When you fly somewhere for vacation, and your family goes to the airport to get on the plane, who are the people in uniform who inspect your luggage and help you go through the x-ray machine? They’re employees of the Transportation Security Administration, also known as TSA. TSA employees work hard to make sure our skies stay friendly—preventing dangerous materials and people from flying and helping you arrive at your destination safely.
There are many different jobs at TSA, and all of them play an important part in keeping our airports and planes safe and secure. There are a few types of TSA employees that you may see at the airport or on a plane.
Air Marshals are the policemen of our skies. They investigate threats to airports and planes across the country, join us on flights to protect passengers from criminals and terrorists, and arrest criminals and terrorists on planes and airports before they have the chance to attack.
Transportation Security Officers are the agents in uniform that inspect your identification, your plane ticket, and your luggage, and guide you through the x-ray machine as you walk to your plane at the airport. Their machines and tools are specially designed to detect dangerous substances and weapons on people and in your luggage. If they find something suspicious in your luggage or in your clothes, they may inspect your belongings more closely and ask you questions.
It may seem like a hassle that slows you down on your way to an exciting plane ride, but Transportation Security Officers do all this for a very important reason—to keep our skies safe and free of terrorists and criminals.