From The Tribune Staff Reports
SHELBY COUNTY — Major Clay Hammac of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office completed the culmination of his narcotics enforcement career when he graduated from the DEA’s Drug Unit Commander Academy on Friday, September 24.
The Drug Enforcement Administration created the Drug Unit Commander’s Academy (DUCA) for local, state, and tribal law enforcement commanders who have at least five years of command in narcotics investigations and are respected among the federal law enforcement community.
Hammac was joined by 17 other commanders from across the country who participated in the residential training at the DEA Training Academy. Based at the DEA Training Academy in Quantico, VA, commanders attend two weeks of training focused on executive leadership, strengthening community relationships, and supporting employee wellness.
Each year only one commander from each of the 23 DEA divisions across the nation is selected to attend. Hammac was chosen from the four-state divisions consisting of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas.
Hammac began his law enforcement career at the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in 2004 and took command of the multi-jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Task Force in 2015. In 2020 Major Hammac was promoted to Sheriff Samaniego’s executive command staff. He serves in a leadership oversight role of the Drug Enforcement Unit and Patrol and Criminal Investigations.
This latest accomplishment adds to Hammac’s recent awards, which included completion of the FBI National Academy, a lifesaving medal, two meritorious awards, the Sheriff’s Award, Officer of the Year, FOP state-wide Member of the Year, and in 2018 was named one of the world’s Top 40 ‘Under 40 Law Enforcement Leaders’ by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, from a candidate pool of more than 36,000 nominations.
“I feel grateful and humbled to be included in the same category as some of the other men and women in my session, and I am most grateful to our local DEA Office for their support in nominating me for this honor,” Major Hammac said. “These men and women in narcotics enforcement are the ones who really deserve the recognition, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to serve alongside them.”
Hammac’s DUCA session number 81 joins the ranks of Sheriff John Samaniego, who graduated DUCA session number 17 when he served as the commander of West Alabama’s Narcotics Task Force.