Fort Bliss Monitor

Tips provided by Transportation Security Administration for traveling

Virginia Reza
Monitor Staff

VIRGINIA REZA
Master Sgt. Ann McDonald, 375th Transportation Group, Tampa, Fla., removes her tags before walking through the metal detector at the airport.

The Transportation Security Administration is requesting your assistance in making your travel transition a smooth one. According to Jorge Rios, customer service manager for TSA in El Paso, there has been numerous complaints of Soldiers not following screening procedures at the airport. TSA knows and understands your frustration when being deployed or your excitement to get back home to your families when coming back from deployment. But they have regulations and policies they have to follow that apply to everyone.

One of the main problems with the military is Soldiers taking prohibited items to the security checkpoints, such as ammunition, firearms, knives and all purpose tools that have knives. “You are allowed to transport these items in checked baggage only,” said Rios. “These must be declared and packaged accordingly. Firearms must be unloaded and stored in a hard-sided, locked container. Travelers must also provide keys or combinations to locked containers and remain present during the screening. The regulations are strictly enforced and violations can result in criminal prosecution and the imposition of civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.

Ammunition must be securely packaged in fiber such as cardboard or wood, metal boxes or other packaging specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition.

Rios said many servicemembers don’t realize that carrying a knife that exceeds three and a half inches is illegal in the state of Texas. “What happens is that they bring these knives they have just purchased and pass it through the checkpoint and once it exceeds a certain inch it becomes a police matter and you will be detained and charged,” he said.

Bullets are another big issue with the military. “A lot of the time Soldiers bring back souvenir bullets from Iraq,” said Rios. “Whether it’s one round or a whole clip of rounds we have to report them. Police and homeland security reports have to be filled out and depending on what time you arrive to the airport it might cause you to miss your flight.”

According to Rios, there have been several Soldiers that have become upset when they were searched or asked to take off their boots. All passengers wearing boots will be required to take them off, to include belts, coats, field jackets, tags and any metal-type objects before entering the walk-through screening. These are just recommendations, but if you refuse, you will be subjected to a thorough search. TSA acknowledges you are Soldiers serving your country, they can see your uniform, and they know you have orders, but they are under orders just as Soldiers are and have to complete their mission too. Anyone can purchase a uniform and pose as a servicemember. “Causing a scene at the checkpoint can cause you to be detained and charged,” said Rios.

“Another big problem with the military is the locking of the duffle bags,” said Rios. “They put locks and when they come back to our inspection point we have to cut the locks. Make sure you use Travel Sentry or Safe Skies locks which are recognized and accepted by TSA.

“We also get large deployments of troops show up at the airport and that is a big problem because military people usually carry two or three duffle bags which really backs us up because again a lot of the times the bags are not unlocked. On many occasions the bags come up positive for explosives and ammunition because these guys have been out in the field firing and our machines are designed to pick up those residues. We really need the military to contact us locally and let us know when they are coming through with a company and full equipment so that we can staff accordingly. If we are not notified it can cause the flight to be delayed and passengers can sometimes miss connecting flights,” urged Rios.

TSA works closely with severely injured military personnel. If you have pins or shrapnel due to war injuries, there are certain procedures that have been set up to facilitate your travel through the commercial aviation system. If you or a family member have these types of injuries contact the center by phone toll-free at 888-774-1361, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Soldiers traveling on emergency leave are encouraged to identify themselves and make sure they have orders, to avoid falling into a selectee status, which means being thoroughly searched.

“We encourage all travelers to carry valuables with them and especially military personnel,” said Rios.
For information you can contact the Consumer Response Center toll-free at 1-866-289-9673 or e-mail TSA-ContactCenter@dhs.gov.



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	May 12, 2005

<map name="boxmap-b4"> <area shape="rect" coords="0, 589, 120, 600" href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" > <area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=&creative=92501&camp=8117&link_code=dl1&path=subst/misc/amazon-cobrand-cc/v3/marketing-from-associates-step1.html/ref%3Db1_assoc_29" > </map>	Tips provided by Transportation Security Administration for traveling Virginia Reza Monitor Staff VIRGINIA REZA Master Sgt. Ann McDonald, 375th Transportation Group, Tampa, Fla., removes her tags before walking through the metal detector at the airport. The Transportation Security Administration is requesting your assistance in making your travel transition a smooth one. According to Jorge Rios, customer service manager for TSA in El Paso, there has been numerous complaints of Soldiers not following screening procedures at the airport. TSA knows and understands your frustration when being deployed or your excitement to get back home to your families when coming back from deployment. But they have regulations and policies they have to follow that apply to everyone. One of the main problems with the military is Soldiers taking prohibited items to the security checkpoints, such as ammunition, firearms, knives and all purpose tools that have knives. “You are allowed to transport these items in checked baggage only,” said Rios. “These must be declared and packaged accordingly. Firearms must be unloaded and stored in a hard-sided, locked container. Travelers must also provide keys or combinations to locked containers and remain present during the screening. The regulations are strictly enforced and violations can result in criminal prosecution and the imposition of civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. Ammunition must be securely packaged in fiber such as cardboard or wood, metal boxes or other packaging specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition. Rios said many servicemembers don’t realize that carrying a knife that exceeds three and a half inches is illegal in the state of Texas. “What happens is that they bring these knives they have just purchased and pass it through the checkpoint and once it exceeds a certain inch it becomes a police matter and you will be detained and charged,” he said. Bullets are another big issue with the military. “A lot of the time Soldiers bring back souvenir bullets from Iraq,” said Rios. “Whether it’s one round or a whole clip of rounds we have to report them. Police and homeland security reports have to be filled out and depending on what time you arrive to the airport it might cause you to miss your flight.” According to Rios, there have been several Soldiers that have become upset when they were searched or asked to take off their boots. All passengers wearing boots will be required to take them off, to include belts, coats, field jackets, tags and any metal-type objects before entering the walk-through screening. These are just recommendations, but if you refuse, you will be subjected to a thorough search. TSA acknowledges you are Soldiers serving your country, they can see your uniform, and they know you have orders, but they are under orders just as Soldiers are and have to complete their mission too. Anyone can purchase a uniform and pose as a servicemember. “Causing a scene at the checkpoint can cause you to be detained and charged,” said Rios. “Another big problem with the military is the locking of the duffle bags,” said Rios. “They put locks and when they come back to our inspection point we have to cut the locks. Make sure you use Travel Sentry or Safe Skies locks which are recognized and accepted by TSA. “We also get large deployments of troops show up at the airport and that is a big problem because military people usually carry two or three duffle bags which really backs us up because again a lot of the times the bags are not unlocked. On many occasions the bags come up positive for explosives and ammunition because these guys have been out in the field firing and our machines are designed to pick up those residues. We really need the military to contact us locally and let us know when they are coming through with a company and full equipment so that we can staff accordingly. If we are not notified it can cause the flight to be delayed and passengers can sometimes miss connecting flights,” urged Rios. TSA works closely with severely injured military personnel. If you have pins or shrapnel due to war injuries, there are certain procedures that have been set up to facilitate your travel through the commercial aviation system. If you or a family member have these types of injuries contact the center by phone toll-free at 888-774-1361, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Soldiers traveling on emergency leave are encouraged to identify themselves and make sure they have orders, to avoid falling into a selectee status, which means being thoroughly searched. “We encourage all travelers to carry valuables with them and especially military personnel,” said Rios. For information you can contact the Consumer Response Center toll-free at 1-866-289-9673 or e-mail TSA-ContactCenter@dhs.gov.