By STAN MADDUX

Indiana Correspondent

 INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Grant Mendenhall went from working the soil as a farm kid to fighting terrorism in Baghdad and in the United States. 

Now Mendenhall has made it back to his home state of Indiana as the state's highest ranking member of the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

      He was promoted earlier this year as the state's special agent in charge at the Indianapolis branch of the FBI.

"It's been a phenomenal career," said Mendenhall.

Mendenhall, 54, said he loved growing up on a farm and wouldn't trade for a minute his childhood on 600 acres near Hagerstown where his family raised grain, cattle, hogs and pigs. He also wouldn't give back his years in 4-H showing Angus cattle during the Wayne County fair..

But, Mendenhall said he pretty much knew early on his calling was law enforcement either with the FBI or some other federal or state agency. His interest as a boy in catching lawbreakers was sparked by the occasional visits from two friends of his father who had careers in the FBI and the U.S Drug Enforcement Agency. Mendenhall said he was also fascinated by TV shows and movies about the FBI and other police related work.

Mendenhall said he had the usual talk or two with his father about possibly staying on the farm after graduating but he was also encouraged by his parents to find out what else might be out in the world for him.

        So, he went to Ball State University where he met his wife. After graduating he joined the Marines. After completing his four-years of service, Mendenhall applied for jobs with the FBI, DEA and Indiana State Police. Three months later, he was accepted into the FBI academy.

“I had the best of both worlds to be honest with you. I enjoyed all of the dynamics of growing up on a farm. Learning what hard work is all about and how to run a farm. It wasn’t just assumed that was going to be my career,” Mendenhall said.

Mendenhall was at the FBI bureau in Salt Lake City in 2001 when terrorists flew planes into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Quickly, he went from an entry level supervisor of the violent crimes squad to working intelligence for the FBI's counter terrorism division.

The shift in responsibilities brought with it the national spotlight of the 2002 winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and focus on keeping the two-weeks of competition and festivities protected against terrorism. He went on to serve three-years at Guantanamo Bay.

Mendenhall then returned to the nation's capital where he remained except for one-year of intelligence gathering in Iraq to help identity acts of terrorism being planned and stopping it before it occurred.

  With his wife being a native of Oldenburg just 60 miles from his hometown, returning to Indiana was often in the backs of their minds but attempts for a transfer closer to home never materialized until just recently.

"To be able to come back and be near all of our extended family was a great opportunity and, frankly, to be running my home field office is quite a privilege," he said.

             His now 75-year old father, Jeff, still farms.

Mendenhall said a farm might not be a traditional starting point on the path to the FBI but it has definite advantages like bringing a work ethic to the job. “Growing up on the farm really shaped my development and made me who I am now," he said.