1 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,119 Speaker 1: The Federal Air Marshal Service was created during the nineties 2 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: sixties after a series of hijackings in the Middle East 3 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: and problems in Cuba. On the morning of nine eleven, 4 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: there were thirty three air marshals who worked within the 5 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: Federal Aviation Administration. Following nine eleven, thousands of air marshals 6 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: would be hired under the Transportation Security Administration to make 7 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 1: up one of the largest law enforcement agencies in America. 8 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,239 Speaker 1: Working at thirty five thousand feet in the air, they 9 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:39,200 Speaker 1: were having some problems, medical problems, up and down three 10 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: or four times a day, just like the flight of 11 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:43,879 Speaker 1: tennis and the pots, and it's not really healthy for you. 12 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:47,159 Speaker 1: This is nine eleven. Two decades later, I'm Steve Gregory 13 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles. The Federal Air Marshal Service or FAMS, 14 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: got a big boost following nine eleven. There was funding available. 15 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: There was a scramble to hire qualified agents and open 16 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: up field offices around the country. Frank John Sandy was 17 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: brought on board right after nine eleven to run the 18 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: field office in Los Angeles. He was the special Agent 19 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: in charge. So where were you on nine eleven? So 20 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: I was on the UH. I was assistant Special Agent 21 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: charge on the former President for detail in Beaver Creek, Colorado, 22 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: and uh, we're we always had a TV on for 23 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: for intel and news in the command post, and it 24 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 1: came on early in the morning, and that's that's when 25 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: we saw it. So we immediately it was pretty shocking 26 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,319 Speaker 1: for everybody. We watched it several times before we realized 27 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: this was really happening and it was an attack as 28 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: opposed to an accident, right, because initially that's what we 29 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: thought it was. We I mean, you know, President Ford 30 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: was in his eighties and his mid eighties by then, 31 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: he was no longer really a threat to anybody. His 32 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: what he knew and all. But they have Secret Service 33 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: protection until the day they die, the President of first Lady. 34 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: And we thought, gee, this this will be a possibility 35 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: maybe for some terrorists to kidnap former presidents. That was 36 00:01:57,320 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: on my mind. So of course we we swung an 37 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: act and we put a we He lived in a 38 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: cul de sact, so we blocked the cul de sac 39 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: with vehicles, and he lived in a private community, so 40 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:11,079 Speaker 1: of course we notified the security of the community and 41 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 1: the local security and Eagle Veil said, if he's anything suspicious, 42 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: any individual suspicious, anybody looking for President Ford or any 43 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: asking any questions like that, we need to know right away. 44 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 1: And of course we brought some long rifles out on post, 45 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: so we kind of beefed up the weapons that we had. 46 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: So what was the jump for you from doing the 47 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: detail for President Ford to Air Marshal Well, I had 48 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: my twenty years on and that's the minimum amount to retire, 49 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:41,400 Speaker 1: and I was thinking about retirement as a Secret Service, 50 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 1: as a Secret Service agent, and uh, it just happened 51 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 1: to be that Tom Quinn, who was who I knew 52 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:49,959 Speaker 1: from the Secret Service. He was fairly high up in 53 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 1: the organization. He was going to be the first director 54 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:56,079 Speaker 1: to Federal Air Marshal Service, and he had called some 55 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: of us that he knew. Yeah, so he he said, look, 56 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: we're gonna we're gonna open up offices all over the country. 57 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: We're looking for people. Of course, it are well equipped 58 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: to handle security. I mean that's what we've done security. 59 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 1: We do criminal investigations too, but half of half our 60 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: job is protection. So it made sense. So he took 61 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: he took a lot of the senior agents. I was 62 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:19,920 Speaker 1: one of them, and we were sent out to these 63 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:24,079 Speaker 1: different air marshall post. I took l A because it 64 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 1: was the closest one to UH where Ford lived. He 65 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: was in Colorado at the time, but his main home 66 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: was in Palm Springs. So I said, just send me 67 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: to the closest place. He said, well, it's actually not 68 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: in l A. It's a It's at the Altra Marine 69 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: Corps air station. And I had the thing for a second, 70 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 1: and I remember leaving there in nineteen seventy two. It 71 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 1: was my last station after I come back from Vietnam. 72 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: And I remember leaving there in UH September seventy two, 73 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 1: and as I'm leaving the gate, leaving the Marine Corps 74 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: after four years, remember turning around looking at gate and 75 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: I said, I'll never see this again. Twenty five years later, 76 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: here I am going back in the air as an 77 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: air marshal. I would have never guessed that. How quickly 78 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: after nine eleven did this ramped up air marshall service happened? 79 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: They were, They were ramped up in a couple of months. 80 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: They had. They hired a Savene agency to hire air marshals. 81 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: We had to through a lot of interviews to hire 82 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 1: how many we needed to hire. It was thousands. The 83 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 1: numbers confidential how many we hired, but you had to 84 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 1: interview thousands and thousands of people. So this AGEC came 85 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: in and started doing those interviews. Meanwhile, headquarters are starting 86 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: to ramp up, starting to come up with their divisions, 87 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: and they were starting to plan what's going to happen 88 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: when these air marshals are go through the academy. Was 89 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 1: I think it might have been ten weeks or something 90 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,559 Speaker 1: like that, depends on your background. Somewhere longer, somewhere shorter. 91 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: After while, everybody went through the full academy, but the 92 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: beginning we wanted to get people in those seats. It 93 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:52,720 Speaker 1: was paramounts. So actually before El Toro we were it 94 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:55,840 Speaker 1: wasn't me. I wasn't there yet. But those thirty three 95 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: air Marshals two were sent to each field office to 96 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 1: start things going. Initially during the only ones that had 97 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: any experienced with with all that. So they were working 98 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: out of hotel room to hotel rooms, and the air 99 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: Marshans would come in, they pick up their schedule for 100 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: two weeks, their flight schedule, and off they would go. 101 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: When they were done to two weeks schedule, they would 102 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: come back pick up another schedule for two weeks. So 103 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 1: when you went through the training, had you talked to 104 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 1: anyone on how how different it was? I mean, what 105 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 1: were the new things you had to look out for? 106 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: Now you had thig tanks going all over the country 107 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,160 Speaker 1: and people sat down and they had a chance to 108 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 1: see what happened, how was how was the nine eleven 109 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:32,720 Speaker 1: hijackings pulled off? And so what they did was they 110 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: came up with all these ideas. Number one is you 111 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: want to prevent that from happening again. Of course, then 112 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,480 Speaker 1: you want to go beyond that. So the hardened cockpit 113 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: door was one of them. Of course, it took months 114 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 1: and months and maybe even years to get some of 115 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: this stuff done for all the aircraft, especially the doors. Meanwhile, 116 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: what the flight attendants were doing until they could get 117 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:54,239 Speaker 1: that completed, The flight attendants were moving their drink cards 118 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 1: when the when the party had to come out to 119 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: go to bathroom. On certain you know air flights, they 120 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: didn't have them a pick bathroom. They would come out 121 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: with the flight attendants. If they didn't have some of 122 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: those planes they had these metal screens that could come down. 123 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: But the ones that didn't have that, they would push 124 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: the cart in between the passengers and the cockpit and laboratory, 125 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 1: so at least someone who have to jump over and 126 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: a flight attendant would stand would stand there. And that's 127 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 1: that's what they had at the time. How many flights 128 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: did you go on as an air marshal I started 129 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 1: as the air I started the air marshal in charge. 130 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: I took about twelve flights just to see what it 131 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: was like. I took out European trip, I took an 132 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 1: Asian trip, and I took some domestic trips just to 133 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: get a feel for his like to sit in that 134 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 1: seat and and observe what they were supposed to observe 135 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: and see the reaction of the the flight crew, the 136 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: pilot because some of these, you know, you go to 137 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: foreign countries, you're met by customs in these foreign countries 138 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,480 Speaker 1: or by other law enforcement. We're trying to smooth it 139 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: out the whole process. Meanwhile, we had foreign air marshals 140 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: coming into our country and we would assist them in 141 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 1: coming through our customs and things like that, hotel rooms 142 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:08,600 Speaker 1: and and things like. They're coming to a country in 143 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,080 Speaker 1: a city they've never been to before, so we would 144 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: smooth and things out for them. And they assist us 145 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 1: on the other end. So I guess I never really 146 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: thought about that our countries having their own air marshals. Yeah, 147 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: of course, and we some countries couldn't afford it, and 148 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: we told them that we would be their air marshals. 149 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 1: That never came to fruition, but we've had. We had 150 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 1: the Japanese, the Germans, the Canadians, the Mexicans, French, all 151 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 1: the major countries that have airlines. Uh, they would come 152 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 1: into our country, you know, on on their on their 153 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: flagged airlines, and we only went on our flag airlines, 154 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 1: United American Delta, all of them. So that's kind of 155 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: how we went. And we sat in discussions with them. 156 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: Everybody has their own idea kind of weapons you're gonna use, 157 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: whether you use weapons, you don't use weapons, with kind 158 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: of tactics, where your CD is going to be. We 159 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 1: sat with a lot of these other agencies, different countries, 160 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 1: and we pulled our thoughts together and that's what we did. 161 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: It was truly global effort. Oh yeah, absolutely, And and 162 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: even I even worked at the airport for a while, 163 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: and we also went out to other airports, not the 164 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 1: air marshals, but the fsd S and t s A 165 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 1: went out to other airports that didn't have the the 166 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: wherewithal the United States has, and we help with their 167 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 1: security at the airport because if they're going to be 168 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: the one screening our passengers were coming into New York 169 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: and all, we want to make sure they're doing it properly. 170 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: December twenty nine, two thousand three, Homeland Security Secretary Tom 171 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 1: Ridge talks about the first time the newly created Color 172 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:33,439 Speaker 1: Threat System changed colors and how the air marshals would help. 173 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:36,960 Speaker 1: Just over a week ago, the United States government raised 174 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 1: the national threat level from an elevated to a high 175 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:44,679 Speaker 1: risk of terrorist attack and as we know, we're commonly 176 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 1: known referred to us from code yellow to code orange. First, 177 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: let me say that Homeland Security officials at all levels 178 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: of government, federal, state, and local, continue to work around 179 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:02,319 Speaker 1: the clock to protect our country. We know we know 180 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:06,839 Speaker 1: from experience that the increased security we implement when we 181 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 1: raise the threat level, along with the increased vigilance that occurs, 182 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:17,400 Speaker 1: can help disrupt or deter terrorist attacks, and it continues 183 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 1: to be the case. I wish that all Americans could 184 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:24,319 Speaker 1: have the benefit of seeing firsthand what I have the 185 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: opportunity to see, and that is the scope of the 186 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 1: response undertaken by all segments of law enforcement, public safety, 187 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 1: and government at all levels, as they have quickly and 188 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:45,199 Speaker 1: effectively ramped up comprehensive protective measures around the entire country. 189 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 1: It is because of their good efforts that we are 190 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:54,719 Speaker 1: without doubt better prepared to deter or to respond to 191 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: a terrorist threat than ever before. Now, with all the 192 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:03,959 Speaker 1: recent talk okay about air travel, it is understandable that 193 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:09,439 Speaker 1: some still question the safety of flying. Let me reassure 194 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:12,680 Speaker 1: you that in the two and a half years since 195 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 1: September eleven, our aviation system has risen to new heights 196 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: of security and will continue to take additional steps to 197 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:27,319 Speaker 1: increase protection. Today, I am announcing the Department of Homeland 198 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 1: Security has issued aviation emergency amendments to further enhance security 199 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 1: relating to both passenger and cargo aircraft flying too flying 200 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: from and over the United States. Specifically, we have requested 201 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:51,959 Speaker 1: that international air carriers, where necessary, place trained armed government 202 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 1: law enforcement officers on designated flights as an added protective measure. 203 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 1: These directives, of effective immediately are part of our ongoing 204 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:07,320 Speaker 1: effort to make air travel safe for Americans and visitors alike. 205 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:12,959 Speaker 1: All Americans should know now that we are at a 206 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:18,640 Speaker 1: Code orange state of alert. Additional meaningful security measures have 207 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: been put in place all across the country. I've been 208 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 1: talking with retired Federal Air Marshal Frank don Zanti, who 209 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 1: was the Special Agent in charge for the Los Angeles 210 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:30,079 Speaker 1: Field Office. Wasn't there an issue about the fact that 211 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: you look like air marshals and that you look like 212 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 1: cops or agents, and that you had to start really 213 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: working on blending in more. That's true, and it was 214 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 1: for a lot of reasons. One is, we hired people young, 215 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: young people, mostly physically fit, so they kind of stood 216 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: out as a typical businessman. We tried to we wore 217 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 1: suits some flights, like you got flights from Washington, d C. 218 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:57,199 Speaker 1: To New York, or some flights from l A to 219 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:00,280 Speaker 1: San Francisco. Businessmen would dress up in suits. Times they 220 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: would take their tie off, but they'd have suit on. 221 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 1: They fly up, go to a meeting, and fly back 222 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: there in suits. So we tried to put air marshals 223 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:09,319 Speaker 1: in suits on those flights. We had flights in l 224 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:11,840 Speaker 1: A A lot. A lot of my flights went to Hawaii. 225 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:14,679 Speaker 1: We had ha wine shirts on. So we tried to 226 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: blend in, but you had fairly young guys and girls 227 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,199 Speaker 1: physically fit looking around instead of reading books and on. 228 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: We tell them, okay, you can read a book, but 229 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 1: don't get too involved in a book. You can read, 230 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:27,959 Speaker 1: you can watch a movie, don't get too involved in 231 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 1: a movie. And because your job is to be circumspect 232 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 1: and see what's going on, So what people would do 233 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:36,240 Speaker 1: is they would look at people that were that were 234 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: looking at them. And so you know, we we learned 235 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 1: over time how to blend in, and it took and 236 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:46,160 Speaker 1: it took a while. As the program itself has it stayed. 237 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:50,560 Speaker 1: This robust isn't a federal air marshal program, but it's 238 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 1: part of the t S A right, right, you know, 239 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 1: we we left t s A for a while and 240 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,839 Speaker 1: went went to Customs. But because we wanted to be 241 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 1: an air marshal being for tection all the time for 242 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:03,200 Speaker 1: twenty years, that's tough to do to be an airplane 243 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:04,599 Speaker 1: up and down. So we're trying to think of a 244 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: way to get him involved in something else, like the 245 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 1: Secret Service. We did fifty percent protection, fifty percent investigations. 246 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:13,560 Speaker 1: So we thought if we if we got involving customs. 247 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:16,199 Speaker 1: They could do maybe six months or a year or 248 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 1: two years of flying, then a couple of years doing investigations. Well, 249 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: we never were quite accepted by customs. They didn't want 250 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:25,080 Speaker 1: people coming in for two years of leaving for two years, 251 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:28,439 Speaker 1: so it never quite panned out that way. So, you know, 252 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:30,199 Speaker 1: we did some other things. We got them involved in 253 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:33,960 Speaker 1: airport security. So we had liaison people, which I actually 254 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 1: did for ten years at Long Beach and john Wyn Airport. Uh. 255 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: We're involved with the local police, state police, and airport 256 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:43,760 Speaker 1: police and we helped them do assessments, security assessments. When 257 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:45,839 Speaker 1: the air marshalls had come through, we would handle them 258 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 1: and and issues like that v I p s would 259 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:50,320 Speaker 1: come through, would help them through security. So we did 260 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:52,120 Speaker 1: a lot of a lot of things like that. The 261 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 1: other thing we had people in all fifty Joint Terms 262 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,840 Speaker 1: and Tests Force by the FBI, so we had people 263 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:02,719 Speaker 1: embedded air marshals and that are doing FBI investigations that 264 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:06,839 Speaker 1: were related to airline safety and airport safety. So we 265 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 1: had fifty people doing that and we also had a 266 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:12,719 Speaker 1: person in headquarters JTTF in Washington, d C. So we 267 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: wrote it did through these positions and I would get 268 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:17,960 Speaker 1: him off off the airplanes. Of course, they could always 269 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: go to the academy teach the academy. There was administrative 270 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 1: jobs and headquarters. We had administrative jobs at the l 271 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 1: a X office, scheduling and things like that. We had 272 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:30,240 Speaker 1: our own training program so they could do that. So 273 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:33,400 Speaker 1: that went on. We did a sleep study because we 274 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:37,840 Speaker 1: found out that they were having some problems, medical problems, 275 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: up and down three or four times a day, just 276 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 1: like the flighted tendants and the polis, but their job 277 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,160 Speaker 1: was a little different. Unlike flighted tendants, they had to 278 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 1: sit down most of the time, more like a pilot 279 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 1: and it's not really healthy for you. So and then 280 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: they couldn't sleep. He had the six hours sometimes three 281 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: hours change in time. So they did a six month 282 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 1: sleep study and they came up with a way to 283 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: do change scheduling a little bit and do something. So 284 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: I mean it has changed. It's it's gotten a little 285 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 1: better in that respect, but the training is just as robust. 286 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 1: If anything, it's it's probably better. We've we've learned things. 287 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: They have a fairly long academy and we have we 288 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 1: have good quarterly training that we still do every office 289 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 1: has an airplane mock up where you could induce smoke 290 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 1: into it. You can, you can rock and roll it, 291 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 1: you can, you can get you have a p A 292 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 1: system and we have airline seats in air and we 293 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 1: run scenarios and they come in their quarterly and they 294 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: run scenarios with with blank guns, and we run different 295 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 1: scenarios over and over and over again. So the program 296 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 1: itself is still very much alive and well from the 297 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: time you started to the time you retired. During your 298 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 1: tenure there, how many risks were averted or how many 299 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:49,880 Speaker 1: attacks might have been averted, It's hard to say. I 300 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 1: would say, just just by m your presence, you probably 301 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 1: have heard a lot of attacks. You know, the rowers, 302 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:57,320 Speaker 1: they're always going to hit the weakest link, and aviation 303 00:15:57,400 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 1: at the time was the weakest link, and no one, 304 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 1: no one had your as your nation. I think that 305 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 1: could be done like that, so once you know, I 306 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: mean everything that we've been doing, the air marshals and 307 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: the doors you had mentioned, and of course the screening 308 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: was a big part of it. All the screen that 309 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: we're doing now at the airports. When the tear US 310 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: knew that we're putting money and effort into that there 311 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 1: they were kind of sidetracked into something else. I mean, 312 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 1: we always thought it could happen again, but as the 313 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 1: years went by, they thought their softer targets. And so 314 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: we had the shoe bomber, if you remember, we had 315 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 1: the underwear bomber, and then we had um We had 316 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:32,520 Speaker 1: some bombs that were going to be placed in the 317 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 1: in the luggage compartment. So as we harden everything up, 318 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:38,480 Speaker 1: they just found other places, other venues to go. And 319 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: so as far as the air marsh is actually stopping 320 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:46,520 Speaker 1: something on board, it's it's almost nil. But it's like 321 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: anything else in security, you never know what you stopped. 322 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: In the Secret Service, we never knew how many assassination 323 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 1: attempts we stopped. We we know of like one maybe, 324 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,560 Speaker 1: and it was Hinckley. Hinckley when he was interviewed by 325 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 1: the Secret Service after his shot Reagan, they said, you know, 326 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 1: they talked him for quite a while and they said, 327 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: did you was he the first president you were an assassinated? 328 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 1: Says no, I I tried to assassinate Jimmy Carter and 329 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 1: he goes wine and he goes when and we went 330 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 1: we reviewed film that the media took at the at 331 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 1: the sites that he was outdoor sights, and there he was, 332 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 1: he was about five rows back at a speech Jimmy 333 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:23,359 Speaker 1: Carter gave and he had that same far away look 334 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 1: at his face, and he said, I never got close 335 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:27,679 Speaker 1: enough that I felt I could take a shot at 336 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 1: the Jimmy Carter. And so you just don't know when 337 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:34,440 Speaker 1: you when you think about that, you really don't know 338 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:37,880 Speaker 1: what you stopped. We just we found that out after 339 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 1: he was successful the second time, but he he had tried. 340 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: It wasn't that only that one time, but as other 341 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:45,479 Speaker 1: times he said he had tried, he just could never 342 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:47,680 Speaker 1: get close enough. What were some of the biggest challenges 343 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:50,920 Speaker 1: about making this in an effective program? First of all, 344 00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 1: the infrastructure. I told you we started out the hotel rooms. 345 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:56,920 Speaker 1: Then we moved to El Toro and we moved into 346 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:00,080 Speaker 1: the tower at El Toro, the aircraft tower there, and 347 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:02,879 Speaker 1: there was some there was some rooms there, and there 348 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:05,160 Speaker 1: was no furniture there in any office equipment. We borrowed 349 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 1: a lot of that from that was in storage because 350 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 1: the El Toro was under that brack program based realignment 351 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:12,760 Speaker 1: program that was back then, so they had all this 352 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:15,880 Speaker 1: equipment there. So we needed all this equipment. We brought 353 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:17,960 Speaker 1: a lot of that in. There was a problem with 354 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 1: drinking water at El Toro. You couldn't drink the water. 355 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 1: If you remember that we had super super funds back then. 356 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 1: A lot of the military bases were drunk, were dumping 357 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 1: toxic chemicals that leads through leached into the groundwater. So 358 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 1: we had to bring in water, bottled water. We had 359 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:35,320 Speaker 1: to bring in porta potties. So it was it was 360 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:37,359 Speaker 1: all of that and then and then getting people out 361 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:39,879 Speaker 1: the right flights, determining what flight say should be on. 362 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,639 Speaker 1: That was that part was done in headquarters, trying to 363 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:44,920 Speaker 1: look at the trying assess the and the intel we 364 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:48,120 Speaker 1: had and where this threat was. There's twenty five thousand 365 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:51,120 Speaker 1: flight legs a day in the United States, twenty five 366 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 1: thousand we had to cover, so you could imagine you 367 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:56,920 Speaker 1: can't cover them all, so someone we had to decide 368 00:18:56,960 --> 00:18:59,879 Speaker 1: which ones we were going to cover, and and scheduling 369 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,520 Speaker 1: was was a monstrosity trying to schedule that any people. 370 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:06,439 Speaker 1: Then you had flight delays for a mechanical flight delays, 371 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:09,680 Speaker 1: weather flight delays. Yet fans that were sick, how do 372 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 1: you how do you how do you operate all this 373 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 1: as all these moving parts, and then the intel was 374 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 1: was NonStop, especially the beginning. I was getting calls too 375 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:20,280 Speaker 1: and three o'clock in the morning about incidents that occurred overseas. 376 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:23,359 Speaker 1: They were just waking us up and get us the intel. 377 00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:27,399 Speaker 1: And I remember one time I got some information on 378 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:31,199 Speaker 1: Remember when some molty pirates were out there taking over ships. 379 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:33,640 Speaker 1: They've made a movie about it. So I get a call. 380 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 1: It wasn't two o'clock in the morning, but I got it. 381 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:38,840 Speaker 1: I got a rather rather long email on Somali pirates 382 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 1: hijacking ships. I said, well, what does that have to 383 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:46,119 Speaker 1: do with L A X Airport? And hey, go, this 384 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:48,240 Speaker 1: is our intel people. We were told to give you 385 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 1: everything because remember connecting the dots, and they were afraid 386 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 1: that they weren't going to tell something we needed to know. 387 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:58,159 Speaker 1: So okay, I guess there's there's a lead from from 388 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:01,159 Speaker 1: hijacking ships the hijacking air plane. So we got everything, 389 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:04,920 Speaker 1: and it was just we were inundated with intelligence. In 390 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 1: the beginning. It slowed down a little bit, I think 391 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: because the intel slowed down, and you know, over the years, 392 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,919 Speaker 1: but it was incredible just dealing with the intelligence. Did 393 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,159 Speaker 1: you like the work. Oh, of course I did, because 394 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:18,920 Speaker 1: I you were busy that first year a year and 395 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,680 Speaker 1: a half. We're working twelve hour days. Like I said, 396 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 1: we're getting phone calls, we're getting woken up. You really 397 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 1: felt like you were doing something useful. And we always 398 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:29,720 Speaker 1: saw another attack was imminent in the beginning. So yeah, 399 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 1: I did enjoy it. I enjoyed The Air marshals were 400 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:36,600 Speaker 1: very dedicated. They they had signed up for this because 401 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: they figured they were gonna they're gonna have to deal 402 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: with somebody fifty thousand feet. So these are motivated people. 403 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:44,719 Speaker 1: And it was great working with motivated people because then 404 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:47,320 Speaker 1: when they went in it went into training, they were 405 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:50,639 Speaker 1: paid attention. They always did their best in training. It 406 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:54,240 Speaker 1: was it was nice being around them. I heard that 407 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: pilots can opt to carry a weapon. Yes, do you 408 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,159 Speaker 1: know about that? And I'm not sure exactly when that 409 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 1: came into being, but that was that was one of 410 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:05,000 Speaker 1: the things that that Blue Panel came out with, is 411 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:07,960 Speaker 1: is the arm the potots? Because remember they broke down 412 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 1: the door into the cockpit, So either some would happen 413 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:15,960 Speaker 1: to the Air marshals were they become neutralized, or most 414 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:18,920 Speaker 1: likely they would be the hijackers will be on a flight. 415 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: There were no air marshals, although I think the passengers 416 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:24,360 Speaker 1: would have intervened. But let's say all that went went 417 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,080 Speaker 1: to the side. If they broke down the door of 418 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: the cockpit, they still had the the potots armed. So 419 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 1: we trained then we gave him a couple of weeks 420 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 1: training and uh, there was limitations on what they could do, 421 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:39,199 Speaker 1: what they should do, and all they had they had 422 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 1: standard operating procedures. I'm not going to go into those, 423 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:45,199 Speaker 1: but you know they were given ther s ops. They 424 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:48,359 Speaker 1: had training by us and then and then have recurrent training. 425 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,639 Speaker 1: And we thought that worked great because these were a 426 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 1: lot of former military people. They're very adept at what 427 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,560 Speaker 1: they do. These are these are thinkers of course, and 428 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: so you know, you give them should and they could 429 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 1: handle the mission. So that with that worked out good 430 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,400 Speaker 1: for us. And we worked with them along the way 431 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:07,920 Speaker 1: and and I thought it a good program. Is still 432 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: going on? Was this voluntary? Were they totally voluntary? But 433 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:14,639 Speaker 1: they didn't they didn't get pay They actually went on 434 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 1: their own time to our training. But the airlines they 435 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:19,399 Speaker 1: wanted them to do it, but they weren't willing to 436 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 1: pay them. To do it, So we gave the weapons. 437 00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:26,879 Speaker 1: There are weapons belong to the federal government. We game credentials. 438 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,080 Speaker 1: Are they peace officers? They kind of our peace officers 439 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:32,600 Speaker 1: in when they're in that cockpit, they have that status, 440 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: but not outside the cockpit, not outside that plane. Their 441 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 1: authority leads when they leave that plane. So in theory, 442 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 1: there's this federal police program that's in the sky, right, 443 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:45,000 Speaker 1: that's separate of the marshall program. So you probably have 444 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:48,400 Speaker 1: the largest civilian police department. It's very large, and I'm 445 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:51,639 Speaker 1: sure that's classified to it's it's large, larger than what 446 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:54,680 Speaker 1: do you think. And they had their credentials and all 447 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:57,480 Speaker 1: because they carry that weapon. It is concealed and it's 448 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:01,120 Speaker 1: it's done the right way and it's there, and uh yeah, 449 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:03,200 Speaker 1: they don't have any authority off that plane like the 450 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:06,119 Speaker 1: federal air marks. Of course, they're federal officers to have 451 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:08,880 Speaker 1: authority all the time twenty four by seven. And they carrey. 452 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:12,080 Speaker 1: They can carry their weapons off duty. The potits can't. 453 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: What is the threshold of intervening for for an air marshal. 454 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:18,680 Speaker 1: Is it only when there's an imminent threat to the 455 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:21,880 Speaker 1: plane as in a hijack, or is it an unruly passenger. 456 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: You know, we're trying not to get involved into small 457 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:28,159 Speaker 1: stuff if they and if it has to do with 458 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:33,840 Speaker 1: flight safety, if they're assaulting often you know, flight attendants 459 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:35,880 Speaker 1: and things like that. We're actually comes to the point 460 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:38,880 Speaker 1: because now I'll tell you a lot of times passengers 461 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:40,880 Speaker 1: are going to intervene before the air marshals do anything, 462 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 1: because we're not gonna jump in any situation half cocked. 463 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 1: We're always going to look at things and see what's 464 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:47,600 Speaker 1: going on. We don't want to be roused into something, 465 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:49,960 Speaker 1: so we're not we're not jumping out of that seat 466 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 1: doing anything in a hurry. We're looking around, We're communicating 467 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 1: with each other. We may even communicate with the flight 468 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:57,680 Speaker 1: attendants and the and the and the captain and say, 469 00:23:57,720 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: here's what's going on. What do you have. We want 470 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:02,639 Speaker 1: to know everything that's happening, not just one small incident. 471 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:06,320 Speaker 1: So we'll hesitate to get involved in small stuff. But 472 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:09,040 Speaker 1: anything has to do with the air worthiness of that airplane, 473 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:11,119 Speaker 1: that's what we're going to get involved in it. But 474 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:15,479 Speaker 1: like I said, after some thoughtful thoughtfulness, before we get 475 00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:17,720 Speaker 1: involved in anything like that, do you want to share 476 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:20,200 Speaker 1: any close calls whether it was you or someone on 477 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:23,280 Speaker 1: your team. We've we've always had an early pastor of 478 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:27,640 Speaker 1: things like that. But to be honest with you, we've 479 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 1: had people We've had We did have an incident in 480 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:34,840 Speaker 1: Miami was the Miami Office. It was fairly early on. 481 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:39,720 Speaker 1: There was a passenger traveling from South America to Miami. 482 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:41,840 Speaker 1: They they were gonna move on. I think they stayed 483 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:44,600 Speaker 1: on that flight and they were moving on to another 484 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:50,240 Speaker 1: another city stop, and apparently one of the passengers had 485 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:54,959 Speaker 1: a backpack on and he was mentally ill you might 486 00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 1: say he had mental condition, and he was off his meds, 487 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:01,680 Speaker 1: and he started pacing around the air raft. Uh, and 488 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 1: he started to unraveled. The plane was still on the ground. 489 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:08,720 Speaker 1: Pastor was still coming on board, embarking debarking, and he 490 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:12,679 Speaker 1: the air marshall saw this was going on. He stood up. 491 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,080 Speaker 1: They told him to sit down. He started walking around, 492 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 1: like I said, and then finally he started walking. He 493 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:21,760 Speaker 1: started leaving the plane. If I if I remember, well, 494 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:23,840 Speaker 1: he had his backpack on the front and he kept 495 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 1: going inside his backpack almost like it looked like he 496 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 1: may have been a suicide bomber. And he was acting insane. 497 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:34,119 Speaker 1: You might want to say, just acting very unusual, and 498 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 1: he wouldn't obey any orders, so you are marshals. This 499 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:40,480 Speaker 1: I think went on for a couple of minutes. Finally 500 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:43,159 Speaker 1: said take your hands out of your backpack. Take your 501 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:45,360 Speaker 1: hands out of your backpack because there's an airplane. They're 502 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 1: refueling that airplane. So you can imagine what that would 503 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:50,200 Speaker 1: have been like if he had an explosive there. And 504 00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:54,680 Speaker 1: he refused to do that, and he started walking back 505 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 1: to the aircraft and the air marshals interposed himself between 506 00:25:58,359 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 1: him and the aircraft and he said, you're not coming 507 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 1: back on, and he started coming on and they shot 508 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 1: him and they killed him. So that that was an incident. 509 00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 1: And of course he didn't have anything in a backpack. 510 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:10,720 Speaker 1: He was mentally ill and he's off his medication. The 511 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 1: air marshall looked cleared. It was a big investigation by 512 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:19,159 Speaker 1: I think it was Dade County, Macho, Dade County, uh, 513 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:23,560 Speaker 1: and they were cleared, but he just wouldn't he wouldn't stop, 514 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 1: and he was he was getting ready to get back 515 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:29,479 Speaker 1: on that airplane and they just couldn't do it. Unfortunate incident. 516 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 1: So that was the biggest incident we had coming off 517 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 1: of your tenure as a Secret Service agent and then 518 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: your ten year as a federal air marshal at least 519 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:40,280 Speaker 1: as a sack. Are we safer today than we were 520 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:43,640 Speaker 1: twenty years ago in the air? I could. I could 521 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:45,680 Speaker 1: speak to that sure. And a lot of the stuff 522 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 1: we covered already with T s A. I mean, we 523 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:51,160 Speaker 1: have a whole organization, that's what they're dedicated to air safety, 524 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:53,520 Speaker 1: but not only air safety. It gets to the the 525 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:57,200 Speaker 1: airports themselves, the screening, all the assessments that are done 526 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: at the airports. We worked together very closely over here. 527 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:04,239 Speaker 1: I worked together with the Orange County shrif's department, had 528 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:07,400 Speaker 1: a great relationship with them and Long Beach Police Department 529 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 1: at Long Beach now l a X It's LAWA is 530 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:12,680 Speaker 1: the main law enforcement agency there and we have a 531 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 1: great relationship with them, and of course with the FBI 532 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:17,479 Speaker 1: and the A t F comes through there quite a bit, 533 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:20,359 Speaker 1: and Customs we have relationships with them. So we build 534 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:23,240 Speaker 1: relationships over the year. We're in the j T t F. 535 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: Like I told you is we get all the intel 536 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:29,639 Speaker 1: that they get. We're pulling together. So yeah, we have 537 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:31,920 Speaker 1: the air marshal program. We have all the other programs 538 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 1: up and running. We have the connectivity, the Intel and 539 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:39,200 Speaker 1: all the upgrade they did to the aircraft themselves. Yeah, 540 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:42,440 Speaker 1: we're safer. Can I predict what's gonna happen now? I 541 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 1: can't predict. I can just say we're doing a better 542 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:48,240 Speaker 1: job and we're safer than when were then. Absolutely. What 543 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:51,280 Speaker 1: about is a country? Well, I'll go back and this 544 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:54,440 Speaker 1: this isn't new with with some of these um bad 545 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:57,120 Speaker 1: actors in our own country, U s. Citizens. This goes 546 00:27:57,200 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 1: way back. I mean, it goes back to the Vietnam 547 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:00,320 Speaker 1: War and all that. If you want to do you 548 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:02,479 Speaker 1: remember all those groups that were back then. That has 549 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: slowed down for a little bit. But then even in 550 00:28:04,119 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: the nineties, you know, Timothy McVeigh and you had the 551 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:13,240 Speaker 1: different religious groups, we call them quasi religious groups. You 552 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:16,160 Speaker 1: had all kinds of issues like that. So we always 553 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:18,560 Speaker 1: we always looked at the internal threat. It was long 554 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:22,280 Speaker 1: before things started unraveling. Now, these people have always been around, 555 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:24,800 Speaker 1: you know, a different locations. So we always thought that 556 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:29,199 Speaker 1: was because they're Americans, they have jobs, they know our culture, 557 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:32,439 Speaker 1: they're they're here and I think that's starting to come 558 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:35,360 Speaker 1: back again, you know. They so they say we decimated 559 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:37,439 Speaker 1: al Qaeda to some extent in some of these groups, 560 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:40,680 Speaker 1: all these different factions, the Red Brigade and all that. 561 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 1: It was an international operation. When all that that started 562 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:47,880 Speaker 1: to wane and then some of these local groups now 563 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:50,680 Speaker 1: were starting to come back again. And so to me, 564 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 1: that's a little frightening. I know, the FBI is concerned 565 00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 1: about it, and it's there's a lot of talk about 566 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:59,000 Speaker 1: it that that kind of bothers me. Homegrown terrorists that 567 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 1: we've been looking at that though, you know for quite 568 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:04,680 Speaker 1: some time. Like I said, it goes way back, but 569 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:07,960 Speaker 1: it's been stepped up quite a bit, even even the 570 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 1: I remember when I was in Vail, Colorado with President Ford, 571 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:15,120 Speaker 1: they had a group that it didn't want development of 572 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: natural lands, so they burned down a ski resort outside 573 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 1: of Ail, Colorado and things like that. So yeah, they 574 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 1: anarchisted and all that. So it's always been there. I 575 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 1: remember when nine eleven happened, everybody said, uh, we we 576 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:32,680 Speaker 1: never anticipated anything like that. Well it's not quite true 577 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:38,240 Speaker 1: because in nineteen seventy four Robert Preston wasn't it. He's 578 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:41,080 Speaker 1: an army Uh he went to helicopter pot at school 579 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:46,440 Speaker 1: seventy four, and in February seventy four, he didn't make 580 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:48,280 Speaker 1: the program, so he didn't get his wings. They made 581 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 1: him a U A helicopter technician. So he decided he's 582 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:56,240 Speaker 1: going to steal a helicopter. He's still a helicopter. He 583 00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:58,560 Speaker 1: flew it around. They couldn't catch him. They were flying 584 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:00,040 Speaker 1: out the helicopters to catch him, and he won to 585 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:02,080 Speaker 1: show him how how good he could fly to helicopter, 586 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:04,840 Speaker 1: and he flew around for quite a while. They couldn't 587 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:07,719 Speaker 1: They couldn't make him ground the helicopter. So he decided 588 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:09,560 Speaker 1: to ground to the south grounds of the White House, 589 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:13,120 Speaker 1: and as he was doing that, the Secret Service shot 590 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:15,640 Speaker 1: him and the arrested him after he landed his plane 591 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:17,920 Speaker 1: on the south ground. So we always we always knew 592 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:22,160 Speaker 1: there was an aviation s fret to the White House. 593 00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:26,000 Speaker 1: And then in UH ninety four, and this is really strange. 594 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 1: Nine eleven nine September eleven nine four, Frank Quarter, who 595 00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:35,720 Speaker 1: was mentally ill, flewis Sesna one fifty into the White House. 596 00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:37,440 Speaker 1: He the only reason he didn't hit the White House 597 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:39,600 Speaker 1: is because he hit a big oak tree that had 598 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:41,800 Speaker 1: been there for a hundred years. He hit an oak tree, 599 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 1: and the plane crashed and blew up and it was killed. 600 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:47,200 Speaker 1: I think he was twenty or thirty feet from the 601 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 1: White House. He was mentally ill, so going back to them. 602 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:52,280 Speaker 1: And then in ninety four when I was in a 603 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:55,520 Speaker 1: Secret Service, I was in a meeting with a lot 604 00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:58,360 Speaker 1: of the higher ups in the Secret Service, and it 605 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:01,680 Speaker 1: came to Lady again. We worried about airplanes crashing into 606 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 1: the White House, and so we we had a representative 607 00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:10,000 Speaker 1: from a a local contractor come in defense contractor, and 608 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 1: he talked about what kind of weapons we could put 609 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:16,560 Speaker 1: at the White House, any aircraft weapons, this kind of thing. 610 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:19,880 Speaker 1: And we had a big key to discussion over that, 611 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 1: putting in any aircraft weapon, that kind of those kind 612 00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,320 Speaker 1: of weapons you know at the White House and Washington 613 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 1: d C. With with the flight line only a couple 614 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 1: of miles away, with the airplanes coming and going out 615 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:36,280 Speaker 1: of Washington d C Airport Reagan National and you know, 616 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: those those rockets go several miles. So we had I'm 617 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:41,560 Speaker 1: not going to tell you what happened at the end 618 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 1: of that now, I'm not gonna tell you what I'd 619 00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:46,600 Speaker 1: up doing at the time. And I and I and 620 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:48,040 Speaker 1: I and I'll be honest with you, I don't know 621 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 1: what they did now. That was, that was thirty years ago. 622 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:53,600 Speaker 1: Coming up in episode six, the government failed to protect 623 00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:56,880 Speaker 1: the American people. The United States government was simply not 624 00:31:57,120 --> 00:32:01,120 Speaker 1: active enough in combating the terrorist threat before nine eleven. 625 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:09,160 Speaker 1: The Final Analysis nine eleven, two decades Later, is produced 626 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:12,680 Speaker 1: by Steve Gregory and Jacob Gonzalez and is a production 627 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:15,840 Speaker 1: of the CAFI News department for I Heartmedia Los Angeles 628 00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:19,640 Speaker 1: and the iHeart Podcast network. The views expressed are strictly 629 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:22,600 Speaker 1: those of the guests and not necessarily the hosts or 630 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:24,080 Speaker 1: employees of iHeartMedia.