Posted on 08/24/2006 5:03:54 PM PDT by blam
Air Marshal Dress Code Changed
Friday August 25, 2006 12:16 AM
By LESLIE MILLER
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Air marshals were told Thursday they will be allowed to dress the way they want and choose their own hotels in order to protect their anonymity while on missions.
Federal Air Marshal Service chief Dana Brown, who has been in the job for five months, said he was changing the rules, starting Sept. 1, after listening to air marshals' concerns.
In a memo to the air marshals, Brown said the dress code was changed to ``allow you to blend in and not direct attention to yourself, as well as be sufficiently functional to enable you to conduct your law enforcement responsibilities.''
Air marshals had complained that Brown's predecessor, Thomas Quinn, insisted on a too-formal dress code that allowed people to pick them out. The marshals said, for example, that being forced to wear a jacket and collared shirt made them stand out on flights to Hawaii.
The dress requirements were loosened in October, but the agency kept details under wraps. The change announced Thursday leaves it up to marshals how each of them dresses for duty.
Air marshals also won an agreement from Brown to let them choose their own hotels ``within economic and related guidelines'' to help keep their identities secret.
Marshals claimed that their undercover status was threatened because they had to stay at designated hotels and show their credentials when checking in.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Finally!!
Wow. Common sense.
Good news.
'Bout damn time.
Get ready for the ACLU to bring a lawsuit! ;)
Better keep them out of Holiday Inn Expresses so they don't get to overzealous.
You gotta know that won't be allowed to stand :)
That guy Quinn had a stick up his ass.
Are these guys hired to head up agencies because they are brain-dead or what? Little men make their jobs big! Thank Heaven this one seems to have come around at last!!!
Yeah ... whoda thunk! This coming from management in a tax funded agency ... that actually listened to input from the people tasked to carry out the job. Simply amazing ...
About time!
I've watched these guys drill at the local range.
Very impressive......
One of my daughter's music fans is an air marshal. He does Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (sp). Very nice guy but I wouldn't wanna mess with him.
Quinn was a certified jackass!
Tuxedos are mandatory?
Hopefully they won't all show up dressed like Crockett and Tubbs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.