There has to be a solution to this problem. Decent travelers want to get to their destination in peace without having to worry about another terroist attack. Letting the pilots, flight attendants and screener know beforehand who the air marshalls are would eliminate the confusion and protect they're identity. They can be the first ones to board the airplane and no one would be the wiser. Let's find the solution fast and get it done!

It is Unconstitutional to deprive airline passengers of the means to resist.

The U.S. spent billions on the antithesis of the lesson learned by flight 93 on 9/11. Armed Passengers and aircrew are the answer, not impotent (by their own admission) Federal Air Marshalls.

I'd rather see "swap boxes" of frangible common ammo types at the ticket counter. Dont mind being "sniffed" for nitrates, though.

Abolish the Air Marshall program, cut TSA budget by 50%. We'll all be safer.

Clintons dept of transportation appointee is the cause of all this bull. I travel and watch elderly citizens searched and time wasted while people capable of highjacking scoot thru the line. Passengers are unaware that our own guys will shoot us down if we are highjacked. As a ex-FEMA employee, I cannot tell you how lazy, uneducated, unmotovated most of those guys are. Nepotism is rampant and talent is dismissed (fired). Also check the fare from Chicago to dallas, and then the fare from dallas to chicago......thanks too for that Mr. Mineta...by the way...are you an American?

Just another example of how our Government is being run by proponents of the New World Order, trying to achieve their goal of destroying our country from within. I hate to say it, but we will never be at peace again. If we do not stage a revolution and bring down the current President, House and Senate, we are doomed.

I think the complaints of these air marshals are all seriously a bunch of crock. 9/11 was a one time deal. The security check points for baggage, carry-ons and personnel are more extensive enough for flight protection. And the concern that airport or airline employees can bring illegal stuff on is absurd. First they have to conspire or want to conspire with some from the middle east or Arab world. That won't happen.

The next middle east attack won't come from airlines so that it is a non-issue. Their cover has been blown to this method of attack. The next attack will come from some other source. E.g. rail way, container ships are a great source, I'm told only 3 % are inspected. That's a great way to get stuff in. Or over land through Canada or even Mexico. To use the analogy, just think of terrorist weapons as narcotics drugs. We can't even stop all the flow of narcotics drugs coming in from Canada or Mexico or over seas container ships - then how are we going to stop terrorists and their method? Answer we are not, they will get through, it's my "needle in the haystack theory". That's what you are looking for and you won't find it. And all it takes is one needle to ruin our day. It's not a matter of if but when, so these wining FAM are a bunch of loosers. Stop your wining. There's no need for your protection, you don't even need to be on a flight with the reinforced pilot doors they have now.

Further using the domino theory, once they attack, (and next time it will be just as spetacular of not more so - cause they will probably buy a suitcase atomic fision bomb on the black market from either N Korea, Pakistan, or Russian from the Russian mob) Wall Street will crash, jobs will be cut right and left, including the military, and it will be chaos and anarchy.

As far as I'm concerned these FAM have their heads up their asses anyway like they are a deterrent just because they can go incognito or under cover. Bull, the days of airline /missile threats are over. That was a one time deal. Either way an Air Force or Air National Guard fighter jet will be scrambled to shoot it out of the sky and sacrifice all on board, INCLUDING the under cover or non-uncover FAM. So what good is their wining.

Just another example in a mind numbing litany of the government simply not being serious about security. From borders to, well everything else, there's always something blocking efforts at security. Not to be cynical but it is probably going take another terrorist incident - or series of incidents - on US soil before we do anything about the mess that has been made of security. The mind boggling amnesty plan about to be adopted by the Senate is just the latest in a series of actions taken by the government that simply defy rational explanation.

The worst aspect of it is the loss of national consensus. Fed by a media that wants controversy, as it fuels the public's hunger for the product put out by the media i.e. news reporting, the overal consensual nature of our republican form of government is fraying, with a result I don't want to even consider. This will be made far worse under the plan being considered by the Seante, which on the low side will give us 90 million new citizens in the next 20 years, a mind boggling number, that is the functional equivelent of national suicide, and the eventual balkanization of America as each group sets up enclaves.

Pretty far afield from the orginal issue, but this is what our leaders are handing us, as we go like sheep to the slaughter...

If FAMs feel they should be able to board secretly and leave the flight crew out of the loop they are nuts. In most cases there is only one boarding door for an aircraft. With so many passengers crowding around this door waiting to board, it's pretty obvious that any FAM boarding will be seen. What I think they seem to forget is that most passengers have no idea what FAMs look like. They are dressed in plain clothes. If this argument is about special treatment for FAMs the whole program is in trouble.

I work at National Airport, and to watch our Air Marshals stand out so badly is pathetic. I sit back and pick out Air Marshals as easy as it is to pick out a women who is 9 month's pregnant. You laugh,....BUT IT"S TRUE !!
Now let me give you Marshals some advice,.......STOP LOOKING LIKE AIR MARSHALS ! You guy's always pair up walking through the terminal with your brand new bags, and then to make things even obvious, I can just about identify your maker of the gun you hold on your side. Jeeze,...wear more appropriate shirts please !!
Also,.....to have the Marshals go past the security lines to a Police Officer who checks their ID's in plain view of the same passengers who will be getting on the same flight is ridiculous ! At National Airport, the Marshals go in the opposite way that the landing passengers go when exiting that terminal. You guessed it,.....it's right next to all the passengers that are waiting to get to their flights. What GREAT GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE HOTSHOT CAME UP WITH THAT IDEA !! I've come to finally realize that not only is our government corrupt,....but alot of the folks in these 6 figure salary positions are just as bad. It's one big dog & pony show, where-as the little people make things work, and the top people brag about how important they are. I could only wish to get a top job so I could run the Marshals the way they should be run.

All but the somnambulent should be aware by now that the our politicians have declaed war on Americans on all fronts. This is just another example.

There is only one safe place on an aircraft to place a gun. Secure behind a locked sturdy cabin door.

The next commercial aircraft to be used as a missile will be commandeered with a federal air marshall's gun. This exposure is so completely obvious that one must believe that even our politicians can not be so stupid as to provide would-be hijackers handy access to a gun that they could not get through security.

An electronically locked gun cabinet in the cockpit should be part of any commericial aircraft's safety equipment.

Here is the problem, to identify a gun as a piece of safety equipment is intolerable to most politicians. They would rather see billions of our cash spent to make the airways even less safe than they were prior to 9/11

The incompetence in the FAM program and Homeland Security is stunning to say the least. FAM's are required to enter through an area, (visible to everyone) other than the metal detecters, as do all law enforcement because they're packing heat. What's even more ridiculous is the FAM's have a dress code. They've fought this for the longest time as anyone who had a shred of intelligence would. However, the same FBI mentality (bureaucratic lack of imagination)that gave us 911 still permeates TSA and the FAM program. I was a security screener for TSA for two years. I would cringe every time I had to pat down a 90 year old wheelchair bound passenger while three 20-something Middle Easterner's skipped through without a concern. I suggested many times that TSA send management teams to Israel for training but to no avail. Without a doubt, El Al has the best security in the air-carrier industry. For four decades Israel has been dealing with unfriendly neighbors who cause a very real, day to day existential threat. Security personnel at El Al are dead serious. They'll make you sweat, they will make you squirm but a it's small price to pay for safety. They utilize a method we abhor. It's called 'Profiling'. We in America are too stupid to use it and ultimately I'm afraid we'll will end up paying a very high for allowing Political Correctness to trump our safety.

Are these posts censured? I left a comment 2 hours ago, mentioning the New World Order, and it never appeared, but comments posted after that are displayed. What gives with that? Anyway, I believe it would be easy to get Marshalls on board without being obvious...just have one obviously waiting by the boarding area, with another waiting with the passengers. The official-looking one will divert any attention from those seeking to cause trouble, and he'll secretly be backed up by his covert partner. They should also be seated in the rear of the plane.

You simply follow logic...
Air Marshals should pick their guns on the plane. The pistol is
in a special hidden compartment in one of the restrooms or galley
that can be open with a special
key/rench. So they can board the flight like any other passenger.
It has been done on other safe airline, you know...

It is unfortunate that it is so difficult to fire incompetent high level managers in government service. It is also unfortunate that too many cooks spoil the broth and most government programs are like the proverbial camel that was supposed to have been a horse, but was designed by a government committie.

While the FAM's perform their service to the best of their ability, and are undoubtedly frustrated, they are seeing the result of being handcuffed just like the rest of the USA's law-abiding citizens. Before meaninful change can occur, the People (as in, 'We the People') must realize that A: The government CANNOT and IS NOT designed to provide security during private transactions, ie, flying on PRIVATE company airlines--you are on your own. B: The absolute BEST defense against terror in the sky is to let law enforcement PROFILE the types of people who would commit crimes as was done on 9/11 and not cave to social whining. The fact is that 75 year old "Aunt Minnie" from Scandanavia is not going to have a bomb, gun, or box cutter under her dress to use against an aircrew member. On the other hand, a young man from the Middle East who is overheard talking about his great hatred for the 'great satan' shortly before checking into his air carrier just MIGHT merit an extra careful search. Remember, the President is very vocal reminding us that we are in a war against terrorism. Terrorism, 99% of it originates from the Middle East. C: The best defense on an aircraft is a trained and ARMED civilian populace, ie, those law abiding citizens who show an interest in carrying weapons for the protection of themselves and others. Statistics indicate (look them up yourselves--I am not your librarian) that armed civilians have less cases of mistaken identity, less missed targets, etc, than trained law enforcement does across the board.

Bottom line: You lose both your freedom AND your security when you give up your rights in the name of "security".

Is this a union issue. Is the group that is represneted a union group or is the gentleman mentioned part fo the leadership?

I was a Sky Marshall in 1971 and we had exactly the same problems.
It's a fairly useless program anyway. We never stopped a hijacker and I doubt the program can be made to work.
Do it like the Israelis did-post a guy in theback of the plane with an Uzi in plain sight.

Sending FAMs on board ahead of regular passengers is a dead giveaway, whether they're "dressed to impress" or blending with the crowd. Anyone with half a brain can board a flight early and pick out FAMs already seated. Flight personnel (pilots, flight attendants, etc) already know who their FAMs are and typically don't care to show any discretion concerning the "undercover" nature of those officers. The solution here is to allow FAMs to board flights exactly like normal passengers -- that's the whole point of being undercover. No one knows who you are until the **** hits the fan; otherwise, you're suddenly the target, and where does that leave us, if both FAMs are attacked and brought down from the beginning of a hijacking?

I recently returned from a trip to Denver with my family. The announcement came over the PA system that the flight I was on was allowing courtousy seating begin for people traveling with small childern. My wife and I approached the gate with our childern to present our boarding passes when 4 single men with no childern just walked right past us on to the plane. I started laughing with disbeleif right there in the airport. Having just come from watching my family being molested at the security check point by the TSA screeners, I knew right away that those gentelmen were FAM's and I couldn't fathom that they were so blatant in their boarding procedures. I mean come guys, at least try to remain undercover, fake an injury or something to at least cover up why 4 very healthy men have to rush in front of every mother and child to getr to their assigned seat first.

FAMs are now irrelevant. Will any post 9-11 flight crew open a cockpit door, knowing that hijackers are bent on suicide? Will passengers remain passive while terrorists try to force their way into the cockpit? A terrorist could threaten to kill a flight attendant with a sharp pencil through her neck, but they won't get into the cockpit. We learned that lesson five years ago.

Why don't we just out source our airline security to a Dubi company, I'm sure that halaburton has a security section there.