Running Header: USELESS AGENCY

Useless Agency
Garrett Thomas
Waxahachie Global High

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Contents

Abstract
Body
Bibliography

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Abstract
The U.S. Air Marshal Service is in charge of protecting planes in the U.S.

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After the attacks of 9/11 the fear of plane terrorism has risen to the point that the government
increased the size of the U.S. Air Marshals from fifty five to around 4,000. This incredible increase in Air
Marshals is due to the fear of another terrorist attack for happening on a plane or with the use of a
plane. It is questioned whether or not the U.S. Air Marshals serve any real benefit to national security.
There are around 30,000 commercial flights daily in the United States. In order for Homeland
Security to place two Federal Air Marshals (FAM) on each plain there needs to be at least 75,000 FAMs
to fill every plane and to allow them off days. According to the former FAM Clay Biles There are only
around 3,300 Air Marshals, and 36% of them have desk jobs. This means that there are only 750 flights
with air marshals on board each day. According to CNN less than 1% of commercial planes are actually
covered by FAMs.
According to Tennessee Congressman John J. Duncan there is $860 million spent on the
service each year. Even with the high expenses given to the Air Marshals, they arrest an average of four
people a year, thats $200 million per arrest. Congressman Duncan also says that More Air Marshals
have been arrested than people have been arrested by Air Marshals This is an obvious indicator that
the FAM are not worth the investment.
Airport security has also increased dramatically since 9/11 by adding metal detectors and bag
scanners in every major airport in the nation. Officers posted at the security stations average six arrest
weekly around the nation. This supports further the fact that FAMs are not needed to protect
passengers aboard a plane. Most planes have a lockbox in the cockpit that contains a gun for the
protection of the pilots to prevent the reoccurrence of an attack such as 9/11.
FAMs are instructed to not get involved because they will blow their cover. While in the
Airport FAMs are not allowed to stop crimes in progress including murder. USA today reported the
shooting of TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez who died after the incident. The gunman was in a dispute
with the Hernandez then shot him while two FAMs were less than 100 yards away and didnt get
involved before or after the shooting. While in the terminal they cannot present themselves but if a
passenger refuses to sit after the flight attendants ask the repeatedly the Air Marshall will present
himself and force them to sit so the plane can take off, blowing his cover for the rest of the flight.
Passengers have the capability to foil attacks by terrorist aboard planes, and this is proved by
Flight 253 and Flight 93. Flight 253 had a suicide bomber on board but the detonation of the bomb failed
merely causing a fire. The man was tackled by a passenger who then took the burning bomb and put out
the fire with his bare hands while flight attendants put out the fire in the seat and wall that the bomber
was sitting at. There was not an FAM on Flight 253. Flight 93 was the fourth plane hijack by terrorist on
9/11 and was headed for either the Capital Building or White House in Washington DC. Passengers
aboard the flight were told that the plane had been hijacked and heard of the other attacks on the
World Trade Center and The Pentagon. The people onboard hijacked the plane from the terrorist and
then crash in Pennsylvania saving the lives of government officials and anyone else inside the targeted
building.

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Sources