I am a former Federal Air Marshal. I spent two years in the program as a flying FAM (not a Manager).

I left the program about six months ago to return to local law enforcement due to ongoing mismanagement issues in the FAM Service.

Even though the tone of the majority of posts on this board is somewhat disturbing, I'm gonna attempt to set the record straight on a few issues without disclosing security related info (still bound by an NDA that I'm sure FAM Service would love to use to rake me over the coals).

First and foremost, the posts are correct in that the seats FAMs use while in mission-status are provided free of charge by the airline. What most don't realize (due to it simply not being a hot-topic, rather than a super-secret-squirel thing) is that every airline is allowed to write the value of each lost seat off of their taxes. They are allowed to write it off at the highest value for said seat (which even a paying passenger does not pay due to the way airlines 'discount' all fares offered). The way this break works out, the airline is actually making more for that seat than if it were provided to a paying customer, since they are getting the full fare value (not the discounted price the airline actually charges), tax-free. Given that more First Class seats are filled by upgrades than paying customers, they make even more. If you wonder why Gate Agents and Flight Attendants don't inform you of this, it's simply because very few know about it. We've (FAMs) made efforts in the past to educate them to avoid the kind of hostility displayed on this board, but still very few know or even care to learn.

The second point regards First Class passengers being bumped by non-mission-status FAMs. Forgive me for being blunt, but you are dead wrong. I'm not sure what you're seeing out there (or what you believe you are seeing) but you are not being bumped by non-mission-FAMS. Non-mission seats are paid for by FAM Service (i.e. not covered under the Aviation Security Act). Non-mission FAMs do NOT sit in First Class. If you think I'm trying to dupe you or pull the smoke and mirrors routine, I would ask you to think logically. The non-mission seats are PAID for by FAM Service. Do you honestly believe that any Federal Agency (in all their bureaucratic glory) is going to pay the full ticket price of a First Class seat simply for the comfort of their employee? I can tell you for a fact that they don't. During two years of flying missions I ran into numerous occasions in which I was flying non-mission-status (personal flight, rerouting due to mechanicals or cancelations, and even return to home area due to injury). I was most definitely not in First Class. It just does not happen, unless the FAM is paying for the upgrade personally. And no, we don't have tons of FF Miles to get upgrades with, as another little known fact is that we do NOT get any miles for flying (due to the mission seats being non-revenue). This is one of the few policies in the FAM Service that I actually agreed with. As much as I would prefer First to Coach, if we're not actually protecting the plane it just wouldn't be right for us to take the seat. And, before someone asks, there is no need for non-mission FAMs to protect the plane from First Class. I can't provide you with the reason, as it gets into classified info (remember the hot coals I mentioned before?). As I said before, I'm not sure what you're seeing, but if you are ever bumped out of First Class by a FAM I assure you that the FAM is in mission-status.

Finally, as to why the FAMs don't sit in coach and allow all of you 'more deserving' passengers to get your First Class seats, there are very specific reasons which once again, I can't get into. Suffice it to say that the reasons exist. FAM Director Tom Quinn publicly addressed this issue, and although Mr. Quinn was the worst manager I've ever had the displeasure of working under, he was right about this issue. The comment was simply 'we need to be at the front of the plane. If the airlines want to move us out of First Class then have them move First Class to the rear of the plane, and we'll sit in coach' (still at the front of the plane). Would that approach slightly alter First Class? Yes. In all honesty I'd have to admit that having First Class in the rear would slightly alter First Class, but it would allow all of you the seats which you so 'rightly deserve'.

If you gather from my tone that I am not at all pleased with the majority of you, then I've done a good job expressing my tone in this post. I'm attempting to keep this civil (unlike the majority of the posts I've seen here from 'my betters'), but I can't help but to be dismayed at how virulently I am viewed by those I've spent my entire adult life protecting. (Eating from the tax traugh, we pay their salaries so we own them, etc.). The majority of cops (local, state or federal) didn't become cops because of the massive paycheck, and contrary to popular belief we're not massochists. Most of us wind up in law enforcement out of a sincere interest in taking action to protect our communities. I myself have other skills I could have used to make quite a better living, yet I'm still on the streets doing what I love - helping people.

Although you may take task with my tone, I don't believe anyone could accuse me of flaming, so please do not flame me in response. And whether or not you agree with the necessity of the FAM program, whether or not certain practices anger you, it really doesn't matter. It doesn't change the three explanations I have provided you in an attempt to help you understand those whom you feel have wronged you.

I hope that this post will put an end to at least some of the unwarranted hostility over this issue.

Respectuflly Submitted,

AP2001