Air marshals' skills doubted

USA Today ^ | 24 may 02 | Blake Morrison

[white trash redneck]

WASHINGTON -- The government has cut training for federal air marshal applicants and put new hires on flights without requiring the advanced marksmanship skills the program used to demand, USA TODAY has learned.

During a Senate hearing Tuesday, Transportation Security Administration head John Magaw cited the expertise of marshals in explaining his opposition to allowing pilots to carry guns. ''The use of firearms aboard a U.S. aircraft must be limited to those thoroughly trained members of law enforcement,'' he said.

[white trash redneck]

In case you needed another reason not to fly.

When will our ruler get serious about fighting terrorism?

[B Knotts]

Only when the public gets serious about it. As in, when people boycott the airlines until pilots are armed.

[Mulder]

bang

[Darth Sidious]

He's not our "ruler". Although he and his lackies would certainly like to believe so...

[Mulder]

''If you miss it by a tenth of a second, you flunk,'' a former marshal said. ''And if you miss the target by a quarter of an inch, you flunk.''

How big is the target?

[Deb]

Why would you believe a solitary article from USA Today?

Was this piece an editorial or is it supposed to be a news article?

[Diddle E. Squat]

Well they've first have to reduce the tremendous amount of understaffing. Would you rather have a 5% chance of your flight having a superb skilled marksman, of a 50% chance of having a not so hot shot, but someone who IS vigilant, undercover, and maintaining surveillance. Don't we argue that 97% of successful gun defenses don't require a shot being fired? While certainly those odds would change in dealing with a determined terrorists, a mediocre marshall is far preferable to none at all.

They can always raise the standards again later. Or has Daschle unionized the air marshalls?

[lawdog]

" Americans used to roar like lions for liberty. Now they bleat like sheep for security."

[headsonpikes]

I gather from this article that even you, the Debster, could become an Air Marshal.

Gubmint employees don't need no skills or aptitude; just an inerrant desire to suck on the public teat.

It also helps to have a soft spot for Krispy Kremes. ;^)

[RightWhale]

How big is the target?

Pie plate.

[america-rules]

Airmarshals are a waste of time. The passengers will take out any hijackers without delay for the next several years at least. The pilots need to lock the door and fly and the rest will be OK !

[KC_Conspirator]

No effing $hit! What is it going to take? More hijackings? Suicide bombers? A nuke strike? I bet some liberal somewhere thought that we needed more welfare so he/she cut the sky marshall budget.

[VRWC_minion]

Could you imagine the kind of people that want a federal Marshall job riding in a cramped plane everyday ?

[BlackbirdSST]

The government considers the marshals, who fly incognito, a critical deterrent to hijackings.

First, I'm left with the impression there are less than 1% of flights with Marshalls onboard. Secondly, A caller to GGordon this morning say's you can spot them a mile away, as with any clean cut LEO. These people are no more "incognito" than my a$$ is a football, and now the sheeple find out, they're second rate to boot. I'll say it again, there is no better time than today for pilots and aircrews to strike. What a good travel weekend to grind things to a halt. Blackbird.

[TomGuy]

It will end up that marshalls won't be allowed to carry live weapons. Like the National Guardsmen assigned to border patrol; they weren't allowed to carry live weapons, either. Nor were the NG's at LAX airport.

[phasma proeliator]

about the size of an adult human head.

[HairOfTheDog]

Why would armed pilots be inherently "better" than quickly trained Marshalls?

[Deb]

What do you mean "even" I could be an air marshal?

What makes you think I can't shoot better than most men? I'll bet I have more guns than you (no Krispy Kremes though).

[B Knotts]

Isn't that obvious? They're on every flight.