TRUSCOTT SWORN IN AS ATF DIRECTOR

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Attorney General John Ashcroft swore in Carl J. Truscott as the sixth Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on May 17, 2004.

Truscott, who began his tenure as ATF director April 18, took the oath at the Department of Justice in a private ceremony attended by his family and invited guests.

"I am honored to join a strong and diverse workforce of men and women dedicated to the bureau's unique and historic missions of protecting the public and reducing violent crime, and committed to enforcing the laws and regulations under our purview with character and integrity," Truscott said. "I will seek to provide them with strategic leadership and vision that honors the finest traditions of ATF and the Department of Justice."

Attorney General John Ashcroft said: "For over two centuries, the men and women of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have helped shape America's destiny. Now you continue your mission for America as critical members of the Justice Team. The Justice Department is stronger, and the nation is more secure, for your presence here. The security of our nation, the safety of our citizens, and the survival of freedom are in our hands. We do not accept this charge lightly, but with respect, humility and gratitude for the trust we have been given by our fellow citizens." Attorney General Ashcroft added: "Carl, with leadership such as yours, and the fine and dedicated men and women of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, I know this is a charge we will keep. Separately, we have known success. Together, we will know victory."

Truscott joined the Bureau after a career with the U.S. Secret Service, where he served most recently as the Assistant Director of the Office of Protective Research and before that as the Special Agent in Charge of the Presidential Protective Division.

A native of Marlton, N.J., Truscott earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Delaware in 1979. He attended the Contemporary Executive Program at The George Washington University in 1998; the Executive Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security at Harvard University in 1999; and the Director of Central Intelligence's Intelligence Community Senior Leadership Program in 2003.

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