
Within months of the 9/11 attacks, Congress enacted the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA), which led to the creation of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the transfer of the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) to the new TSA. Shortly thereafter a significant number of new Air Marshals were hired and trained. Required to fly not only international missions, but domestic missions as well, FAMS were granted new statutory authority and were provided training at the FLETC (first at Glynco, GA, and now Artesia, NM), and the expanded training facilities of the Federal Air Marshal Service Training Center (FAMSTC) on the grounds of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center in southern New Jersey. Successful completion of FAMTP-I is mandatory for potential Air Marshals to move to FAMTP-II where they receive more rigorous agency-specific training.