I Spent 23 Years in the Secret Service — Here's What It Was Really Like | John Constantine

John Constantine spent 23 years in the United States Secret Service, including 15 years on the elite Counter Assault Team protecting four U.S. presidents and carrying out high-stakes protective operations in nearly 90 countries. He rose through leadership roles overseeing CAT operations, the Joint Operations Center, and the Dignitary Protective Division before retiring in 2025. Now, as the author of Hallways and Stairwells, John opens up about the side of the Secret Service most people never see — the pressure, ego, mental health struggles, loss of identity, transition back to normal life, and what redemption looks like after more than two decades protecting others. _____________________________________________ Thank you to AG1 & HUNGRYROOT for sponsoring this episode: AG1: Go to https://drinkag1.com/lockedin.com and for a limited time, get a free Immune Support Bundle, including a bottle of Omega-3 fish oil and a bottle of Vitamin D3K2, with your first subscription order of AG1 Next Gen or AG1 Pro. Hungryroot: Explore my digital cookbook on Hungryroot today and find recipes that are right for you. Go to https://www.hungryroot.com/lockedin to access my cookbook: The Commissary Upgrade. _____________________________________________ Become an EXCLUSIVE Locked In: After Hours Member & receive a FREE merch box: https://lockedin.supportingcast.fm/ _____________________________________________ Connect with John Constantine: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-constantine-754b65380 Book: https://www.amazon.com/Hallways-Stairwells-Unhealthy-Identities-Self-Worth-ebook/dp/B0H2JFPKXZ/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=ua0gO&content-id=amzn1.sym.ac827e48-2948-4721-83ef-3e7648ac35cb&pf_rd_p=ac827e48-2948-4721-83ef-3e7648ac35cb&pf_rd_r=139-6322356-3953107&pd_rd_wg=cSAPW&pd_rd_r=7d5c7d02-167a-48fe-b942-c41b1596ad61 Website: https://constantineunclassified.com/ _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 Counter Assault Team Intro 00:35 Growing Up in New Jersey 01:54 Wrestling and Rutgers 04:43 9/11 and Joining the Secret Service 07:28 Choosing the Secret Service 08:40 Secret Service Training 12:50 First Assignment: Newark 16:50 First Big Investigation 21:00 Compassion in Investigations 26:20 Interviewing Suspects 29:50 Corruption and Two-Tier Justice 34:00 Power, Morality, and Authority 38:50 Corruption in Protection 39:50 Joining the Counter Assault Team 43:00 Life on the CAT Team 44:50 Becoming a Real Boy 48:00 White House and Domestic Threats 50:30 Rising Threats in America 52:00 Inhibitions and MK Ultra 55:20 Psychology of Attackers 57:30 Interagency Coordination 01:01:00 Funny Stories from the Team 01:03:00 The Suicide Bomber Incident 01:05:00 Stories That Never Get Reported 01:07:50 Butler and Real-Time Operations 01:09:00 Overseas Threats and Counterintelligence 01:16:20 Per Diem and Hotel Security 01:18:20 Trusting People Overseas 01:20:40 Most Dangerous Countries 01:22:20 Schedules and Deployments 01:24:00 Campaign Season Pressure 01:26:30 Work-Life Struggle 01:29:20 Turning It Off 01:31:30 The Worst Part of the Job 01:33:00 Fighting the Establishment 01:36:30 Teaching and Innovation 01:38:50 Leadership and Compassion 01:41:50 The Hardest Part of Retiring 01:44:00 Loss of Identity and Suicide 01:46:50 Life After the Secret Service 01:49:00 Doing It All Over Again 01:51:50 Closing Thoughts _____________________________________________ To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka