Get ready to get pissed:
It seems “miscommunication” is to blame for last week’s security mix-up that delayed a trio of leathernecks escorting the body of a fallen Marine through the Philadelphia airport.
The sergeant and two corporals were escorting the body of Sgt. Lea R. Mills, who was, like them, a member of the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, to Mills’ family in Gulfport, Miss., on May 3 when they were taken over to “secondary” screening at the Philadelphia International Airport. It was there where the Marines were taken to a nearby room by Transportation Security Administration agents and told to remove their blue dress coat, belt and shoes.
In complete fairness, we’ll let a spokesman toss in his two cents on behalf of the bumbling, incompetent $6-an-hour meatheads at the TSA:
According to Kayser, TSA has special screening guidelines in place for service members who are accompanying the bodies of fallen service members to their families for burial. “These guidelines reflect the agency’s utmost respect for those who have lost their lives in service to this country, their families, and those who bring them home with honor,” TSA officials said in a statement provided by Kayser.
These guys couldn’t stop a determined terrorist from bringing a running chainsaw onto a plane. Instead, they harass Marines on probably one of the hardest days of their lives.
I know we’ve got a number of Marines in the readership. What do y’all think?
[Hat-tip: Big45Iron]
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I’m not a marine, but I think the Jarheads would have been perfectly within thier rights to shoot the ba$tards with thier side arms.
The TSA needs to understand, you don’t screw with a US Marine, and you DEFINITELY don’t screw with a US Marine that is escorting a fallen comrade home.
I definitely would like to recall my on-the-fence statement from earlier. Knowing now that the TSA has guidelines in place for such a situation, and knowing that they probably aren’t “make the Marines undress”, I find this inexcusable…
I know Matt verified this with the USMC Public Affairs folks at Headquarters Marine Corps. I’ll cut the TSA some slack only by say #()*@*^!_ and 1!(&*^*^#!@ and )*^(^!@# and their ancestors too.
I guess we are getting what we paid for with the TSA! They can let weapons, bombs, and contraband get by, but two uniformed Marines don’t stand a chance.
The TSA Gate Personnel, the Head of the TSA, and that worthless head of Homeland Security should apologize in person to the Marines. It should be filmed and played on the MSM.
Simple (former Marine)
Semper fi Simple. Three Marines detained actually. Not only should they apologize to the Marines, they should apologize to the family of the fallen Marine. And just for the record, FOX and talk radio are the MSM. The alphabet networks are the DLWM (declining left wing media).
Miscommunication my A$$! I don’t care where they get on the plane, if they are in uniform they shouldn’t even have to be screened by anyone! They should lock these TSA screeners in a room with a projector showing unending pictures of our armed forces in all dress. Let them stay in there for a couple of days and watch those pictures so next time they will be able to recognize a member of our armed forces. What jerkoffs.
#3 Big and all….
Ditto only in spades. I couldn’t have %$#$ING said it better!
So special they delay Marines escorting the body of a fellow soldier back home to his family? I’m guessing they could live without that kind of “special” treatment. It’s truly a despicable way to treat a group of people who give so much to America.
They also strip searched a blind 91 year old woman in a wheelchair with an IV and oxygen. She fit their profile. Yeah Matt, it really does pi$$ me off.
I was in the Oklahoma City airport in Feb and noticed they have a special screening area for the military. It was in another area- apart from the security entrance used by civilian travelers-, and had heavy hanging curtains to sort of hide it. Though when I walked by there were a large number of soldiers in fatigues being taken through.
Islandgal, it’s always been standing (not standard) operating procedure during and since Vietnam on military flights returning from overseas to the USA to search both military and civilian personnel and their belongings. Sometimes this occurs in civilian airports, but is usually done by military police.
They’re looking for drugs and explosives.
The saddest thing is this is a perfect example of how Federal oversight of something that should be done by corporate america can and will be screwed up, and usually in a very short time. The TSA is the reason I fly as little as I possibly can, and I work for an Airline…..
Not to overlook the shining examples of intellectual capacity = their shoe size for airport screeners who tried to take THE MEDAL OF HONOR from an elderly recipient who was wearing his. Recall that the nitwits didn’t know what it was and tried to claim it was a potential weapon. Sharp points, you know.
God bless our men and women in service and give comfort to the loved ones of our fallen heroes.
now what the hell are yall suggesting, that they use logic?[/sarcasm]
Well now the terrorist know that if they dress up like Marines they will never be bothered at airports, because of this.
Henley, did it take effort to say something that silly? How about taking their orders, calling Headquarters Marine Corps, and just verifying their status? Would that make a bit more sense to you? I think you are qualified to become a TSA screener after a comment like that.
Isn’t the TSA the brainchild of the current republican administration?
Gadboy, yes, but you can bet most of the government employees vote Democrat.
Gadboy, somebody who is smart enough to vote conservative wouldn’t have done something that stupid.
#16 # Big45Iron The procedures that you suggest all take a lot of time, and some forethought. Something that the TSA lacks. What do you expect from a bunch of minimum wage workers? I would rather them make a mistake than just be complacent. And maybe you are right. I may not be smart enought to become a government employee. But I do just fine in the privte sector.
Henley
#15
Read what Bigs posted in his #11 and others before blindly posting a comment like that. Just shows your ignorance of how these things are handled.
Henley, since when was common sense based on wages? It’s more of a mindset with liberals. And actually I said it appeared you were well qualified for the position. You confirmed that again in #20. Regardless of what I pay an employee, they better do a good job, or move their butt on down the line to somebody willing to let them act like fools. I don’t have the time. And as a taxpayer, I don’t have to stand by and say “oh well, government work”. Their work is critical. You know they aren’t being paid minimum wage either, so that is more nonsense on your part. They have an important position, dealing with the public. They represent our nation. If they can’t act like it, then they need to be fired. This is a classic case of the difference between liberals and conservatives. Liberal can’t use logic or common sense. If they had either, they wouldn’t be a liberal to begin with.
Big45Iron
#22
Very well said!
Another example of the ongoing incompetence of the Bush administration. The stupid democrats repeatedly attempt to paint the Bush administration as incompetent.
However the Republican administration excells in self induced stupidity! The psychological term is masichistic.
Actually, Joe Lieberman and the democrats wanted the office of Homeland Security, that gave us TSA; so you can thank the democrats ultimately for the mess.
However, I agree that TSA should not be a government entity; screeners and airport workers should be paid by private companies.
Why should the Marines be treated any different that the rest of us? They are also citizens subject to TSA screening. The TSA is also what they are fighting for, isn’t it?
Yes, it is a disgrace!
Let the Marines experience what the politicians are doing to us while they are sent willy-neely around the globe. After all, once they are out of uniform they will be subject to the same treatment. And their children.
I say let the armed forces travel with their M16’s in the overhead compartments as well as allow CCW holders to carry on the plane, I’ll becha that United Flight 93 would have landed safe and sound in Pittsburg with three dead arabs aboard if that had been the case.
I would let all free citizens carry. Oh, wait isn’t that the way it is supposed to be? Don’t we have God given right to self-defense, which pre-dates any and all governments?
I am a future Marine and i Believe that checking our Marines is stupid and retatrded especially since they are from the same battalion these airport officials have no right to check them.
Semper Fi
Im a TSA screener and im not a minimum wage employee.Remember that on 911 our nation’s airports had private screeners and everybody know what happened.We treat every passenger following the same procedure. If you have to much metal on your person the metal detector will alarm and we are going to resolve that alarm regardless who you are. If a screener ask you to remove any metal object, including medals of honor,is just trying to avoid alarms on the metal detector so you don’t have to go under secondary screening.
During the last 3 years we have seen passengers carrying prohibited items, even members of the armed forces, police officers and government officials. That’s why we treat everybody equally.
We even caught a knife in a funerary urn and a hand gun concealed in a little girl teddy bear.
When I was a private screener I was subject to the influence of the airline I worked for where the employees avoided screening procedures and we couldn’t do anything to stop them under threat of job termination. We only screened 30% of check baggage and when the rush hour came, less than that. My job used to be in the best interest of the airline bussy scheduled and not of the public safety.
Now as a federal screener we check every passenger and 100% of the check baggageand as a public worker I work for the best interest of the public and the passenger’s safety and Im not subject the airlines presure.
Remember that a public worker do the job for the public and a private worker do it to the private interest.