Air Marshal Jobs

“Don’t worry, there’s no specific threat on this flight. I’m just here as a precautionary step” I take a look round the cockpit. The pilots look reassured. As a FAMS officer it’s standard procedure to introduce yourself to the pilots before a flight. This flight wasn’t a super high risk flight, there was a local politician on board but nothing to cause too much concern. A lot of officers judge their success on the amount of people they’ve apprehended, I judge success by the amount of flights without incident.

 

I’d already searched the plane for weapons and bombs. I’d also scanned the passengers as they boarded, anything that might be of use I retain. I look for anything out of the ordinary, people looking nervous, anyone wearing a military badge or insignia that might be able to help should I need them. My job is to look as inconspicuous as possible. The element of surprise is what a potential terrorist would rely on and that’s my greatest weapon as well. If anyone decides to start a conversation I have a few good cover stories prepared – like I’m visiting friends or relatives. Sometimes I’ll say I’m going to a funeral, that usually cuts people dead in their tracks. Making conversation is an unneeded distraction that I try to avoid.

 

Everyone is boarded and I rifle through a copy of USA Today, of course I’m more tuned into what’s going on around me then it appears. As we take off the cabin attendants come round with the usual bags of peanuts, crisps, miniature wines. Alcohol is strictly forbidden on duty, FAMS officers have to have optimal concentration at all times. 30 mins into the flight and I’m confident it will be incident-free. You get a feel for these things when you’ve been doing the job as long as I have. I flip through the magazines in the rack in front of me. They’re the usual things you see on planes – emergency landing procedures (I have them memorized step by step by now), brochures offering overprices perfume and watches and a guide for the films that are shown on board.

 

Just as I’m looking for what film they’ll be showing on this flight I get a text – “There’s been an incident on the ground. Stay alert and scan the aisles for anybody acting suspiciously”. It didn’t say what the incident was but I knew it must have been serious for them to alert me. Although I knew this message would have been sent to every FAMS officer on board flights, I couldn’t take any risks.

 

I got up and headed for the bathroom at the back of the plane. I was seated right at the front so it’d give me a perfect chance to scan the entire plane. I try not to be too obvious about what I’m doing, if anyone catches my eye I just smile. It’s impossible to take account of everyone as many have their heads buried in magazines or newspapers. Others are have sleeping masks on. It would be dishonest to say profiling doesn’t go on in such situations. I continue to walk down the aisles towards the bathroom.

 

There are a couple more rows to go when I notice two mean in a heated conversation. There are both middle eastern appearance. On appears to be at least 10 years old than the other. He’s wearing a blue shirt and black pants. The younger man is wearing a black shirt. As I walk past they both look up at me. They seem distressed. I go into the bathroom and eavesdrop. I cannot make out what they’re saying but it sounds like they’re talking in arabic. The conversation gets more heated and then there is silence. I flush the toilet as to not appear suspicious. I unlock the door and step out. The older of the two men is standing directly in front of me. Before I can react I feel a thud on the back of my head. I crash to the ground and see the other man standing over me. He has what appears to be a blade in his hand.

 

My training kicks in almost instinctively. I know that a kick to the outside of the thigh, around eight inches below the hip bone will bring anybody down like a sack of potatoes. I manage to get to one knee and kick him just above the kneecap. He stumbles and lashes at me with the blade. I manage to get his arm and put him in a chokehold. His passes out and I put handcuffs on him. Part of my mind has been on the other guy the whole time. Why hasn’t he attacked me?

 

I get up and look behind me. I see the man in the red shirt is heading towards the cockpit, he is more than halfway down the plane. I pull my gun and take aim. I decide to run closer to get a better shot. I tell the passengers, who by now are visibly panicked, to stay calm. I see a clear shot on the suspect, take aim to his back and fire. He goes down. I rush to the front of the plane and put handcuffs on him.

 

“It’s OK. It’s over now” I calm the passengers and frisk the suspect. He will almost certainly die as it’s still over an hour until we’ll reach our destination. “Is there a doctor onboard?” I have to do my upmost to keep the suspect alive. He may have vital information related to the incident on the ground. “I am” A passenger rushes to the front of the plane. I ask him to do what he can. I go back to the other end of the plane and grab the other suspect from behind and lead him to the front of the plane. I see the look of disdain on the passengers face. As I get him to the front of the plane I feel relieved.

 

I don’t know what has happened on the ground yet but I know that I have prevented something catastrophic from happening up here. I have apprehended two terrorists and controlled the situation as well as I could.

 

- Lance: Former Air Marshal, Currently Employed by the Israeli Army

The US Federal Air Marshal Service was created by John F Kennedy in 1963. The reason it was created was so officers could be deployed on certain high risk flights. FAMS officers are required to have the highest rate of handgun accuracy of all US federal law enforcement services. This is due to the fact that they may have to fire their weapon on plane which is an enclosed space with a lot of other people around. Of course excellent firearm skills is only one of many skills that is required to become a FAMS officer. You must be able to blend in with other passengers, have interrogation skills, close quarter combat skills and be able to keep calm in any given situation.

 

Many people who are interested in joining FAMS though many don’t realize exactly what the job will entail. To help make the best decision it is important to be aware of every aspect of a FAMS officer’s job and the skills required to carry it out efficiently. Training for the FAMS is incredibly intense two-part process. The first part of the training sees trainees going through a basic law enforcement course. The course lasts seven weeks and is geared towards the role that the Federal Air Marshals will be performing while on the job. This part of the training takes place at a training centre in Artesia, New Mexico. The second part of the training is prepares candidates for specific tasks then can expect to carry out when in the field. This part of the training focuses specifically on the marksmanship training of the candidates as this is such a vital part of the job. Candidates who are successful will go on to work in one of 21 fields to begin their missions.

 

Being an officer is not the only career available for those looking to join FAMS however. There are also a number of other roles available in the fields of intelligence, Information Technology and Instructor. What type of career a person chooses to pursue will depend on what their strengths lie. Someone who is good with computers may choose to go into the IT sector of FAMS. This focuses on development and maintenance of cutting edge technologies that are used in the FAMS agency and also the aviation field at large. For those with a good analytical brain intelligence would be an ideal choice. Intelligence in FAMS involves collection, analyzing and evaluation both foreign and domestic intelligence. It also involves being able to analyze threat warning information. If you are someone who has experience in civil training then instructing would be an ideal choice. Instructors in FAMS offer demonstrations and presentations to candidates to show them what the job will entail.

 

If you are considering join the Federal Air Marshal Service then it is important to know the right choice of path for you. Many desire to become an officer though the training and requirements for this role are very specific and you most possess the right skills in these areas. No matter what kind of career you choose to pursue in FAMS, you need to know how to apply. You can check for current vacancies within FAMS at www.usajobs.gov. You can also call 1-877-872-7990 with any questions related to careers. Lastly you can make contact via email at helpdesk@tsa-hraccess.com .

 

The hiring process for a Federal Air Marshal position requires the successful completion of a number of tasks. These include written application, panel interview, psychological assessment, medical examination, physical training assessment, and complete background investigation. All these areas must be completed before a final hiring decision is made.