G.I. Bill pays for reserves academy

WAXAHACHIE – A reserve deputy for the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office is not being paid by county taxes to attend police academy, according to ECSO officials.
            Nathan Eggleston, an unpaid “reserve” deputy, is a former U.S. Marine whose G.I. Bill is paying for his police academy training, despite rumors floating around 300 S. Jackson that Ellis County taxpayers are footing the bill.
            The academy, located at Cedar Valley College in Lancaster, trains and conducts numerous courses for area law enforcement.
            Eggleston’s academy questioning came under scrutiny when it was revealed the company he works for supplies most, if not all, of the ECSO deputy uniforms.
            No conflict exists, ECSO officials said, because deputies pay for their uniforms out of an allowance built into their salary.
            Reserve officers are commissioned by the agencies they work for and carry out the same duties and responsibilities as a full-time officer, but are not paid.