Today's Federal Air Marshal
News & Happenings
April 16, 2008
The men and women of the Transportation Security Administration Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service are dedicated to detecting, deterring, and defeating hostile acts targeting U.S. air carriers, airports, passengers, and crews.
The unique and challenging mission air marshals face necessitates hiring the best candidates and providing them with the highest quality training available.
Not everyone can become an air marshal, only those who possess essential knowledge, skills and abilities are considered; of those who meet essential standards, only the most qualified are hired. Every newly hired air marshal candidate must complete a rigorous training program that prepares them to perform the full-spectrum of air marshal duties.
What it takes to become an air marshal
Air marshal candidates are hired only after successfully completing an intensive applicant process that includes: a preliminary qualification screening and suitability assessment, mental health/psycho-social screening, a panel interview, supervisory air marshal evaluation and recommendation, drug test, fingerprinting, background investigation, and medical/fitness evaluation.
All air marshal candidates must successfully complete a two-phase fifteen-week training program. The first phase of the air marshal training program requires successful completion of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center's Basic Police Training Program. The second phase consists of air marshal specific training in which students receive comprehensive instruction in international law, arrest procedures, communications, report writing, aviation medicine, aircraft safety procedures, mission training, defensive measures, and advanced firearms. Prior to becoming an air marshal, and throughout their career, candidates must achieve the highest minimum pistol qualification score among all federal law enforcement agencies.
Upon successfully completion of the training program, new air marshals are assigned to one of 21-field offices located throughout the country where they will receive the same amount of training in a calendar quarter as most law enforcement officers receive in an entire year.
While their primary mission of protecting air passengers and crew has not changed much over the years, air marshals have an ever expanding role in homeland security. As the primary law enforcement entity within Transportation Security Administration the men and women of the Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service work to enhance transportation security across the country and around the globe.
- Click here to learn more about TSA's Federal Air Marshal Service.
- Click here to read about the Federal Air Marshal's involvement in the London Terror Plots.
