Within the  10-month period immediately following 9/11, the number of air marshals  grew significantly. FAMS deploys thousands of federal air marshals to a significant number of  daily domestic and international flights. At times, air marshals may have ground-based assignments. FAMS’s Operational Approach to Achieving Its Core Mission Is Based on Risk-Related Factors

FAMS’s operational approach (concept of operations) for achieving its  core mission is based on assessments of risk-related factors, since it is not  feasible for federal air marshals to cover all of the approximately 29,000  domestic and international flights operated daily by U.S. commercial  passenger air carriers. FAMS seeks to maximize coverage of high-risk flights by establishing  coverage goals for 10 targeted critical flight categories. An Independent Assessment Concluded That FAMS’s Approach for Achieving Its Core Mission Was Reasonable; Recommendations for Enhancing the Approach Are Being Implemented

After evaluating FAMS’s operational approach for providing an onboard  security presence on high-risk flights, the Homeland Security Institute, a  federally funded research and development center, reported in July 2006  that the approach was reasonable. We reviewed the institute’s evaluation  methodology and generally found it to be reasonable. Although the institute’s July 2006 report concluded that FAMS’s  operational approach was reasonable and valid, the report also noted that  certain types of flights were covered less often than others. For example, the institute recommended that FAMS increase  randomness or unpredictability in selecting flights and otherwise diversify  the coverage of flights. Our January  2009 report noted that FAMS had implemented or had ongoing efforts to  implement the institute’s recommendations. FAMS Has Taken Positive Actions to Address Issues Affecting Its Workforce and to Help Ensure Continued Progress

To better understand and address operational and quality-of-life issues  affecting the FAMS workforce, the agency’s previous Director—who  served in that capacity from March 2006 to June 2008—established various  processes and initiatives. The previous  Director also established listening sessions that provided a forum for  employees to communicate directly with senior management and an  internal Web site for agency personnel to provide anonymous feedback to  management. These efforts have produced some positive results. For example, as noted  in our January 2009 report, FAMS amended its policy for airport check-in  and flight boarding procedures (effective May 15, 2008) to better ensure  the anonymity of air marshals in mission status. In addition, FAMS  modified its mission scheduling processes and implemented a voluntary  lateral transfer program to address certain issues regarding air marshals’  quality of life—and has plans to further address health issues associated  with varying work schedules and frequent flying. In our January 2009 report, we also noted that FAMS plans to conduct a  workforce satisfaction survey of all employees every 2 years, building  upon an initial survey conducted in fiscal year 2007, to help identify issues  affecting the ability of its workforce to carry out its mission. Thus, to increase the usefulness of the agency’s  biennial workforce satisfaction surveys, we recommended that the FAMS  Director take steps to ensure that the surveys are well designed and that  additional efforts are considered for obtaining the highest possible  response rates. FAMS, to  its credit, has established a number of processes and initiatives to address  various operational and quality-of-life issues that affect the ability of air  marshals and other FAMS personnel to perform their aviation security  mission. The current FAMS Director has expressed a commitment to  continue relevant processes and initiatives for identifying and addressing  workforce concerns, maintaining open lines of communications, and  sustaining progress. How does FAMS foster career sustainability for federal air marshals  given that maintaining an effective operational tempo is not  necessarily compatible with supporting a better work-life balance? These types of questions warrant ongoing consideration by FAMS  management and continued oversight by congressional stakeholders.
Why GAO Did This Study

By deploying armed air marshals onboard selected flights, the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS), a component of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), plays a key role in helping to protect approximately 29,000 domestic and international flights operated daily by U.S. air carriers. This testimony discusses (1) FAMS's operational approach or "concept of operations" for covering flights, (2) an independent evaluation of the operational approach, and (3) FAMS's processes and initiatives for addressing workforce-related issues. Also, this testimony provides a list of possible oversight issues related to FAMS. This testimony is based on GAO's January 2009 report (GAO-09-273), with selected updates in July 2009. For its 2009 report, GAO analyzed policies and procedures regarding FAMS's operational approach and a July 2006 classified assessment of that approach. Also, GAO analyzed employee working group reports and related FAMS's initiatives for addressing workforce-related issues, and interviewed FAMS headquarters officials and 67 air marshals (selected to reflect a range in levels of experience).

What GAO Found

Because the number of air marshals is less than the number of daily flights, FAMS's operational approach is to assign air marshals to selected flights it deems high risk--such as the nonstop, long-distance flights targeted on September 11, 2001. In assigning air marshals, FAMS seeks to maximize coverage of flights in 10 targeted high-risk categories, which are based on consideration of threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences. In July 2006, the Homeland Security Institute, a federally funded research and development center, independently assessed FAMS's operational approach and found it to be reasonable. However, the institute noted that certain types of flights were covered less often than others. The institute recommended that FAMS increase randomness or unpredictability in selecting flights and otherwise diversify the coverage of flights within the various risk categories. In its January 2009 report, GAO noted that the Homeland Security Institute's evaluation methodology was reasonable and that FAMS had taken actions (or had ongoing efforts) to implement the institute's recommendations. To address workforce-related issues, FAMS's previous Director, who served until June 2008, established a number of processes and initiatives, such as working groups, listening sessions, and an internal Web site for agency personnel to provide anonymous feedback to management. These efforts have produced some positive results. For example, FAMS revised its policy for airport check-in and aircraft boarding procedures to help protect the anonymity of air marshals in mission status, and FAMS modified its mission scheduling processes and implemented a voluntary lateral transfer program to address certain quality-of-life issues. The air marshals GAO interviewed expressed satisfaction with FAMS's efforts to address workforce-related issues. The current FAMS Director has expressed a commitment to continue applicable processes and initiatives. Also, FAMS has plans to conduct a workforce satisfaction survey of all employees every 2 years, building upon an initial survey conducted in fiscal year 2007. GAO's review found that the potential usefulness of future surveys could be enhanced by ensuring that the survey questions and the answer options are clearly structured and unambiguous and that additional efforts are considered for obtaining the highest possible response rates. To its credit, FAMS has made progress in addressing various operational and quality-of-life issues that affect the ability of air marshals to perform their aviation security mission. However, sustaining progress will require ongoing consideration by FAMS management--and continued oversight by congressional stakeholders--of key questions, such as how to foster career sustainability for air marshals given that maintaining an effective operational tempo can at times be incompatible with supporting a work-life balance.