Ex-marshal: Air marshal training 'a national disgrace'

CNN ^ | Drew Griffin and Kathleen Johnston

[BulletBobCo]

SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- Their mission is to protect airline passengers from acts of terror on U.S. flights. But in a special investigation, former and current air marshals told CNN that the number of marshals assigned to police flights is so low that the federal agency overseeing them has drastically lowered its firearms and psychological testing standards just so it can qualify new hires.

More than a dozen current and former marshals told CNN that so many federal air marshals have resigned and are not being replaced that airport screeners are being employed to fill the dwindling ranks.

But the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, says that's not true and the rate of those leaving has remained at 6.5 percent a year since 2001.

A former federal air marshal and weapons trainer who left the agency in 2006 after four years of service said the situation was so bad that managers at his office fudged the numbers by assigning marshals to short, no-risk flights.

The former marshal said that was done to make it appear that the percentage of manned flights was higher than it really was.

"I think it's a national disgrace,'' said the former marshal, who asked not to be identified because he still works in law enforcement.

The Federal Air Marshal Service was greatly expanded in the aftermath of the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, when flights to so-called "high risk cities" such as New York were given special air marshal manpower priority.

Assignments are "intelligence-driven" and "risk-based," the Federal Air Marshal Service told CNN in an e-mail. But many of the marshals interviewed said it had little to do with intelligence or risk and was more about a numbers game.

[BulletBobCo]

An air marshal, far left, trains during a simulated hijacking days after the 9/11 attacks.

[marron]

So, it looks like air marshals wear balaklavas so they can blend in with the terrorists.

[Domandred]

Do the air marshals have to use the same stupid holster contraption that the pilots apparently have to use? That is a disgrace in of itself.

[CondorFlight]

Every passenger is now an air marshal; that’s the change since 911.

[Living Free in NH]

"I think it's a national disgrace,'' said the former marshal, who asked not to be identified

Disgruntled former employee, perhaps?

I always have serious doubts when reading anything from CNN. If a dem were president right now, they'd publish a story indicating that the air marshal system is a great success because there have been no hijackings since its inception.

[M1D]

Arm all the pilots. Disband the TSA. Save a few billion dollars.

[philled]

Disgruntled employee is likely. They comment that he is "still in law enforcement" but decline to say at what level. Is he the one who makes sure the doors to the mall are locked at 10:00PM?

A friend of mine has been an air marshall for several years. He doesn't have any big complaints about the program or training. He does complain about some of the turnaround times, some flights seem to be a bit low priority, having to fill out incident reports over little things, and something about hotel honors points. Basically, the same type of things that all of our sales guys b*tch about.

[Niteranger68]

If I were a passenger on one of the 9/11 flights, I would have been happy to have an ill-trained, yet armed air marshal on board.

[NonValueAdded]

So, it looks like air marshals wear balaklavas so they can blend in with the terrorists.

No, they have to wear suits and ties so they cannot blend in with the passengers.

wisecrack reply? No, see this.

What insanity makes people think the gubermint can run healthcare?

[stefanbatory]

I would have been happy to have my own weapons on board...

[pelicandriver]

Although they changed the dress code, I believe the boarding procedures are still the same. It’s pretty obvious when somebody bypasses the security line and then pre-boards.