As a TSA Transportation Security Inspector for aviation at John F. Kennedy International Airport, I conduct inspections, assessments and investigations of airlines and individuals to determine how well they comply with regulations as well as identifying areas of potential vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.
I can use a variety of methods to determine compliance which may include surveillance, interviews, document reviews, and testing.
The inspector job is both a desk job and a field job – and that variety is something I enjoy.
While at my desk, I’m going through paperwork dotting i's and crossing t’s, making sure our traveling partners have all their paperwork in compliance.
For example, improperly completed documents aren’t exciting or dangerous, but attention to details, such as the correct spelling of an employee’s name or a properly completed manifest are key to making sure only authorized personnel are working in and around our aircraft. That’s only one of the many tasks I may find myself doing at JFK– and if you’ve never been here, trust me when I say this is a big place. There are more than 120 domestic and international airlines carrying over 50-million passengers a year.
When I’m out in the field, I’m often aboard an aircraft observing procedures and making sure everyone is doing their part in maintaining aviation security. I take this personally and I am fully committed to our mission of protecting the nation's transportation systems.
TSA, airports, and airlines have many security conscious and vigilant employees, but just as in any security profession, you need somebody like me and the other inspectors around the nation working behind the scenes to ensure the security effectiveness of the transportation system.
Horace Anderson - TSA Transportation Security Inspector, Aviation
