Army Veteran Continues Service as Lake Charles Police Officer

Thomas Merritt spent over 20 years in the Army before joining local law enforcement to give back to his community.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Thomas Merritt, an Army veteran who served for over 20 years including five deployments, has continued his public service by becoming a police officer in his hometown of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Merritt says he joined the military to be a "great patriot" for his country, and after returning to civilian life, he wanted to give back to the community that helped raise him.

Why it matters

Merritt's story highlights how some veterans choose to continue serving their communities in different capacities after their military service, using the skills and values they developed in the armed forces to make a positive impact locally.

The details

After his military career, Merritt signed on to become a key member of the Lake Charles, Louisiana police force, wanting to "give back to [his] community" where he grew up. He sees his police work as another way to "pay it forward" and leave things better than he found them.

  • Merritt spent over 20 years in the Army, including five deployments.
  • Merritt joined the Lake Charles police force after returning to civilian life.

The players

Thomas Merritt

An Army veteran who served for over 20 years, including five deployments, and is now a police officer in his hometown of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Lake Charles Police Department

The local law enforcement agency in Lake Charles, Louisiana that Merritt joined after his military service.

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What they’re saying

“I joined the military to be a great patriot for my country.”

— Thomas Merritt, Army Veteran (kfdi.com)

“Becoming a police officer, I wanted to give back to my community because this is where I grew up, and a lot of people in the community helped raise me.”

— Thomas Merritt, Police Officer (kfdi.com)

“Be part of stuff. Volunteer. Give back to life instead of always taking from life.”

— Thomas Merritt (kfdi.com)

The takeaway

Merritt's story demonstrates how some veterans find meaningful ways to continue serving their communities after their military service, using the skills and values they developed to make a positive impact locally as police officers or in other public service roles.