collar and blue collar. I can speak and relate with them."

She said she advises those in the military to also try a completely different career to get a different view of life. Besides serving in the military and as a police officer, Carauskas worked in an accounting firm and a computer consulting company, among other jobs. 

As a K-9 officer, Carauskas said she couldn't ask for a better partner than Scout, a German Shepherd. 

"He doesn't say he doesn't like what's on the radio," she said. "He doesn't complain. I have no doubt in my mind that he would lay down his life for me." 

Again, her military experience is tied to her police career. She said she was first interested in being a K-9 officer when she was serving in Kosovo. 

Carauskas said Scout comes home with her after work and gets along just fine with her other dog, Atticus. She said Scout is protective of her, following her around the house even when she moves to a different room. 

Working with Scout expands the opportunities for police work she can be involved in. She and Scout aid other departments without a K-9 officer, as well as different task forces, such as narcotics or FIAT, which investigates accidents. 

"I really love what I do," she said. "Having a day just makes it that much better." 

Interested in becoming a Woodridge police officer? Information on deadlines and the testing process can be found


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.