Examining Air Marshals' Drinking Habits Puts Them at Risk for Beheadings, Group Says

A federal employees group has issued a cease and desist demand to the Transportation Security Administration for potentially putting Federal Air Marshals in danger when conducting sobriety tests in foreign countries, though the service said there is no risk in the inquiries.

The Federal Air Marshal Service instituted a policy to ensure its agents were not drinking on the job when stationed abroad, which included TSA’s Office of Inspections proactively determining whether the Marshals were drinking before flights. Air Marshals are allowed to drink while temporarily in foreign land, but they must maintain sobriety leading up to and during flights.

The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association said those probes constituted a “betrayal of the FAMs presence and identities, placing their lives unnecessarily at risk.”  FLEOA therefore asked the agency to cease and desist the policy, which was instituted this year under FAMS Director Roderick Allison.

The agency maintained, however, that it has gone to great pains to ensure Air Marshals’ identities are kept secret. Additionally, the policy kicks in only after unprofessionalism is observed and there is reasonable suspicion of misconduct.

“As we work to uphold the high standards required to ensure the safety of passengers, measures are in place to safeguard the well-being of our employees and to make sure they are never compromised,” Allison told Government Executive. “Professionalism and accountability are essential in carrying out our mission as a counterterrorism agency and I’m proud to state that the overwhelming majority of the FAMS workforce serves with honor and integrity.”

A spokesman added the overwhelming majority of its workforce abides by the rules, but the agency wanted to get ahead of any potential problem. He stressed Air Marshals are not inconvenienced by the policy.

FLEOA stated, however, that TSA investigators were speaking to hotel staff to determine if FAMs were drinking excessively. Frank Terreri, who represents Air Marshals at FLEOA, said the policy was putting the agents in “dire jeopardy” of attacks, including beheadings by terrorists.  

"It is unfathomable that the TSA and FAMS management would promulgate a policy that directly divulges the undercover identity of FAMs, especially overseas,” FLEOA Terreri said. “TSA is not only endangering the American public by this inane policy, they are setting up FAMs to be identified by terrorists while unarmed overseas and for possible abduction.”

Despite the concerns and FLEOA’s demand, there are no plans to stop the policy.

“The Federal Air Marshal Service is strongly committed to our duty of ensuring the integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness of our operations while holding all employees accountable to a rigorous code of conduct,” Allison said.