The TSA Agent

OK now look I understand this movie was based on an actual event, I understand a Marine did die and LtCol Mike Strobl of the Marines did escort his body home.

Now after saying that...

IT IS A MOVIE...quit bashing the "screener" who is in fact an actor playing a role...

I understand LtCol Mike Strobl (who was played by Kevin Bacon, Mr Bacon who shocking as it is, is an actor) but the Real Strobl did write about his travels escorting the body of PFC Chance Phelps home, I highly doubt he wrote about the TSA agent being a dick...

Now again as a former TSA agent I will tell you when standing next to the metal detector having people go through..trust me you turn off who you are because of the amount of *beep* you hear. "Oh in Florida they didn't make me take off my shoes." "I didn't have to take off my jacket at LAX." all of that is *beep*

If I had been the screener I'd of done the same thing, because it is easy to get your hands on replica uniforms of all the services, just because someone shows up in military uniform doesn't mean they should go though. What you think it should be that anyone that shows up and has a ticket and wearing a military uniform should just go past the security checkpoint and collect 200 dollers, don'tcha think if that were the way it was, that any foreign and domestic *beep* who wanted to cause harm would use that?

Now from what I remember from the movie because its been awhile since I seen it, it goes that Strobl(Mr. Bacon) didn't have Phelps' belongings go though the X-Ray, The screener told him it had to go though,Strobl said no,than the screener called for a bag check, screener than said that Strobl's jacket had to go though because of all the medal, in which Strobl said he wouldn't take it off becuase it would disrespect the uniform (from which I completely understand) and Strobl asked for a private screening in which he got...now at no point did the TSA agent had he been a real person and it actually happened (now again I know PFC Phelps did die and I know LtCol Mike Strobl did escort his body home) I'm talking about this scene of the movie, he did step by step what he should have done.

Now for a third time I understand that PFC Phelps did die and LtCol Mike Strobl did escort his body home, however the movie was, if I remember correctly, it was titled based on actual events, which means that the story is real, just a few elements here and there are changed to make the movie more emotional.

Which mean the director changed a few things, could be the director doesn't like the TSA and wanted to take a few jabs at them.

Point is not about the agent but about unfortuntly how some of our service members are coming home.

This story is about one Marine's journey home and another Marines vow to bring him home and the out pouring support, love and care people have for our military.

Sgt: The previous scene (where he was at the ticket counter) pretty much showed that the airport employees did not immediately know what to do with a military escort, that they understood what the military escort did or how to handle it - the screening agent had no reason to think that he was escorting a fallen marine (or any other branch of the military)- it wasn't like he showed paperwork to that effect to the screening guy, the military didn't send out a memo to airport employees, the airport didn't send out a memo saying - "we have a fallen marine flying our airlines today so be sure to f with the escort".

To me the TSA was just harrassed and had someone else demanding special treatment - in a long line of people expecting special exemption for screenings.

To me, if everyone does not have potential to be screened then noone does. I don't believe a military uniform should exempt you from being screened, nor do I believe that old people, white people or anyone else should be exempted - to me that would be discrimiation and profiling.

What I think should be general airport policy is that once an escort gives a ticket agent his paperwork - the escort should then be personally escorted to the gate, by-passing all security.

Or the military should fly the deceased (in military planes) to the base where they enlisted - and then escort (in military vehicles) to wherever "home" is. Problem solved.

I have mixed feelings on the subject because in this situation post 9/11 security is in a no win situation. You are too strict until there is a succesful attack and then it's "why was security so lax". However the biggest insult I ever recieved was from a pre 9/11 screener. The one thing that strikes me about this very long thread is that no one has mentioned Joe Foss.

Joes Foss was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service as a Marine Corps fighter pilot in WWII, became a General in the Air National Guard, was elected Governor of South Dakota and was the 1st commissioner if the AFL. Joe Foss was asked to speak to the graduating class at West Point. When he arrived at Phoenix Sky Harbor he was not allowed to board the plane, they refused to let the 80+ y/o on the plane because his MOH had pointed edges like a throwing star.

I was 31 when 9/11 happened so I no longer consider myself a member of the younger but I am close enough to call out the poster who slammed that entire generation. As a brat I remember a time when Military people were hassled for simply wearing their uniforms in public. The stories above make me ill but I am sure there are 1,000's of men and women who came home from Viet-Nam that would have killed to get 1/2 the respect that our vets do today. I would also ask that person to realize it is an all volunteer force made mostly of that "younger generation" that is fighting the war and that statement condemns them as well.