Lots of increased chatter over the last week about an imminent resignation from Tom Quinn, the top fashion cop at the Federal Air Marshals Service. Last Wednesday, marshals got word of a new special FAMS “advisory board” being formed to investigate marshals’ concerns over the infamous dress code, hiring practices, and other issues. Here’s the text of the memo from Department of Homeland Security Asssistant Secretary Michael Garcia:

—–Original Message—–

From: ICE Broadcast

Sent: Wed 26-Jan-05 13:54

To:

Cc:

Subject: A Message From Assistant Secretary Michael J. Garcia - FAMS Advisory Board

TO ALL ICE EMPLOYEES

JAN. 26, 2005

A Message From Assistant Secretary Michael J. Garcia

It has been a little over one full year in which the Federal Air Marshal
Service (FAMS) transferred into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The first year
called for a moderate integration as ICE worked with a significant budget
deficit while fully integrating its Customs and Immigration Investigations
Program, dealing with a number of heightened national alerts and supporting
the U.S. Secret Service with 2,300 agents during the Presidential election
cycle and Inauguration.

As we go into the second year, ICE will need to take additional steps toward
the effective integration of the FAMS. To expedite and enhance this
integration, I have asked the ICE Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) to
convene a FAMS Advisory Board, along the lines of the one established by the
ICE Office of Investigations to deal with issues of national concern. I
would like the FAMS Advisory Board to be chaired by my Deputy Assistant
Secretary John Clark and be composed of his Senior Advisor Rick Mercier, the
ICE Assistant Secretary Special Counsel Ed Cook, the FAMS Deputy Director
Robert Byers and two FAMS field senior executives: Felix Jimenez from New
York and Jack Shea from Boston. A senior representative from the Border and
Transportation Security (BTS) staff may also be asked to participate on this
advisory board on occasion. The advisory board will provide information and
recommendations on key FAMS policy and operational issues facing the agency.
I am directing that this FAMS Advisory Board immediately address several
issues of concern surrounding the Air Marshal mission.

Some of the issues I will initially task the FAM Advisory Board are Hiring,
Dress Code, FAMS role in Airport Security, ICE Career Ladder and PDA
Technology.

The role of the Federal Air Marshal Service is vital to the protection of
our homeland. Our Air Marshals are consummate professionals in fulfilling
their critical DHS mission. I believe the work of this FAMS Advisory Board
will further enhance the integration of the FAMS into ICE and improve
overall job satisfaction within the FAMS work force.

The good news, marshals tell me, is that a few of the new advisory board members are well-respected among the rank-and-file. The bad news is that a top Quinn crony, Robert Byers, and two of the special agents assigned to the board–Felix Jimenez and Jack Shea–are chuckleheads.

One marshal tells me:

Neither of these guys should be part of ‘any’ advisory board looking into the problems that they themselves helped create! These two sitting on this advisory board is the equivalent of Jamie S. Gorelick participating on the 911 commission!

Agh.

An article published yesterday on GovExec.com provides more detail about the increased oversight of FAMS.

We’re keeping an eye on it here, too. So is this blogger, who says the new reigns on Quinn are an implied “no confidence” vote. And this blogger, who has a new t-shirt design proposal that sums up the stupidity of Quinn’s policies.

Bullseye.

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