As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, WTOP presents “250 Years of America,” a multipart series examining the innovations, breakthroughs and pivotal moments that have shaped the nation since 1776.
AAR is proud to partner with WTOP to bring you this series.
This Fourth of July, Americans all across the country will be honoring the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding.
Those traveling by flight to celebrate the holiday with friends and family will come in contact with a federal workforce that is sometimes treated like Rodney Dangerfield would say, “no respect.”
These federal agents sometimes don’t get the respect they deserve, as shown by a stand-up routine by Jerry Seinfeld.
“This crack squad of savvy-motivated personnel,” Seinfeld joked. “Then you put the bag on the conveyor belt. It goes through the little luggage car wash.”
The truth is that these men and women of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have missed Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas mornings and birthdays so we could safely spend time with our loved ones.
They continue to work even when they are not getting paid.
Nearly all of TSA’s employees are deemed essential, which means they must work during government shutdowns.
The TSA recently received its first paycheck in 44 days due to the current shutdown, which beat the record of 43 days during the shutdown last fall.
Could you imagine not getting a paycheck in 87 days, over a little more than four months?
Not surprisingly, nearly 500 TSA agents quit during this recent shutdown and some called out, which caused lines at airports that took longer to get through than the passengers’ flight.
Two months after the September 11th attacks in 2001 that cost the lives of nearly 3,000 people in New York City, at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, President George W. Bush signed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA).
During the signing ceremony at Reagan National Airport, Bush said, “Today we take permanent and aggressive steps to improve the security of our airways.”
“The events of September 11th were a call to action and the Congress has now responded,” Bush said. “The law I will sign should give all Americans greater confidence when they fly.”
Before the TSA, security at airports were handled by private contractors that were hired by the airlines.
So, yes, flying was easier before 9/11.
Shoes, belts and jackets could stay on and you didn’t see a lot of people getting patted down, even if you had a four-inch knife, which was, according to the FAA manual, allowed.
The lines were fast and whoever dropped you off at the airport could head to the gate with you and wave at the plane as it took off.
The training and technology used by the TSA security officers are night and day compared to the private contractors pre-9/11.
Originally part of the Transportation Department, the 65,000-member TSA makes up a quarter of the Department of Homeland Security workforce.
The 50,000 transportation officers not only handle security at the nearly 440 airports across the U.S., but they also handle mass transit systems, pipelines, ports, passenger rail, along with freight and mass transit.
TSA’s website said that its team screens 2.5 million passengers a day.
When you add checked bags, carry-on bags, purses, backpacks, computer bags and bags filled with magazines that were purchased at the airport, the TSA checks nearly 5 million bags daily.
Now, we’ve all had that moment when you arrive at the security checkpoint at Reagan, Dulles or BWI airports and groan.
They ask the person in front of you to pull out their computer or iPad and turn it on and you’re thinking, “This is taking forever. Are they trying to make me miss my flight?”
Or they unzip your bag and you roll your eyes, knowing there is nothing in there but clothes and a blow dryer.
While it may be a hassle to some, the TSA discovered 6,678 guns at airport checkpoints in 2024 and that is compared to 926 in 2008.
As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, let’s make sure to give the proper respect to TSA workers who help make it back home a whole lot safer.
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