The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Last week, Gary Howell was sworn in as undersheriff for the Wahkiakum County Sheriff's Office.

Howell has been with the department since February 2003, most recently as sergeant. Sheriff Mark Howie asked him to step up when Undersheriff Steve Marshall retired.

"I have wanted to do this profession since I was a kid," Howell said on Tuesday. "I enlisted in the Marine Corps when I was a junior in high school so I could get training in law enforcement. I was supposed to go to boot camp three days after graduation but due to a medical issue it didn't happen. That turned out to be the best thing that could ever happen to me."

Diana Zimmerman

Sergeant Gary Howell has been a member of the Wahkiakum County Sheriff's Office for 13 years. Last week he took on some new duties when he was appointed as Undersheriff.

He joined the Coast Guard instead. Because of the nature of the Coast Guard's work, he was able to spend more time in military law enforcement working with civilians. If he'd joined the Marines, his law enforcement training and experience would have focused on military personnel.

"That's a different world," Howell said.

After the Coast Guard, he worked as a reserve for Pacific County for six years. He spent six more years working for the Shoalwater Tribal Police. A friendship with former Sheriff Jon Dearmore brought him here in 2003.

Because he's been appointed to his new position, he's no longer union, no longer civil service. This means that he will spend more of his time handling administrative duties, but part of his heart will always remain in the patrol car or out on the street.

"I'm very excited," Howell said of his new position. "I plan on still getting out and spending time with the guys. I still want to be very involved with the public because they know me. I'm not going to give up doing police work. I still enjoy it."