Travel Document Checking Enhances Security, TSO Careers
News & Happenings
September 14, 2007
Julia Valentine, a TSO at Phoenix
Sky Harbor, checks fraud-prevention
features on a government-issued
identification.
TSA’s travel document checking program has added another layer of security at more than 250 airports across the country. It has also increased the skills of thousands of transportation security officers (TSO), who will benefit from that experience throughout their careers.
Part of TSA’s job enrichment effort includes expanding skill sets for security officers. TSOs learn how to recognize unique fraud-prevention features embedded in government-issued identification documents. Training also includes discerning behavioral cues and interview techniques.
Michael Silata, supervisory TSO and document checker trainer at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, said, "Learning new skills and taking on new challenges, like those in the program, have helped me progress in my career from a [TSO] in 2002 to a supervisor and a member of the inaugural Mid-Level Leadership Development Program today."
Julia Valentine from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport enjoys the personal contact associated with her new responsibility and understands how travelers feel as their personal documents are inspected. She has been on the other side as a frequent traveler in previous careers and knows that an up-front smile and a pleasant greeting go a long way toward making travelers feel more at ease.
