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New officer enjoying position with PD

At the Thermopolis Town Council's May 17 meeting, those in attendance met the newest member of the Thermopolis Police Department, Officer Mike Mascorro, as he was officially sworn in.

Born in Florida, but raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, Mascorro officially began his duties May 16, and said being an officer is an awesome job he enjoys. He recently retired from the United States Air Force, in 2014, as a Master Sergeant E7 after 24 years of service. Along the way, he met his wife of nearly 12 years Alyssa at the University of Wyoming.

Mascorro noted Alyssa has been following him around - from Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix to Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City - and he gave her the decision of where they would live; she chose Thermopolis to be closer to family. They have three kids - 11-year-old Chloe, eight-year-old Cruz and seven-year-old Carter. Mascorro explained he and Alyssa met while he was on special duty as one of the Staff Sergeants in the ROTC program at UW; she was a Kinesiology major at the school.

When he first came to Thermopolis in 2014, Mascorro worked with Brad and Brennen Basse at Jadeco, as the operations manager and safety professional. During that time he contemplated joining the police force and recently felt it was something he needed to do. Even before joining the military, he said it was a childhood dream to be a police officer, but things didn't go that way when he graduated high school; he pursued other interests and had a friend who joined the military, which sparked his interest.

Currently, Mascorro is getting acclimated and doing in-processing, getting equipment and familiarized with the laws and standards. He expects he will head to the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy in August.

Mascorro is also a nearly two-year member of the Hot Springs County Volunteer Fire Department, and his kids keep him plenty busy in the meantime. They play a lot of sports, he said, and he was a coach here for the county first and second grade football team, and coached a bit for soccer. He loves to teach and pass on the knowledge he has, noting he was also an instructor with the Air Force.

To those who are looking to join the military or law enforcement, Mascorro said they are both "an awesome way to serve your country," and a great way of life. He added people who join should be flexible and ready for anything.

 

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