+1

I can't imagine going from active combat to looking at shoes on a conveyor belt. The sheer contrast of the two activities is mind-boggling.

It reminds me of the scene in Hurt Locker, where the guy comes back from defusing bombs, risking his life in a war zone, and he has to go to the grocery store. He goes to the cereal aisle and is practically paralyzed by the inane task of having to pick out a box of cereal from the huge expanse of colored boxes.

That's not accurate. A fair number of the screeners hired by the TSA were retired military, retired police and more than a few police force washouts. Since 2002, quite a few of the self-described TSA screener flyertalk members are in those groups. And that is part of the problem: too many TSA screeners view their workday as a firefight in the war on terror, egged on by propaganda provided by their employer. You don't have to have served in a war (abroad or in the war on drugs) in order to view an x-ray monitor looking for guns, large knives and bombs.

+1

What he said.

There are a fair number of vets in the TSA. We are the ones who do treat you with respect. The TSA is also filled with managers who have not served in law enforcement or in the military and are quite fearful of us who have served. We have the experience and to make things run like clockwork. There are many managers (not leaders) in the TSA who couldnt lead people across the street for free beer.

This 15 year Marine veteran agrees with this. Those former servicemen and women, now working for the TSA, who commit these atrocities on citizens dishonor their fellow servicemen day after day. Not to mention discarding the oath they once pledged to defending the Constitution.

What would be an accurate number? Less than 1 in 4? (Source: TSA)

Going back to my original post, replace TSA with active duty military. More responsible, respectful, effective, trained, disciplined, etc. Add that to the military taking over administration.

On another note, how many times have you seen 3 or even 5 TSA people staring into a monitor. All it needs is two words- BAG CHECK.

Now I may be stereotyping because I'm sure there are some good folks in the ranks and I've met many, however there is an element that let a position of power go to their heads and are not fulfilling the mission and vision of the agency.

You seem to not understand that the military is trained to kill people and break things. That's what we (did) do.

Airport screeners could come from almost any segment of the population and work well if they had to be accountable, had strong leadership and the public new the limits of what they could do.

TSA does not hold its employees accountable and the quality of leadership is very evident.

My reasons for using active duty military has been made quite clear.

What is also clear is that the TSA is broken and needs to be fixed.

I also must be misunderstood that the military was used as a "peacekeeping" force in both Iraq and Afghanistan for several years now, not a kill and break force.

I agree that TSA is broken and needs to be fixed but using the military is not the answer.

Do you really want to have armed troops manning airports? I certainly do not.

I disagree.

The military has a defined mission. It has already under strain fulfilling that mission. Further, are you confusing 'peacekeeping' with 'winning hearts and minds' efforts? Much of peace-keeping is akin to riot control and I don't thinik that's what we need in the airports.

I also think we absolutely don't need more arms of any sort (tasers, guns) in the airport, and certainly not in the hands of TSA. Our airports already have an armed police presence. If that presence is inadequate, then beef it up, but don't compromise another organization's mission.

The TSA is not (and was not meant to be) military or LE. The TDC person is just as capable as my local bouncer of being polite and professional. Same goes for every other TSO in every other capacity.

Perhaps you feel that professional behavior and accountability are more respected and more commonly found in the armed forces. You may be correct. But the answer is not to drag those highly trained folks from their specific duties, the answer is to hold TSA management accountable for demanding professionalism and accountability within its ranks.

TSA management clearly doesn't see that there is a problem. And many of the posts TSOs (alleged or real) make on this and other forums seem to agree - that the pax is the problem, not TSA (as an organization) or TSOs.

BTW, let's not paint either organization with too broad a brush. The military also includes significant command failures like Abu Ghraib, and I can't say that I think my airport experience would have been better at the hands of Charles Graner and his crowd.

Except when posting on FT.

Or show up on eBay.

Umm... just no. That's demeaning. We have enough problems! We don't want to be around TSA let alone be TSA. Besides, anyone that makes their living diving in a terminally ill woman's diaper will never be "responsible, respectful, effective, trained, disciplined" in my eyes, military included.

Excellent point about the Posse Comitatus Act. It would have to be ex-military, not current military.

Bringing back even a whiff of Reconstruction and Carpet Baggers would cause a lot of problems in many areas of the south.

The first time an armed screener shot a passenger would likely bring about such a howl of disgust that any politician that had voted for it would be out of a job in a hurry.

Excellent post. ^