Posted by
Brian Peters on Sunday, January 03, 2010 4:15:19 PM
Full disclosure here dear reader, I was.....ugh..deep sigh..breath....a TSA...screener. There, I said it. Yes, I was. After the totally Muslim manned attack and murder of over 3000 Americans on September 11th, 2001, as an American I was beyond enraged. I had recently retired from active duty in the Navy and wanted back in the fight somehow without going back in and possibly sitting Stateside in a non contact position in this fight. Since the airports were the weak link in the attack, overpaid minds finally agreed that it was up to the Government to take charge and do something about it. So, in typical Federal Government fashion, the knee-jerk response was to 'federalize' the passenger screening operations.
On the ground level, this seems a great opportunity to get back into the game and a possibly rewarding career as a public servant and able to make a difference in stopping another attack. So when the local call went out I threw my name in the hat and got picked. Went through the long screening process, then training, and finally was back on 'the field'.
The first warning shot across the bow that this was not what this Nation needed was when one of our 'assistant managers' asked us screeners how to operate the X-Ray machine. The other guy next to me, who was as well a Navy retiree, exchanged glances with me and we both knew that this 'butter bar' spelled doom already for what we thought was going to be a highly professional security operation.
When I hit my three year mark, out of the initial 120 people that were hired for TSA, about 15 of the original crew remained. Most were fed up with the incompetence, especially following the first round of advancement/ranking exams. That was a FUBAR situation top to bottom. I few quit outright, many followed in the following months. A few bad seeds made it through the screening/training process, their performance caught up with them.
But most, just fed up either quit or found new jobs before quitting. I did the later. But all during that time, the disillusion with management and the process only enforced my belief that the TSA was a whole system gone bad from the start. Most management came from 'other Federal' services, personnel that were in their mid career as a GS civil servant, and were unable to advance any further so many Departments were happily letting personnel go who were dead weight/marginal at best performers.
D.C., seemed to be in the mode of only issuing memo's and directives from their glass bubble, and as in with many problems of our Military, the 'top' always fails to go into the field or down to the deck plates and talk to the workers to find out what really is going on. Instead, they rely on the 'managers' who always tell their bosses everything is fine so they can keep their job.
So now, TSA has been still, stumbling along, blinded in the daylight, without a director, without doing what is really necessary to keep our skies, our people...safe. First thing...listen to El Al on how to screen passengers, second thing.....kick the Media and ACLU out of the airports.....unless you want a terrorist to succeed.
Now, our Imperial Senate, again more concerned about their own personal fiefdoms, are arguing over Erroll Southers and his possible appointment as the director of TSA. It's a no-brainer.....the man is not qualified to take charge of such an important position. He already lied once to 'The American People'...when he lied to the Senate panel: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123102257_pf.html
So what else of this man's character is going to fail during a crucial time? What is more important, I ask those who support Mr. Southers....that he, one man, gets this job, or the lives of the American People? There's no gray area? Which is it?? As a civilian, from what I've read, I can't trust the man. I can't trust him to really do what will be demanded of that position to protect my family should they fly. Can you? Will you trust him with the lives of your family members?
TSA needs a shake up for sure, as does our State Department does. The Dutch failed, our State Department failed. TSA is just the stumbling circus waiting for disaster to happen and Southers will be the perfect ring master if he gets that job. Thank God...my name will not be on his approving form.