Update from Oakland Airport: TSA and Port Authority Culpable of Marine Mistreatment

According to press release issued Sunday by representatives at Oakland Airport,  the fault in the mistreatment of the Marines falls with the ground handling company, responsible for taking care of the needs of passengers. Doing some investigating of my own, I was told that this company is named Hilltop Aviation, a tenant of Oakland Airport contracted from a chartered North American Airlines Flight. I was also told that unlike other military chartered flights earlier in the day, Hilltop bungled the communication process with Airport officials and ultimately came to the determination that they didn't meet TSA screening requirements, forcing a 3-hour lay-over because the passengers had weapons on board. Like earlier flights, they allege, had military personnel been TSA screened they would be brought to a public area where they could rest and meet with friends and family.

I remain a skeptic of this story because the original email contends that the passengers on board surpassed TSA requirements when they were screened by US Customs, removed the bolts from their firearms, and were given a re-boarding pass after they were allowed to stay in JFK's terminal.

The following are TSA screening requirements for military personnel:

• You must declare all firearms to the airline during the ticket counter check-in process.
• The firearm must be unloaded.
• The firearm must be in a hard-sided container.
• The container must be locked.
• We recommend that you provide the key or combination to the security officer if he or she needs to open the container. You should remain present during screening to take the key back after the container is cleared. If you are not present and the security officer must open the container, we or the airline will make a reasonable attempt to contact you. If we can't contact you, the container will not be placed on the plane. Federal regulations prohibit unlocked gun cases (or cases with broken locks) on aircraft.
• You must securely pack any ammunition in fiber (such as cardboard), wood or metal boxes or other packaging that is specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition.
• You can't use firearm magazines/clips for packing ammunition unless they completely and securely enclose the ammunition (e.g., by securely covering the exposed portions of the magazine or by securely placing the magazine in a pouch, holder, holster or lanyard).
• You may carry the ammunition in the same hard-sided case as the firearm, as long as you pack it as described above.
• You can't bring black powder or percussion caps used with black-powder type firearms in either your carry-on or checked baggage.

So I called Niko Melendez, the West Coast Spokesperson for TSA, to inquire on whether the Marines met these reporting requirements. He denied TSA's involvement and yelled at me the following in a fit of rage:

You better get your facts straight, we had nothing to do with this! TSA doesn't screen chartered flights!

In fact, TSA is the primary enforcer of all passenger screening.

In a phone call with a representative at LAX, I was told that per federal requirements all flights coming in and out of Los Angeles have to comply to screening by TSA officials.

So if its not the TSA, not the Oakland Airport, then who is it? Hilltop Aviation? It just seems to easy to me to blame a small handling company for stranding 200 passengers when the Oakland Airport contradictorily states that Port Authority and TSA officials made the final determination that they were not worthy to enter the terminal.

Someone should ultimately take the responsibility for this incident. It's morally abhorrent to leave out Marines 400 yards away from the terminal and prohibit them from receiving civilized treatment (getting refreshments, going to the bathroom, and meeting with family).

Let's see what Hilltop Aviation has to say.

Comments

[robert sutton]

If they had any knowledge of how the marines operate and how responsible they are I would hang my head in shame for treating these men so bad.What these boys go through and then be subject to this kind of treatment, There is no language that I will use but this is one sorry stupid mistake. Our military is all volunteer what does that mean? That they are better than anyone that would treat these men and women so poorly. Somebody made this decision step up be count then hang your head in shame and apologize.

[tim s]

This IS B.S. I doubt if 200 U.S. soldiers would be like sheep and not inform the newspapers or news programs. If this story were true, it would be all over the airwaves with the soldiers own words,with facts from them. Think about it. Newspapers and reporters make money and recognition from a story like this. But if you CAN prove this story is true then DO IT!!! Otherwise quit spreading lies and unfounded claims against other AMERICANS.. Remember "UNITED WE STAND --DIVIDED WE FALL"

[Kevin]

Tim--As a soldier who has gone through this process twice, believe it. Most military personnel are just happy to be home and are not yelling and screaming about their treatment. At least not at the time they are waiting on the Tarmac. If you have ever flown as cargo with the Air Force you do a lot of sitting around.

This story is true. Now figuring out who to blame or who dropped the ball is another story. And if you think that certain members of the media did not chuckle when they heard this, then you are a flaming idiot!!