The state of Kentucky sees heavy annual air traffic at several major airports and its close proximity to the Washington D.C. area and several other major east coast hubs of transportation make it a notable security concern for federal air marshals. Kentucky has two large airports of note:
- Louisville International Airport is a public and military use airport that sees 10,000 enplanements per year. It is also a port of entry and handles a large number of international cargo flights.
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport served 7, 034, 263 passengers in 2011 and has flights to more than 120 cities daily.
The heavy international traffic in and out of these Kentucky airports means increased national security concerns requiring the unique security skills and watchful eyes of federal air marshals.
Individuals interested in pursuing federal air marshal jobs in Kentucky will work out of the Cincinnati, OH—Erlanger, KY field office.
Requirements for Federal Air Marshal Employment
The Federal Air Marshal Service offers an extensive training program to qualified candidates that includes 35 days of basic training and 45 days of intensive training specific to the duties associated with air marshal service.
Individuals interested in becoming federal air marshals must be between the ages of 21 and 36 or who have prior federal civilian law enforcement experience. Additionally, they must meet the following minimum requirements:
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in any field; OR
- 3 years of general experience that includes progressively demonstrable skills in problem solving, planning and organizing, and effective communication; OR
- A combination of education and experience in these areas
Candidates selected for pre-screening can expect a variety of assessments, including:
- An extensive background check to obtain top level security clearance
- Physical and psychological evaluation
- The Federal Air Marshal Service Battery Assessment Test
- A Panel Interview
Federal Air Marshals and Kentucky Homeland Security
Federal air marshals working in the state of the Kentucky will find tremendous support from the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security. The Kentucky Office of Homeland Security supports a wide variety of programs and missions to provide safety and security to the state. Tese programs often support the work that federal air marshals do. Among them are:
- The Kentucky Intelligence Fusion Center (KIFC) identifies and implements protective initiatives throughout the state, as well as monitors intelligence and shares information. Also, the KIFC encourages heavy collaboration between state and federal agencies, including the Federal Air Marshal Service.
- The Community Safety and Security program provides first responder training and Citizen Emergency Response Teams. This can be a resource to federal air marshals in a crisis situation.
- The Counterterrorism Unit provides vulnerability assessments, gathers and assesses intelligence of suspicious activity, shares classified information, and provides other important knowledge to federal air marshals and other law enforcement agencies.
Kentucky’s Office of Homeland Security offers a number of resources that are valuable to the security and law enforcement work of federal air marshals.