David P. Pekoske was confirmed on Aug. 3, 2017, by the U.S. Senate as TSA's seventh Administrator. Today, Administrator Pekoske kicked-off his tenure with a busy first 24 hours on the job. Learn more about our new Administrator below and check-out some behind the scenes photos from his first day.
As TSA’s new Administrator, he now leads a workforce of approximately 60,000 employees, the security operations at nearly 450 airports throughout the United States, the Federal Air Marshal Service, and shared security for highways, railroads, ports, mass transit systems and pipelines.
Part of his first day was being ceremonially sworn in at Department of Homeland Security headquarters in Washington, D.C.
“Administrator Pekoske has unmatched experience in strategy development, innovation, team building, and organizational management,” said Deputy Administrator Gowadia. “I am confident that TSA, the men and women who serve the American people here, will be successful under his leadership.”
Before joining TSA, Pekoske was an executive in the government services industry where he led teams that provided counterterrorism, security and intelligence support services to government agencies.
Most notably, Pekoske served as the 26th Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, commanding the Coast Guard Pacific Area and Coast Guard Defense Forces West, where he led all Coast Guard operations in the Western Hemisphere. He is a recognized expert in crisis management, strategic planning, and port and maritime security. Read Administrator Pekoske’s full bio here: https://www.tsa.gov/leader-bios/administrator
Comments
Administrator Pekoske,
In order for you to be an effective public servant, I suggest you take the following steps in order to fully understand how you regulate the public you serve and how your employees treat those members of the public:
1. Submit to a full "pat down" every time you fly commercially.
2. Have a checked bag ripped open, ransacked, and a liquid left open to spill all over your suits.
3. Be interrogated by a behavior detection officer.
4. Have a carry-on bag searched out of your sight and discover something really expensive missing.
5. Watch as a female family member is given a "pat down."
6. Watch your employees bring a young mother brought to tears when her breast milk is confiscated.
7. Watch your employees humiliate a handicapped person and their family.
8. Document instances of "screener discretion."
9. Try to get an answer from @AskTSA that isn't downright insulting.
10. Have the guts to call a "pat down" what it really is and that your employees do, in fact, search human genitals and, on occasion, penetrate a woman's body.
If you have the guts to do all of these things, and more that others may suggest, I trust you will be just as disgusted about the TSA as many of the public already is. The difference is that you can do something about it. We'll be watching and we aren't at all reluctant to provide feedback.
FYI, you might check with the DHS IG concerning the amount of complaints about comments being censored and people being blocked by your employees on official government social media sites.
Was he screened as a TSA insider threat? Let me guess: TSA employees aren't subject to the insider threat program.
Administrator Pekoske, is it lawful for the TSA to pat down a minor child without informing the parent or having the parent present to witness such? More than one complaint lately about TSA doing this.
Welcome aboard Mr Pekoske. I wish you well as Administrator, you have quite the agency to take charge of. You can take that as a compliment or a sinister warning, your choice.
I personally hope you take the agency in a new direction, one that is better for the Citizen's you claim you want to protect. And I hope that direction is in down-sizing your organization to something more like the FAA. You set the rules and then let the airlines and airports work within those rules. This is just my hope, and grandpa always said hope springs eternal.
Have noticed that the TSA Bloggers have resumed not responding to specific complaints or reports of TSA misdeeds.
You guys so thin skinned you can't take a tiny bit of questioning?
RB sez - "
Have noticed that the TSA Bloggers have resumed not responding to specific complaints or reports of TSA misdeeds.
You guys so thin skinned you can't take a tiny bit of questioning?"
Not at all, as has been explained here numerous times, the Blog team has other job responsibilities, as a result, we are not always as active as we would like.
TSA Blog team
Here's another question for you, Mr. Pekoske: Why does TSA require people to remove leg braces and then walk without either the braces or a cane to assist them? There should be NO reason why TSA cannot scan braces/casts/boots without requiring removal of said braces/casts/boots.
https://twitter.com/LadyKatharineP/status/897289142190473216
Hopefully Administrator Pekoske will bring some adult supervision to TSA. I see in the news that there is now a second lawsuit against a TSA screener for karate chopping a male travelers in the genitals causing bodily injury. Of course TSA tries to make the public believe that TSA is only karate chopping the groin but anyone who has been through an "Enhanced" TSA screening knows better or just maybe in all of TSA there is not one person who knows where each body part is located. I'll leave open the option of abject stupidity since we are talking about TSA.
Submitted by West Cooper on Tue, 2017-08-15 12:58
RB sez - "
Have noticed that the TSA Bloggers have resumed not responding to specific complaints or reports of TSA misdeeds.
You guys so thin skinned you can't take a tiny bit of questioning?"
Not at all, as has been explained here numerous times, the Blog team has other job responsibilities, as a result, we are not always as active as we would like.
TSA Blog team
.................
Your time is so limited yet this is the post you responded too. I think you proved my point!
Has Mr. Pekoske experienced TSA's latest version of its patdown procedures? He should get one every day as long as it's being used on passengers.
I'd like to ask Administrator Pekoske what's with TSA's recent attacks on Breast Milk and Beverages for Children. If he needs a reference just check @AskTSA and @TSA. I gather that very few real TSA employees look at those media sources.
why is the tsa exempt from the ADA?
Dear Mr Pekoske. I find it very disheartening that 6 months ago you would award one of your TSA Global Strategies Employees a Recognition Coin and now to not extend their contract that expired today. Is that how you show your appreciation? I know you'll never see this email.
my wife and I have transported cats on several occasions she works for an animal rescue organization. the routine is, we ask for a private screening so that we can safely remove the cat(s) from the carriers so that and the agents can inspect the carriers. we usually walk thru the x-ray machine and we're done. WE JUST did this Sunday the 17th. this morning she went on the usual routine and asked for a private screening and was taken into a private room and ordered to strip down to her underwear and then TOLD this was TSA policy as she was being searched and practically molested. my sister works for an Airline and has said that this was NOT policy, a flight attendant on my wife's flight confirmed that and I AM PISSED! I am a Marine Veteran and I've had my fair share of experiences with TSA but NOTHING like what my wife has JUST been. Mr. Pekoske, YOU sir, as a Military veteran yourself and someone who understand INTEGRITY, HONOR, AND RESPECT should be as pissed off as I am about this type of behavior from your employees. let me ask you Sir..... what if it had been YOUR wife? how pissed off would YOU be then? my last solo flight to Seattle, I actally had a great time with the Seattle TSA agents. I had in my carry-on a cordless drill I had gotten as a gift and I hadn't even given it a thought.... the TSA agents were extremely polite and friendly not to mention professional...even had a few laughs along the way because I was asked to go thru the entire routine again. THIS is a rare thing,.... THAT was a great group of Agents.... it's the ones like LAX that need to be replaced or retrained. Mr. Pekoske I have read other comments... THIS issue with TSA agents is NOT an isolated incident.....PLEASE make it right!
Sir.
I see you are a decorated military officer. If one of your children (in a wheelchair) was flying home from your funeral with the flag and a shell casing from your 21 gun salute how would you feel if TSA Melton in Ft. Lauderdale Florida told them they would need to go back outside of security to throw the casing away because “you can’t have this. You can check the flag (and possibly have it lost or destroyed) and miss your flight or throw it in the trash” ??? Because of my physical disabilities which sometimes lead to cognitive issues I was able to argue that I had just gotten off a plane and had carried it from San Antonio but did not think to look up the rules. According to your website spent casings are allowed. I want action taken against this officer as I have lost something that can never be replaced! Please feel free to respond to me personally hennessy_cathy@att.net
Hello Mr. Pekoske,
I'm a concerned citizen that have lived in this country all my life ,I have never committed a crime, but every time I fly am search as though I am a criminal. I was told that am a random search I have the right to know why I have been chosen to be a random search .
Please, help me to understand why the harassment.. Thanks!
Vivian C Green