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What Do Sky Marshals Do?

The Federal Air Marshal Service was born in 1970, in response to the hijacking incidents that took place in the 1960s. It was established to end the hijacking incidents that took place in flights going to and coming from Cuba. Back then, the U.S. military special forces comprised the Federal Air Marshal Service which was also called the Customs Air Security Officers Program or the Sky Marshal Program. As the years progressed, the numbers dwindled leaving fewer than 50 sky marshals on Sept. 11, 2001. After the tragic attack, President George W. Bush had the program tweaked and expanded. Presently, thousands of federal sky marshals fly on a regular basis on domestic and international flights to protect airline security. Also known as federal air marshals (FAMs), they are the ones who detect and prevent any attack on air carriers targeting the United States.

Seasoned Travelers
- The Transportation Security Administration handles the Federal Air Marshal Service, making it also a responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security. FAMs travel to domestic and foreign destinations for several weeks on a regular basis. These sky marshals are on call and have to work irregular hours. They barely have personal communication with family while they are deployed. FAMs may have to be deployed in foreign countries in political or economic unrest. Moreover, these countries could be a haven for possible terrorist activity against the U.S. Government.
Responsibilities of Sky Marshals
- It is the duty of FAMs to address any criminal incidents that occur on U.S. air carriers. They are also responsible for handling other in-flight energies. The FAMs are permitted to carry firearms onboard. They are also authorized to arrest people, if it is done for the safety of the individuals inside the aircraft.
Training a FAM
- FAMs undergo an intensive training program that is broken down into two phases. The initial phase is basic law enforcement training that runs for seven weeks. The law enforcement course is conducted in the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, New Mexico. Aside from that, the FAMs also complete training in New Jersey at the William J. Hughes Technical Center. The training covers tasks that are performed by FAMs on field. The future FAMs are trained in constitutional law, physical fitness, defensive tactics, behavioral observation, marksmanship, medical assistance during emergency situations and other related law enforcement strategies.
  
  The second and final phase of the training is intended to polish the skills of the candidates. The training fine tunes the marksmanship skills of the candidates. It is very important to do this because the tight space of the aircraft and the number of bystanders need special attention. The candidates are assigned to any of the 21 field offices across the country upon successfully completing their training to begin their missions as certified FAMs.
Weaponry
- The U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service obtained the SIG Sauer P250 Compact for the .357 SIG cartridge when it signed a multimillion-dollar contract in 2009. Air marshals are required to undergo a recertification on their firearms every quarter of the year. An anonymous air marshal revealed that marshals are trained with the shoot-to-stop firing technique, wherein the first area of target is the largest part of the body, the chest. Afterward, the air marshal shoots the neck to incapacitate the nervous system.
Compulsory Citizenship
- Sky marshal candidates must be U.S. citizens under 37 years of age. Any candidate cannot be appointed as a federal law enforcement officer on or after his 37th birthday. Proof of date of birth is needed from each candidate. Exemptions are only granted to candidates who have previous work experience in a covered federal law enforcement position.

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