well the first thing you need to know is that with what you're asking, you're going to have to read...
a..
fucking..
TON..

i suggest you forget about hacking and get a good base of knowledge. if you're honestly serious you will put these dreams of being a hacker on the backburner and figure out how to do things on your own.

first things first. learn how a computer works, go to a library or book store and read (and comprehend) an A+ book from cover to cover. then get an html book and read that in the same fashion. after or during the reading of each book, try to get some hands on experience with whatever the book is talking about. continue doing this and if you find more interest in one subject, go that direction. repeat.
repeat. next book.
repeat. next book.
seriously you're going to be doing this for a while.
repeat. next book.
and on and on until you get some certs.

please don't even think about hacking, it's highly hollywoodized and nearly all who are into computers for this reason are retards. don't be a retard, go pick up a book and learn how to do something.

as for the white hat hacker for the government, i'm pretty sure there are security professionals that are more intense and credible than any white hat.