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Dress Code Dropped for Undercover Air Marshals
August 24, 2006 6:24 PM
Undercover federal air marshals will no longer be held to a strict dress code that many thought compromised their in-flight anonymity.
The elimination of the dress code is one of a number of significant operational changes announced in a message to air marshals today by the director of the Federal Air Marshal Service, Dana Brown.
Brown's announcement comes just three months after an ABC News investigation revealed policies which air marshals said compromised their undercover status.
Federal air marshal Spencer Pickard (pictured above), who went public in the ABC News reports, said today he was gratified the changes were being made.
"That's great news. That's why I came forward. These are very important steps in the right direction. Air marshals need anonymity to be effective so the terrorists don't know we're there. We can be a real deterrent if we operate undercover."
Effective Sept. l, air marshals will be allowed to "dress at your discretion, recognizing that the manner of dress should allow you to blend in and not direction attention to yourself," according to Brown's message.
Brown also said air marshals will be free to select their hotels. Under the previous policy, air marshals were required to stay at the same hotel, where their names were often kept on a roster visible to the public at the front desk.
Brown told the marshals the service is also considering changes in boarding policies, "which unfortunately do not lend themselves to simple solutions or immediate, unilateral decisions."
Air marshals had complained passengers could easily spot them because they were required to show their badges publicly at the airline check-in counters and were forced to board in advance.
On recent flights out of Washington, D.C., air marshals have been permitted to board with passengers so that they blend in.
Read the full memo from Federal Air Marshal Service Director Dana Brown on the Changes.
August 24, 2006 in Federal Air Marshal Service | Permalink | User Comments (70)
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Mr. White-
Apparently you have not followed this story because 20/20 showed FAMs obviously flashing their badges at the check in counter and boarding in front of everybody as the policy requires them too! There are many more changes necessary!
Jeff-
Nothing changed until ABC and 7 News (Tony Kovaleski) in Dever aired their stories!
Posted by: LAS FAM | Aug 24, 2006 7:28:35 PM
LAS FAM,
Give me a break. Kovalooski and Ross are just spewing junk on the airwaves. This story was "broken" years ago. The only thing that saved us was a NEW DIRECTOR. Glad we have some common sense at the top now. Yeah, I am drinking the kool-aid, cause it actaully tastes good for a change...
DEN FAM
Posted by: DenFAM | Aug 24, 2006 8:51:13 PM
Mr. Green,
Apparently you have not followed this story because 20/20 showed FAMs obviously flashing their badges at the check in counter and boarding in front of everybody as the policy requires them too! There are many more changes necessary!
- Frank
Nothing changed until ABC and 7 News (Tony Kovaleski) in Dever aired their stories!
Posted by: LAX FAM | Aug 24, 2006 9:01:37 PM
Thank Norm Mineta for this nonsense. He should have been fired the first day of the admin.
Posted by: bill | Aug 25, 2006 12:01:35 AM
DEN FAM-
We'll see if the New Director continues this process and makes FAMs undcover we have a long way to go! These changes could have been made in FEB when the New Director took the job if he really wanted to make them! He only made these changes due to the negative MEDIA attention!!! The REAL FAMs know this...
By the way many of the FAMs involved in the media for these stories since 20/20 were the same the "broke this story" years ago!
What have you done other than what they told you for the last 4 years?
Easy to talk on this blotter but where were you years ago!!!
Oh yeah, this is probably Frank Terreri. You can take credit for it all, the real whisleblowers don't need to take credit. Everybody knows you don't get a meeting with your beloved NEW DIRECTOR without 20/20! OR that new job your getting...
Posted by: LAS FAM | Aug 25, 2006 1:42:13 AM
Why not issue Uzis, Bandoliers and grenades to all Flight Attendants?
Posted by: bubba | Aug 25, 2006 11:39:51 AM
As a former flight attendant, I can tell you that mixing in FAMs with flight crewmembers via same uniforms, etc, is a bad and unworkable idea, which would result in crew coordination problems and compromise safety of the flight.
Posted by: tw111 | Aug 25, 2006 3:25:08 PM
What did the blond flight attendant say when 2 F-16's came along side the hi-jacked plane?
"It's Ok, we're safe, help has finally arrived."
Posted by: humor | Aug 25, 2006 4:18:26 PM
Nice one humor. Flight attendants are often just washed up waitresses. With numbered seats, drink orders are easier to take for the slow ones.
Mike - You stand corrected as you do not understand the issues here and the realities lived by FAMs who work for morons.
Posted by: Cincy FAM | Aug 25, 2006 5:41:22 PM
Now some of the fraud, waste and abuse needs to be exposed in this program. Mis-management is rampant by the ex-US Secret Service employees and their buddies.
Thank you ABC for helping the real whistleblowers do their duty to our nation. Sometimes good people have to make hard decisions and stand up for what is right. The real whistleblowers do not want any recognition. They simply want changes to help them protect the public. Real heroes are quiet and do not brag.
Thank you Spencer and the other sixteen. You have served your nation well. Now standby as the powers that be try to retaliate!
Semper fi!
Posted by: ACY FAM | Aug 25, 2006 5:45:37 PM
Nice start Dana, now fire some of the scum bags calling themselves management in the FAMS.
Posted by: WFO Chair FAM | Aug 25, 2006 6:07:32 PM
Way to go 17! You did us proud and caused some real changes to be made.
Posted by: Miami Skycop | Aug 25, 2006 6:42:01 PM
This sounds like someone is doing some good there. I read a lot about the last boss of the Sky Marshals and he seemed like a crook. The new one makes sense.
Wendy
Posted by: Windy Wendy | Aug 26, 2006 11:57:20 AM
Hey Frank Terreri,
Ronald Reagan had a sign on his desk that read:
"It is amazing what can be accomplished if you don't take care who takes the credit"
Maybe you could learn a lesson from that. The 17 air marshals who went on national TV in disguise didn't care about getting any recognition... they only cared about change. They succeeded.
You on the other hand, just embarrassed yourself for trying to take all the credit.
Posted by: Kill the Messenger | Aug 26, 2006 10:28:34 PM
Thank you Dana. You are starting to win us over a little.
Posted by: Anonymous FAM... | Aug 26, 2006 10:30:29 PM
The Denver Fam above has to be a current or soon to be member of management. Few in Denver actually drink the Kool-Aid. Ask the five who stood up bravely on Channel 7 wanting nothing more than something to change before another 9/11 occurs. Thanks Terreri, your leadership is noted - but didn't cause the change in the end. The flying Fams stood up without a desire to be recognized. They wanted to do their duty.
Posted by: Still Scared | Aug 28, 2006 3:17:55 PM
It's not a relaxed dress code as being address, it should be "Why have them on the plane in the first place?"
Who wants some nut with a gun shooting at some other nut in an airplane at 35,000 feet in the air?
Then again, the only shooting I ever read about is some air marshall shooting a fellow in the back after the guy got out of the plane and was running away on the airport's tarmack!
Gimme a break folks! Or do you agree with Bush's announcement of the Katrina's boss, "Good job Brownie!"
Posted by: Dave | Aug 31, 2006 3:08:36 AM
Why do we have planes flying anymore? They can be used as weapons. They even crash if they use the wrong runway.
There is the real issue. Why don't we just head back to low speed covered wagons for all of our transportation? They almost never kill people. The horses are great too. Fertilizer all over our streets to make our flowers grow better.
Please folks. Bush screwed up in Katrina and now he will let people get hurt in planes, trains and automobiles. Stop the madness.
Way to go Dave. You are really silly.
Posted by: Jane | Aug 31, 2006 2:20:04 PM
Thank you Dana Brown. You really are changing it for the better and giving reason for hope.
Posted by: Anonymous FAM | Aug 31, 2006 2:21:14 PM
FAMs,
Terreri isn't saying anything to us, so I will say it. Let's give Brown a chance and keep quiet. We do not need to tell everyone our policy changes. Everyone includes the tangos too.
I don't sip the Kool-Aid, but the changes look good!
Be smart and fly safe brothers!
Posted by: LA Fleoa Fam | Aug 31, 2006 2:33:32 PM
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