William Henry Pickle (born February 14, 1950) was the 37th

United States Senate Sergeant at Arms The Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the United States Senate (originally known as the Doorkeeper of the Senate from April 7, 1789 – 1798) is the protocol officer, executive officer, and highest-ranking federal law enforcement officer of the ...

. He was sworn in on March 17, 2003, after a lifetime of public service, especially relating to the security of the institutions of the United States, and served until

Terrance W. Gainer Terrance William Gainer (born August 1, 1947) is a former law enforcement officer and was the 38th Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate and served in that position from January 4, 2007 to May 2, 2014. Before Gainer continued his law enfor ...

assumed the post in January, 2007. Pickle served with the 1st Cavalry Division in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1969 as an infantry

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

and Medevac helicopter door gunner. Among his commendations are a Bronze Star, seven Air Medals, a Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Pickle attended

American University The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...

and

Metro State College Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver or Metro State) is a public university in Denver, Colorado. MSU Denver is located on the Auraria Campus, along with the University of Colorado Denver and the Community College of Denver, in do ...

in Denver, Colorado, and holds a degree in political science. He is married and has two children. The bulk of Pickle's service, though, was with the

U.S. Secret Service The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and ...

, where he moved up through the ranks over 26 years. Pickle was Deputy Assistant Director for Human Resources and Training, and Special Agent in Charge of the Vice Presidential Protective Division. As Deputy Assistant Director for Human Resources and Training, Pickle dealt with human resources, training and personnel issues related to the agency. He was responsible for all Secret Service Training, including Protective Detail Training,

firearm A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...

s training, and physical training. In his role as Special Agent in Charge of the Vice Presidential Protective Division, one of the largest divisions of the Secret Service, Pickle was responsible for all aspects of protection of Vice President

Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic Part ...

and his family. In this role, Pickle maintained daily contact with Gore and senior White House staff, and coordinated all aspects of security for Gore's 2000 Presidential campaign. In 2002, Pickle was one of only two finalists President George W. Bush considered to hold the position of Director of the Secret Service. Immediately prior to coming to the Senate, Pickle served as the Transportation Security Administration's first Federal Security Director with oversight for the federalization of

Denver International Airport Denver International Airport , locally known as DIA, is an international airport in the Western United States, primarily serving metropolitan Denver, Colorado, as well as the greater Front Range Urban Corridor. At , it is the largest airport in ...

. In this position, he created a new organization of 2000 employees. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Inspector General for the United States Department of Labor, managing a communications, inspections and evaluations program.

External links

References

*This article incorporates text that is a public domain work of the United States Government

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pickle, William H. 1950 births Living people Sergeants at Arms of the United States Senate Recipients of the Air Medal United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War United States Secret Service agents United States Army non-commissioned officers American University alumni