Soldiers deserve TSA's respect in screenings at airports

Orlando Sentinel ^ | August 15, 2006 | Steven Alvarez

[Centurion2000]

Is there a fail-safe method to ID men & women in uniform?

It's called a military ID card.

[eleni121]

This is beyond disgusting behavior. The jerks who are doing this are union members of the TSA.

They should be fired and the creep who thought up this policy should too! I'm writing to my representatives.

[lormand]

Yeah, that's him, Sgt Akbar.

Another Muslim convert who "mysteriously" becomes violent towards mankind.

[SJSAMPLE]

By no means the most secure form of ID.
Even the new cards aren't that foolproof.

[OldFriend]

I have seen young men wearing sand or green camoflage with the right haircut..........not in the military at all.

Are we going to be safe or sorry.

[dakine]

"A little-known fact about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is that the U.S. military requires soldiers to travel in uniform from theater."


hmmm...VERY "little-known"....

[Centurion2000]

Back in 1991, A LOT of soldiers were caught with contraband, including unexploded cluster munitions and other weapons.

Yep ... I even carried contraband home inadvertently .... 14.5 mm machine gun rounds

[Brooklyn Kid]

"It's called a military ID card."

Can they be duplicated?

[kitkat]

I should think a soldier woud be the first one to approve of safety measures to protect our country, since each one of them is risking their lives to do the same thing.

[quikdrw]

Yes, there is. Does the solder have a vaild military ID? Or vailid orders?

[boxerblues]

How does the screener know whether the soldier is a real soldier?

The screeners first clue should of been the fact that 50 were traveling together. They all carry Military ID's and leave papers. Both of my sons attracted the attention of some TSA screeners and were pulled aside, nice guys that they were broke wind when bending down to unlace their boots :)

[stinkerpot65]

TSA is completely corrupt and incompetent.

[zot]

Thanks for the ping. Every soldier has endured worse indignities than a TSA screening -- and it reduces the possibility that terrorists can get through by wearing U.S. military uniforms.

[Rockitz]

Then people like me with US government security clearances will want a pass.

Besides, it wouldn't be politically correct. What are you thinking?

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

The point is, why not treat soldiers as normal passengers? It appears, from the article, that the soldiers are being "racial stereotyped" so to speak.

[Brooklyn Kid]

"The screeners first clue should of been the fact that 50 were traveling together"

In that case yes. But what about travelling alone or with one or two buddies?

[SJSAMPLE]

I hate having ammunition that I don't own the weapon for.

It's an itch that just can't be scratched.

[angkor]

That's disgusting.

Last summer coming back from Iraq I was in the Charles De Gaulle *transit* area to New York (had already been search and sniffed), and some TSA weenie started giving me the third degree, which got even worse when I said I was coming from Iraq.

Finally pulled out my Pentagon ID and official Iraq clearance ID, and said "I work for the Pentagon, and I'm returning from a classified assignment" (which technically I wasn't, but it sounded good). "What else do you need to know?" Loudly, in front of the assembling crowd of other passengers, and in the tone you might use with a grocery bagger.

That was the end of the "interview".

I think the soldiers need to be a little more assertive with TSA personnel. They seem to have little common sense or willingness to think.

[CheneyChick]

It happened to me on my way home from the sandbox. I think it was also due to the fact that I had a one-way ticket. It kinda feels like a slap in the face.... As far as contraband, they were pretty darn thorough in Kuwait before we left.

[angkor]

"Back in 1991, A LOT of soldiers were caught with contraband, including unexploded cluster munitions and other weapons."

That screening is done WWAAAYYY up front, in Iraq, by enlisted customs personnel who are much toughter than any TSA weener would ever think of being.