The Transportation Security Administration might not get everything right, but they are trying to make things a little easier for military service members who have been injured.
The TSA is aiming to help those who serve our country and who have been injured while doing so. The TSA has established the Wounded Warrior/Military Severely Injured Joint Support Operations Center Program to make the screening process a little easier for these wounded warriors at airports across the nation.
The service, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, lets injured service members make prior arrangements "to make the overall experience for the Wounded Warrior as simple and trouble-free as possible," the TSA website says. These wounded warriors can the agency beforehand to ensure that their security check won't be so much of a hassle.
"Depending on the airport, the assistance provided can be meeting the passenger curbside when they get to the airport, assisting with checking of bags, getting boarding passes, and assisting through screening," said TSA spokesperson Nico Melendez to MSNBC.
Many of the severely injured military personnel use airports to travel to different hospitals or military bases. However, many of them are also headed home, to a vacation destination, or to another duty station, so the TSA wants to make their travel simpler. After all, these men and women have dealt with enough.
This service is not so new. It has been practiced at a few airports for many years. For instance, more than 5,000 wounded military personnel traveling through Washington's Reagan National Airport have used this program since 2010. Last year, 1,500 wounded warriors were assisted at San Diego International Airport.
The TSA hopes to expand this program further and wounded soldiers aren't the only group that the TSA is trying to help. Their new Pre-check program helps speed up the security process for people over 75 and kids under the age of 12 at most airports. Melendez said this pre-check program can work for service members as well.
"If we know who they are and know they are coming through, we can expand the pre-check program and tailor it to their limitations and needs," he said.
Even though the TSA has been using this program at some airports for many years, they want to get the word out there about it for those who many not be familiar with the service.
"After a decade of war we have more and more wounded warriors going through airports," he said. "If they don't know these tools are available it won't do them any good."
The service member or family can contact the TSA at (888) 262-2396 or email MSIJSOC@dhs.gov (email is preferred, the website says) with flight details.
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