Air marshals were known as sky marshals when the federal government began placing armed guards, disguised as regular passengers, on planes in the late 1960s following an outbreak of hijackings.
The 2001 terrorist attacks demonstrated the need for a new generation of professionally trained air marshals capable of dealing with a more cunning and ruthless breed of hijacker.
Today marshals receive instruction on cockpit systems and other vital aircraft components, but accuracy on the firing range remains at the heart of their 11-week training cycle.
Dressed in black from head to foot, they are armed with Sig-Sauer .357-caliber semiautomatic handguns.
They're now being trained at the Air Marshal Service's training facilities at the Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.
In addition to their firearms training, air marshals receive classroom instruction and use cockpit simulators to familiarize themselves with Airbus and Boeing commercial jetliners. Adam Kistler, assistant special agent in charge of tactics for the federal Air Marshal Service noted that they are not being trained* as pilots, but would help out the cockpit crew in an emergency.
Prior to the terrorist attacks, the Air Marshal Service had dwindled to about 30 agents with an annual budget of $4.4 million. The massive post-Sept. 11, 2001, buildup includes a $545 million budget and thousands of marshals, although the exact number remains classified.
* in 11weeks?