Air marshals struggle with ‘growing pains’

MSNBC.Com ^ | Updated: 2:30 p.m. ET Aug. 4, 2004 | MSNBC.Com

[Bobby777]

Autonomy of field offices creates bumpy ride for rank-and-file

WASHINGTON - Nearly three years after the government’s dramatic resurrection of the moribund Federal Air Marshal Service in the aftermath of 9/11, the agency is hitting turbulence as it struggles with what one agency official called “growing pains.”

The incident involved two federal air marshals from the Cleveland office who were recently stopped from boarding the plane they were assigned to protect because of a dispute with an air marshal supervisor regarding the agency’s dress code standards, MSNBC.com has learned. The plane then took off without any air marshals aboard.

The policy directive, which applies to air marshals only in certain parts of the country, requires the submittal of least one “surveillance detection report” (SDR) per month, MSNBC.com has learned. These reports are used by rank-and-file air marshals to detail and track suspicious activity and are then analyzed by intelligence experts looking for possible terrorist trends. A directive mandating the submission of these reports creates a “ticket quota” mentality, one air marshal supervisor told MSNBC.com. Worse, such a mandate encourages filing bogus intelligence reports. “I had nothing to report, so I filed a false report,” an air marshal told MSNBC.com when questioned about the effect of the policy.

[Bobby777]

Only the U.S. Gov't would be so stupid as to have a "dress code" for air marshals ... bureacrats have no common sense ... they should look like appropriate tourists, long-haired hippies, computer geeks and mr. and mrs. average American ...

I don't care how they're dressed so long as they're not obvious, can shoot straight and quick and know close-quarters combat ... that a plane took off without protection over "dress code" is beyond stupid and unforgivable had something serious occurred ...

"Politicians have neither the training nor the inclination for strategic thought" - Colonel Jack D. Ripper, Dr. Strangelove

[Bobby777]

s/b "bureaucrats"

[Blueflag]

I fly a LOT for business. I normally keep my hair "high and tight". I'm 6'4", 235 and in good shape. I always keep my sport coat on, cuz it has my glasses and all my electronics and such in it.

I can see from people's looks and glances that they think "he's the airmarshal". It's kinda funny. I had an American Airlines FA swear I was her "sky guard" even though I honestly denied it. I can abuse the illusion pretty easily -- walk down the aisle to the loo and give certain individuals the hard glance. < / snicker> It works too. ;-)

[Bobby777]

lol

[traumer]

Air Marshals' dress code

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I thought they were "Sky Marshals". I thought an Air Marshal was like Bomber Harris. Or Hermann Goering.

[Arthalion]

Interesting. A co-worker of mine recently flew from SF to VA for a business meeting. Like you, he's a hair over 6'0, probably 220+, and built like a football player. Because he had a meeting right after landing, he decided to wear his suit onto the plane.

He was actually stopped by the airline (AA) before boarding and was asked to remove his tie and jacket before entering the plane. Apparently there had been an incident where a young kid had seen a guy like him (well built and wearing a suit) on a flight and assumed that he was an air marshal. Being a typical kid, he approached the guy mid-flight and asked if he could see his gun. The stewardess overheard the discussion, alerted the cockpit crew to a possible armed man on board, and the REAL air marshal intervened with his weapon drawn.

It sounds kind of funny in retrospect, but it apparently made for a very tense few minutes until they figured the whole thing out. Now AA apparently asks business travelers with that "agent look" to remove their jackets and preferably ties just to eliminate any possible confusion.

[eno_]

Uh oh. My suits are usually a bit too high-end to be mistaken, but the Randolph aviators and the summer haircut have defintely saved me from a speeding ticket or three.