MacLean served in the U.S. Air Force from 1988 to 1992 . In the Air Force , MacLean was a nuclear weapons maintenance technician for Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles ( ICBMs ) . He was awarded the Basic Training Honor Graduate Ribbon , Outstanding Unit Awards , the National Defense Service Medal , and the Air Force Good Conduct Medal After his discharge , MacLean entered the U.S. Border Patrol as a border patrol agent and served almost six years in its San Diego Sector as a trainer . MacLean was recruited by the Federal Aviation Administration 's Federal Air Marshal program immediately after the September 11 attacks . MacLean was in the first air marshal class to graduate after the September 11 , 2001 attacks . After subsequently hiring a significant amount of new air marshals , the FAA program was moved under the new Department of Homeland Security 's Transportation Security Administration and called the Federal Air Marshal Service
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Robert MacLean