1 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: On November two thousand one, President Bush signed the Aviation 2 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: and Transportation Security Act into law. It required screening conducted 3 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: by specially trained federal employees, one percent checked baggage screening, 4 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: expansion of the Federal Air Marshal Service, and reinforced cockpit doors. 5 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 1: The new law would spin off into the creation of 6 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: the t s A to oversee security and all modes 7 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: of transportation. We set a very clear goal to achieve 8 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: world class security and world class customer service. This is 9 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:44,919 Speaker 1: nine eleven, two decades later. I'm Steve Gregory in Los Angeles. 10 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: Congress gave officials with the newly created agency one year 11 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 1: to achieve its security objectives. On November two thousand two, 12 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: the t s A reached a major milestone. Here's the 13 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: press conference at Reagan Washington National Airport with Transportation secret 14 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: Erry Normanetta and Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge. Now Rich 15 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: was just an advisor to the President at the time 16 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 1: because the Department of Homeland Security didn't yet exist. Well, 17 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,279 Speaker 1: good morning, everyone, Thank you for joining us this morning. 18 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: Nearly one hundred years after the miracle of flight began. 19 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:22,680 Speaker 1: We are here today to celebrate another historic milestone in aviation. 20 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: Tomorrow tomorrow, every one of our nation's four hundred and 21 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:32,759 Speaker 1: twenty nine commercial airports will be staffed and secured by 22 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: professional screeners. More than forty four thousand dedicated men and 23 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: women have been hired, trained, and deployed to screen passengers 24 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 1: and ensure the safety of our skies. Each has received 25 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: more than one hundred hours of classroom and on the 26 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: job training for this important responsibility. The bottom line, the 27 00:01:56,160 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: Department of Transportation, under the extraordinary dnership of their Secretary Normanetta, 28 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: Deputy Secretary Michael Jackson, and Admiral Looy, will successfully meet 29 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 1: the one year deadline said by President Bush when he 30 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: signed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act on November two 31 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:33,519 Speaker 1: thousand one. Within ten days of the passage of that legislation, 32 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:38,800 Speaker 1: I can recall Secretary Monetta coming to the White House 33 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: for the Oval Office with a blueprint for building this 34 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: unprecedented new agency. The Transportation Security Administration began in January 35 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: with a mission statement and about a dozen employees, and 36 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: look where we are today. Now shortly, I'll have the 37 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: privilege of introducing Secretary Manetta, and he can chronicle what 38 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 1: I consider to be one of the most extraordinary organizational 39 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 1: achievements they've seen in this town in a long, long time. 40 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 1: And again to the Secretary and do Michael Jackson into 41 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: the Admiral in all of the hard working men and 42 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: women at the Department of Transportation and t s A, 43 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: we say congratulations on a job, very, very well done. 44 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: I might add that Norm's team not only beat the deadline, 45 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: they beat expectations. I remember watching the television and the 46 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: talking heads, listening to the talking heads and reading all 47 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: the journalists and all the opinion leaders who said there's 48 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: no way, as the secretary, you can possibly meet this deadline. 49 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 1: No way. But we are here today to prove that 50 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: they were wrong. However, we might us temper our pride 51 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: and this achievement, knowing terrorism is a permanent threat and 52 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: our airports on enduring vulnerability. We have seen the lenks. 53 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: Terrorists will go to penetrate airport security. They are just 54 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: as determined to destroy innocent lives as we are determined 55 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:23,280 Speaker 1: to protect them. And make no mistake, we must be 56 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 1: ever vigilant because they will try again. That is why 57 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 1: we must now take the next historic step in securing 58 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 1: our homeland. I'm going to take this opportunity to encourage 59 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 1: the Senate of the United States today and tomorrow to 60 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 1: complete their work on the new Department of Homeland Security. 61 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 1: We will enable us to unify our homeland security responsibilities 62 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: under one department with one primary mission, the protection of 63 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: American citizens and their way of life. Having one department 64 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: will make it easier for us to build partnerships with 65 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,839 Speaker 1: state and local god from it with the private sector, 66 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: including the aviation industry. This is absolutely critical if we 67 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 1: are to find solutions to our most pressing security challenges. 68 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: We all understand that airlines are critical, vital arteries of 69 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 1: our global economy. The right brothers would be astonished to 70 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: learn that eight million flights, near least six million passengers 71 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 1: and twelve billion dollars in freight go through US airports annually, 72 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 1: and I'm confident that this new agency will continue to 73 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: look for ways to improve service as it seeks to 74 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: improve security. In time. I suspect we will employ twenty 75 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: one century technology biometrics, smart cards, and other forms of 76 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 1: positive identification, as well as even more sophisticated explosive detection systems. 77 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: And of course, we rely on the training in the efforts, 78 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: the instincts, and the experience of the forty four thousand 79 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,359 Speaker 1: men and women who work at T s A to 80 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: make sure that on a day to day basis, we 81 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 1: use good old fashioned common sense at every gate, at 82 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: every airport around this country. Admiral Roy likes to talk 83 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: about some of the rules that add to passengers stress 84 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 1: levels without reducing the risk, and I suspect in time 85 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:30,279 Speaker 1: you'll eliminate or modify all of those as well. In 86 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: this new era, we must all think a new We 87 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: must keep in mind passengers daily routines as we provide 88 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:44,039 Speaker 1: them with this new measure of protection. I'm confident we 89 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 1: can do this. In fact, early results suggest that up 90 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 1: to of passengers are being screened in ten minutes or less, 91 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 1: and that's great news for the traveling public. So today 92 00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: is a milestone, but it is not an ending. New 93 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:06,479 Speaker 1: and important deadlines boom ahead. Meeting those deadlines will not 94 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: guarantee that we are one secure from terrorism, but based 95 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: on the progress to date, we can look forward to 96 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:21,119 Speaker 1: a far, far safer future. Mr Secretary, you have built 97 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: a terrific model here. I remember that first meeting in 98 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 1: the Oval Office. I remember the Mission Statement, a very 99 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: complex piece of legislation. A lot of people inside and 100 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:39,119 Speaker 1: outside government. I just really didn't think you'd be able 101 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: to build this structure, train forty thousand folks and get 102 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: them all deployed within the year time frame because of 103 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: your leadership, surrounded yourself with some great people who have 104 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: identified earlier, and you've got the commitment from those four 105 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: thousand men and women who volunteered to help you secure 106 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: the airlines and our skies. You did it. So just 107 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: on a personal note, I think it's important to recognize 108 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: what an extraordinary job Secretary Normanetta has done. He was 109 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 1: passionate about meeting the deadlines, getting these individuals trained on time, 110 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,160 Speaker 1: deployed on time, made a commitment to the President that 111 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 1: he could get it done. He could meet those deadlines. 112 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 1: So we celebrate the success of this organization and extraordinary 113 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:28,920 Speaker 1: accomplishment a great public service. Is my great pleasure to 114 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: introduce to you our Secretary of Transportation, Normanetta. Norman Tom, 115 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:39,839 Speaker 1: thank you, thank you very very much for that very 116 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: kind introduction. Governor Ridge. Last fall, President Bush turned to 117 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: an extraordinary leader to head up the Office of Homeland Security, 118 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 1: Governor Tom Ridge. As many of you know, I've known 119 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 1: Tom since two when we served in the House of Representatives, 120 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 1: and we did a lot of things together, and so 121 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,960 Speaker 1: I know of his capabilities. And Tom has done an 122 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:15,800 Speaker 1: outstanding job since his start just over a year ago, 123 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 1: and there will be much more that he will accomplish 124 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: in the days and the years ahead. Tom, I am 125 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 1: grateful for your friendship and your counsel and advice, and 126 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 1: the strong support that you have given to our important 127 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 1: security mission at the Department of Transportation. One year ago, 128 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:47,359 Speaker 1: President Bush stood in this room and signed the Aviation 129 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: and Transportation Security Act, and with the stroke of that pen, 130 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:58,199 Speaker 1: the Transportation Security Administration, otherwise known as t s A 131 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:02,600 Speaker 1: was created m And at the time of the signing, 132 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 1: America was still suffering from a widespread fear of flying. 133 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:14,960 Speaker 1: A half mile from here, burnt walls at the Pentagon 134 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 1: were a visible reminder of nine eleven, and at airports 135 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: throughout the country, long lines of nervous Americans watched as screeners, 136 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:33,599 Speaker 1: ill prepared and ill equipped for the new wartime reality, 137 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 1: struggled to check passengers. National Guard troops patrolled our airports, 138 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 1: and the press and the public wondered if adequate security 139 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 1: could ever be restored. President Bush sent legislation to Congress 140 00:10:55,240 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: proposing the creation of the Transportation Security Administration. Congress soon 141 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:08,079 Speaker 1: passed t s A legislation, and the President's signature set 142 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 1: in motion the largest peacetime mobilization in our nation's history. 143 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 1: Nico Melendez was hired by the t s A and 144 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,600 Speaker 1: January of two thousand two, just forty five days after 145 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:27,439 Speaker 1: the t s A was created, he was the agency's 146 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 1: first public affairs spokesperson. On the morning of nine eleven, 147 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:34,200 Speaker 1: I was working for a small consulting firm in Arlington, Virginia, 148 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 1: and my main client was the director of Surface Warfare Pentagon. 149 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: I had a nine thirty meetings scheduled with my client 150 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:43,840 Speaker 1: in the Pentagon, but because all of us in the 151 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: office we're watching the events in New York City on TV, 152 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 1: we got delayed, so ultimately the meeting was obviously canceled, 153 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 1: but we were all heading over to the Pentagon for 154 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 1: a meeting that day, and the people that we were 155 00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 1: supposed to meet with actually are the ones that started 156 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:01,440 Speaker 1: jumping out of window. Was in catching people trying to 157 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:04,720 Speaker 1: evacuate the Pentagon. So it was very near and dear 158 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:07,440 Speaker 1: to me and my family because fifteen minutes later I 159 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:09,520 Speaker 1: could have probably been in that building. How did you 160 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:12,079 Speaker 1: get attached to the t s A. Well, shortly after 161 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:14,840 Speaker 1: nine eleven, I was approached by a colleague of mine 162 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:17,839 Speaker 1: who worked at the Department of Transportation, and the t 163 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 1: s A had been created on November two thousand and one, 164 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: a short two months after the events of nine eleven, 165 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: and this colleague of mine asked me if i'd be 166 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:28,680 Speaker 1: interested in the job at Department of Transportation. So I 167 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:31,920 Speaker 1: submitted my my resume and my application and I got 168 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 1: I got a job offer working in the Office of 169 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: the Secretary. So I started on January three of two 170 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: two and a couple of weeks later, I was asked 171 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:43,440 Speaker 1: to be the first public affairs representative for this new 172 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 1: agency t s A, which frankly, at that time I 173 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: had never really heard about, I didn't know much about, 174 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:51,480 Speaker 1: and it was only about forty five days old when 175 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 1: I started working for them. So what was your understanding 176 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:56,679 Speaker 1: this agency would do and what its function was? After 177 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: learning about the agency working at the Department, they were 178 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 1: going to be the new federal mechanism for security, providing 179 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: security at our nation's airports, to screen passengers and cargo, 180 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:12,400 Speaker 1: and provide for the secure movement of both of those things. 181 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 1: Did you know out of the shoot, kind of the 182 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 1: scope and the responsibility this agency was going to take on. 183 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 1: I don't. I don't really think that anybody knew the 184 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: scope and the responsibility of this agency was going to 185 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: take on. You know, twenty years later, I looked back 186 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 1: and think, how did we how did we even do that? 187 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 1: You know, when we started the agency, I remember it 188 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 1: was it was a laugh to us that nobody really 189 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 1: had any sense of how many airports there were in 190 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:42,679 Speaker 1: this country. Nobody had a sense of how many screeners 191 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:45,720 Speaker 1: there were in this country because it was a completely 192 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 1: different structure back then than it is today. So the 193 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 1: scope of the of the mission, while it continued to 194 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: change almost on a daily basis, the guidelines that we 195 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 1: were given by Congress or something that I don't think 196 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: anybody anticipated, not even Congress themselves. What was security like 197 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 1: for air travel twenty one years ago as opposed to 198 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 1: what it is today? Yeah, you know, I remember going 199 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:12,719 Speaker 1: through airports and it's it's almost funny when you think 200 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: about it now. I remember going through an airport checkpoint 201 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:18,320 Speaker 1: and you walk up to the magnetometer or the metal detector, 202 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 1: and I take my keys out of my pocket, throw 203 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: them up in the air and catch them on the 204 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 1: other side, and you just stroll through. But it was 205 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: that quick, It was that insincere. But when we were 206 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:34,520 Speaker 1: created in two thousand one, while the FA had oversight 207 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 1: responsibility for security in our nation's airports, there was no 208 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 1: guide book, There was no instruction manual on how security 209 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: was supposed to be performed. The airlines were responsible for 210 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 1: paying for these security firms, and as is most cases 211 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 1: in business, you always go for the lowest bidder. So 212 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: at an airport that has five or six terminals, you 213 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 1: could have five or six different security companies providing security 214 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 1: at each terminal, and the turnover rate of those screeners, 215 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:07,080 Speaker 1: in some cases we found to be as high as 216 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 1: a hundred and fifty. People would leave the job as 217 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 1: quickly as they got there. So the training was lacking, 218 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 1: the concentration was lacking, and the predictability was lacking. So 219 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 1: when we got in, nobody knew. There was nowhere that 220 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:26,040 Speaker 1: we could find any documentation of how many screeners there 221 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:29,040 Speaker 1: were in our nation's airports because it was so many 222 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 1: different companies, there were so many different airports, so many 223 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 1: different airlines paying all these people we kind of had 224 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 1: to start from scratch and determine what's a good number 225 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: of screeners. Do you think the general public is good 226 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 1: at this now? Do you think we have it finally 227 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: or do you think there's still a lot that the 228 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 1: public needs to know. Well, you know, in the early 229 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:49,640 Speaker 1: days of t s a are, our goal was to 230 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 1: be unpredictable. We didn't want the bad guys to be 231 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:56,040 Speaker 1: able to gain the system, so we kept it unpredictable 232 00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: from one airport to another. But now it's very predictable, 233 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 1: so we've kind of fallen into what was there before. 234 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 1: While the training is consistent from airport to airport, screener 235 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: to screener, the entire screening mechanism is rather predictable, So 236 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 1: we've kind of fallen back into where we were, but 237 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:16,920 Speaker 1: with people who have made this a career rather than 238 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 1: the the attrition rates that we used to experience. So 239 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: the agencies created you're kind of figuring things out. There's 240 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 1: a big learning curve. It sounds like now you're trying 241 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: to hit your stride a bit. What were some of 242 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 1: those growing pains and big challenges overall for you as 243 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: not only spokesperson that is an employee of this new agency. 244 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: I think that the biggest growing pain, that the biggest 245 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: challenge that we had was the expeditious nature in which 246 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: we had to carry out this mission. And what I 247 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: mean by that is on September tenth, two thousand one, 248 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 1: for instance, less than five percent of all check bags 249 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:55,520 Speaker 1: were screened for explosives. Well, Congress created this law, the 250 00:16:55,560 --> 00:17:00,120 Speaker 1: Aviation and Transportation Security Act, that required all bags to 251 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:03,720 Speaker 1: be screened for explosives by December thirty one, two thousand two. 252 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:07,840 Speaker 1: So they gave this brand new agency about fourteen months 253 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 1: to identify the types of technology, purchase the technology, get 254 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: industry to produce the technology, and build the machines, deployed them, 255 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:21,280 Speaker 1: and find places to put them. Well, some of these 256 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:25,119 Speaker 1: machines required a lot more energy than was available to 257 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:28,959 Speaker 1: us through electric outlets at the security checkpoints. So in 258 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:33,640 Speaker 1: some cases we had to restructure the entire electrical mechanism 259 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:38,159 Speaker 1: that that provides power to these machines, and we had 260 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 1: to do it in fourteen months. And that was curculian 261 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:44,200 Speaker 1: effort because at the time, there were only a couple 262 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: of companies that made the technology that we needed to 263 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:50,880 Speaker 1: put into the airport, and a lot of people today 264 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:53,880 Speaker 1: will remember back twenty years ago, when you walked into 265 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 1: an airport lobby, we had the big, huge baggage screening 266 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 1: machines sitting in the lobby that therefore displaced passengers out 267 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:05,199 Speaker 1: into the street. So it was a real it was 268 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 1: a real trying time because airport managers were not happy 269 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:11,399 Speaker 1: that we had these big machines and the terminals. Passengers 270 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:13,959 Speaker 1: weren't happy, and Congress wasn't happy because we weren't doing 271 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:15,840 Speaker 1: it fast enough. But we had to figure out a 272 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:17,840 Speaker 1: way to do it, and at the same time, we 273 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:20,440 Speaker 1: were trying to hire fifty thousand people to go in 274 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 1: airports frankly all over the world because the reach of 275 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: t s A goes from the Northern Marianas Islands all 276 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:30,720 Speaker 1: the way down to Port Puerto Rico. So it was 277 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 1: it was a huge effort, and the biggest problem was 278 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 1: the time that we had to do it. There's been 279 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:38,159 Speaker 1: a lot of criticism against this agency. You know, a 280 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:40,160 Speaker 1: lot of people have said that maybe they feel safer, 281 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:43,680 Speaker 1: maybe they don't, and they've equated t s A employees 282 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: to you know, just going through the motions. How have you, 283 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 1: as a spokesperson be able to defend your agency and 284 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:53,280 Speaker 1: sort of counter that sort of negative stigma. I think 285 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 1: I always had to put the agency with the backdrop 286 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 1: of the mantra never forget. It seems that as the 287 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: American public, we have a very short attention span. Is 288 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 1: as we all say, we'll never forget, We'll never forget. 289 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:08,639 Speaker 1: But when I worked for T. S A. It was 290 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 1: very clear to me that a lot of the traveling 291 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:14,639 Speaker 1: public very quickly forgot. You know, they were calling for 292 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:19,080 Speaker 1: a better airport security on but a year later, those 293 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:21,399 Speaker 1: same passengers were upset with the lines they had to 294 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:24,880 Speaker 1: stand in, with the invasive screening protocols, with the different 295 00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: machines that we had in the airport. So the challenge 296 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:31,720 Speaker 1: was informing people, reminding them, and keeping them aware of 297 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 1: the fact that the reason we're there was to prevent 298 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,240 Speaker 1: another nine eleven. And I think that was the biggest 299 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:38,560 Speaker 1: hurdle that we had, is is keeping the attention of 300 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:40,680 Speaker 1: the American public on what we were doing and why 301 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:42,639 Speaker 1: we were doing it. What do you think we're lessons 302 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 1: learned or something. If you could go back and you 303 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,560 Speaker 1: wish the agency would do it differently, I think that 304 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 1: if we if we could have worked with Congress um 305 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 1: a little better in that first year to maybe extend 306 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: some of the timelines or change some of the requirements 307 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 1: that they put in the law. If we hyped hire 308 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: fifty people in a twelve month period and have them 309 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: trained and ready to go, mistakes are going to be made, 310 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:11,240 Speaker 1: you know. I remember very early in two thousand, two 311 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: thousand three, we had to have fire like four screeners 312 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:19,320 Speaker 1: at one airport because the baggage or the background checks 313 00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:22,440 Speaker 1: came back and we found something in their background. So 314 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: we took a black eye because we hired these people, 315 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:28,400 Speaker 1: but we had to hire them fast. So the goal 316 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:30,800 Speaker 1: was to get them on the line and then finish 317 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:34,640 Speaker 1: the matriculation process, and then once a matriculation process completed, 318 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:37,480 Speaker 1: then we would clean our clean our roles. But that 319 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: was a that was a black id our agency. We 320 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:41,680 Speaker 1: hired a lot of people that had something in their background. 321 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:44,680 Speaker 1: We didn't want them, the federal government didn't want them, 322 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:47,640 Speaker 1: passengers didn't want them. But we needed people to fill 323 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:51,080 Speaker 1: these spots, and we just hired people quickly, and we 324 00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:52,879 Speaker 1: spent a lot of money. We spent a lot of 325 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:56,160 Speaker 1: money on technology, We spent a lot of money on restructuring, airports. 326 00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:59,120 Speaker 1: We spent a lot of money getting people to where 327 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 1: they needed to go because it was an unpresented time. 328 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:04,920 Speaker 1: Had we had more time, could it have been done 329 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:09,359 Speaker 1: more efficiently and more effectively, Probably, But we had a 330 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:14,920 Speaker 1: fourteen month deadline to meet and we were being beat 331 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:17,199 Speaker 1: up from the very beginning that we weren't doing it 332 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:19,840 Speaker 1: fast enough. His air travel safer today than it was 333 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:23,680 Speaker 1: years ago. I think security is more effective. I think 334 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:26,640 Speaker 1: that we have people in place that know what they're 335 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:29,200 Speaker 1: doing and know what they're looking for. And I think 336 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 1: that from the time that I was there, we knew 337 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 1: that the bad guys were probing our system, trying to 338 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 1: figure out a way to get in. We know they're 339 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 1: out there. We know that in caves in Afghanistan or 340 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: caves in Pakistan they have found information about the airline 341 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 1: industry and about T s A operations and what we're doing. 342 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 1: So I think that the having this organization in place, 343 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:58,680 Speaker 1: it's good for the traveling public, is good for our government, 344 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,920 Speaker 1: is good for commerce. But we always we're always going 345 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 1: to need to fine tune it to make sure that 346 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:06,639 Speaker 1: they stay on the cutting edge and make sure they 347 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,680 Speaker 1: keep their eyes on the ball. Finally, is our country 348 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 1: safer today than it was twenty one years ago? I 349 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:16,680 Speaker 1: think ebbs and flows, I really do. I think that 350 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 1: going back to the mantra of never forget, we have 351 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:24,879 Speaker 1: a short attention span, and with the border issues that 352 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:27,399 Speaker 1: we have and not knowing who's coming through the border, 353 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 1: with people being disingenuous about their desire for their constitutional rights. 354 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:36,560 Speaker 1: In one perspective, you have passengers saying why don't you 355 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:40,440 Speaker 1: be more like Israel where they don't have a constitution 356 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:42,480 Speaker 1: and they can screen all of their passengers the way 357 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:47,120 Speaker 1: they want to to us, where we implement body scanners 358 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 1: and they say it's violation of their constitution, but then 359 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:53,920 Speaker 1: they want us to profile. It's just disingenuous to say 360 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:56,520 Speaker 1: what you want and then be opposed to the things 361 00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:58,720 Speaker 1: that we put in place because we're trying to make 362 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 1: the system more effective. So I think as a country 363 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 1: we are, we are more secure, but it adds and flows, 364 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:07,359 Speaker 1: you know, from month to month, day to day. We 365 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:10,440 Speaker 1: just need to do a better job of remembering why 366 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 1: we're doing what we're doing. Coming up in episode four, 367 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:15,960 Speaker 1: there was an extreme focus on are we going to 368 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:19,119 Speaker 1: be hit again? Will there be another nine eleven Securing 369 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 1: the Homeland nine eleven, two decades Later, is produced by 370 00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:27,720 Speaker 1: Steve Gregory and Jacob Gonzalez, and is a production of 371 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 1: the KFI News department for I heart Media Los Angeles 372 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:34,160 Speaker 1: and the I heart Podcast Network. The views expressed are 373 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:37,360 Speaker 1: strictly those of the guests and not necessarily the hosts 374 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:40,960 Speaker 1: or employees of I heart Media.