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Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deserve respect from the TSA


The “hyper concerns” of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to avoid the appearance of “profiling” has created a condition where valuable resources are being wasted and American Servicemembers are being publicly humiliated. In the Orlando Sentinal, Steven Alvarez, a US Army Reserve Officer, writes of his experience upon returning from Southwest Asia while he is in uniform, in possession of his DOD ID Card and traveling on an airline ticket that shows it was purchased by the US Government:

    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. An even lesser known fact is that the Transportation Security Administration aggressively targets war veterans as they travel home to their loved ones.

    At Baltimore’s airport on my way back to Orlando from Iraq, there were about 50 soldiers in line, waiting to be cleared by TSA. I noticed soldiers taking off clothing, and then they assumed the position so commonly seen in police-chase videos, arms and legs spread wide as a screener passed a wand close to their bodies. Soldiers were asked to remove belts, boots and shirts, and their carry-on bags were ransacked.

The TSA has been planning a program called the Registered Traveler Program which has already been rolled out in Orlando under the name “Clear.”

    Registered Traveler would have allowed certain airline passengers to quickly go through a separate airport security lane if they paid a fee, passed a government background check and submitted fingerprints.

The TSA beauracrats do not realize that every member of the US Military is already a member of a “registered traveler program.” Every single one of them has “passed a background check and submitted fingerprints” along with being eligible for or having some form of active current security clearances allowing them access to the security “secrets” of the United States. Members of the US Military have gone through background checks far more stringent then the TSA Screeners that are humiliating them.

Every member of the US Military carries an identification card that is the same regardless of service. It is a tamper proof card, easy to identify and can be easily verified in a DOD database.

It is time for Congress to step in and require that the TSA take steps to ensure that members of the US Military, with their Department of Defense issued ID Card are treated no differently than a traveler with a Registered Traveler Card. Members of the US Military deserve nothing less.

This is sad that this has not been taken care of. Our Military really does deserve better treatment.

I wonder how the TSA would feel. If this was done to them when they go to work.  The Military forces deserves better then this, they defend our freedom.

This is all a result of the PC brought about by the liberals and groups like the ACLU and CAIR's nonsense of no "profiling".

Well maybe the CAIR & ACLU should be profiled.  Start with checking backgrounds, criminal records, alliances, and activities.....................  ;D ;D ;D

Yeah. I'm all for that.

 ;D ;D ;D

Well brother lets see what Bill O'Reilly has to say about this. Yes I emailed him, on this problem. Though it may  take a little time for them to get all the facts.

Yes, we may be waiting some time to see this.

It might be nice, if he says something on this tonight.

As a former Sailor I would hope for better treatment.  It would be this sort of treatment that would have made me want to get back out overseas where I was treated great by nationals.

Something else we have found where I am working.  We travel a good bit and we will check on our tool boxes and such.  They come equipted with TSA Approved locks.  Which means that TSA agents have the keys and they can open them and check them.  Well they have been cutting the locks and then not replacing them.  Just leaving the tool box opened.  And simply stating that it is quicker and easier for them to just cut them.

I say if you are going to require it for the passengers then you take the time and open the locks.  Otherwise step up to the plate and get ready to dish out some money for tool replacement and things of that nature.  And if you are stupid and you lost the keys and are to afraid to report it to superior then suck it up and quit wasting time and money of citizens that are paying your salary.  Period.

Sincerely
Brother Jerry