Changes

After four years of active duty, '''Robert MacLean''' (born on March 8, 1970, in [[Torrejon Air Base]], [[Madrid, Spain]]) elected not to reenlist and was honorably discharged from the [[U.S. Air Force]].  MacLean then entered the [[U.S. Border Patrol]] and served almost six years until he transferred to the U.S. [[Transporation Security Administration]] (TSA) immediately after the [[September 11, 2001 Attacks]].  MacLean was in the first FAMS class to graduate after the attacks. <ref>[http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=2331806 Air marshal’s firing prompts whistleblower suit], Stephen Losey, ''Federal Times'', November 7, 2006</ref>

After four years of active duty, '''Robert MacLean''' (born on March 8, 1970, in [[Torrejon Air Base]], [[Madrid, Spain]]) elected not to reenlist and was honorably discharged from the [[U.S. Air Force]].  MacLean then entered the [[U.S. Border Patrol]] and served almost six years until he transferred to the U.S. [[Transporation Security Administration]] (TSA) immediately after the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]].  MacLean was in the first FAMS class to graduate after the attacks. <ref>[http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=2331806 Air marshal’s firing prompts whistleblower suit], Stephen Losey, ''Federal Times'', November 7, 2006</ref>

==Aviation Security [[Whistleblower]]==

==Aviation Security [[Whistleblower]]==

In July 2003, U.S. Federal Air Marshal (FAM) Robert MacLean tried to blow the whistle within the TSA on a plan to reduce air marshal coverage of nonstop, long distance flights amidst heightened warnings <ref>[http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wi36t4B2OV4 Federal Air Marshal Fired for Exposing Dangerous Policy], ''CNN Lou Dobbs'', November 20, 2006</ref> based on a July 26, 2006 [[Department of Homeland Security]] (DHS) Advisory describing intelligence of an [[al-Qaeda]] suicide hijack plan. <ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2003/07/30-hijackings.htm U.S. warns of 9/11-style plane attacks], Mimi Hall and Kevin Johnson, ''USA Today'', August 1, 2003</ref>  

In July 2003, U.S. Federal Air Marshal (FAM) Robert MacLean tried to blow the whistle within the TSA on a plan to reduce air marshal coverage of nonstop, long distance flights amidst heightened warnings <ref>[http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wi36t4B2OV4 Federal Air Marshal Fired for Exposing Dangerous Policy], ''CNN Lou Dobbs'', November 20, 2006</ref> based on a July 26, 2006 [[Department of Homeland Security]] (DHS) Advisory describing intelligence of an [[al-Qaeda]] suicide hijack plan. <ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2003/07/30-hijackings.htm U.S. warns of 9/11-style plane attacks], Mimi Hall and Kevin Johnson, ''USA Today'', August 1, 2003</ref>  

The plan would exploit a U.S. immigration loophole enabling a terrorist, without a U.S. visa, to take a flight from a country with less-stringent security to a U.S. airport and roam that U.S. airport during a layover before taking a second connecting flight to the destination country.  Once inside a U.S. airport, terrorists would smuggle weapons onto aircraft by hiding weapons inside camera equipment and children's toys.  During flight, the terrorists with the smuggled weapons would overpower the crew, take control, and fly the hijacked aircraft into U.S. east coast targets. <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A64871-2003Jul29?language=printer Memo Warns Of New Plots To Hijack Jets], Sara Kehaulani Goo and Susan Schmidt, ''The Washington Post'', July 30, 2003</ref>  The plan was in direct violation of the [[Aviation & Transportation Security Act]] (Public Law 107–71), Title 49 of the [[United States Code]] Section 44917:  “Deployment of Federal Air Marshals... [on] nonstop, long distance flights, such as those targeted on [[September 11, 2001 attacks|September 11, 2001]], should be a priority.”<ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode49/usc_sec_49_00044917----000-.html 2001 Aviation & Transportation Security Act (Public Law 107–71)], ''Title 49 of the United States Code § 44917 "Deployment of Federal Air Marshals"'', November 19, 2001</ref>   

The plan would exploit a U.S. immigration loophole enabling a terrorist, without a U.S. visa, to take a flight from a country with less-stringent security to a U.S. airport and roam that U.S. airport during a layover before taking a second connecting flight to the destination country.  Once inside a U.S. airport, terrorists would smuggle weapons onto aircraft by hiding weapons inside camera equipment and children's toys.  During flight, the terrorists with the smuggled weapons would overpower the crew, take control, and fly the hijacked aircraft into U.S. east coast targets. <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A64871-2003Jul29?language=printer Memo Warns Of New Plots To Hijack Jets], Sara Kehaulani Goo and Susan Schmidt, ''The Washington Post'', July 30, 2003</ref>  The plan was in direct violation of the [[Aviation & Transportation Security Act]] (Public Law 107–71), Title 49 of the [[United States Code]] Section 44917:  “Deployment of Federal Air Marshals... [on] nonstop, long distance flights, such as those targeted on September 11, 2001, should be a priority.”<ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode49/usc_sec_49_00044917----000-.html 2001 Aviation & Transportation Security Act (Public Law 107–71)], ''Title 49 of the United States Code § 44917 "Deployment of Federal Air Marshals"'', November 19, 2001</ref>   

MacLean was rebuffed by his FAMS managers and the [[Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General]] (DHS/OIG), so he warned the public by going to the press. <ref>[http://onoekeh.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_archive.html Air Marshals Pulled from 'Key Flights'], Brock Meeks, ''NBC News (MSNBC)'', August 29, 2003</ref>  The message he disclosed was not labeled as [["Sensitive Security Information"]] (SSI), the often abused information control label within DHS' [[Transportation Security Administration]] (TSA) used to protect information--unaware of any obligation to protect the information.  For employees dealing with traditional classified information, which is typically much more sensitive that SSI, they must be made aware of its status so as to protect it accordingly.

MacLean was rebuffed by his FAMS managers and the [[Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General]] (DHS/OIG), so he warned the public by going to the press. <ref>[http://onoekeh.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_archive.html Air Marshals Pulled from 'Key Flights'], Brock Meeks, ''NBC News (MSNBC)'', August 29, 2003</ref>  The message he disclosed was not labeled as [["Sensitive Security Information"]] (SSI), the often abused information control label within DHS' [[Transportation Security Administration]] (TSA) used to protect information--unaware of any obligation to protect the information.  For employees dealing with traditional classified information, which is typically much more sensitive that SSI, they must be made aware of its status so as to protect it accordingly.