As reported by the Denver Local News:

DENVER -- Since Sept. 11, 2001, federal air marshals have been traveling on thousands of flights. Their job is to track suspected terrorists and deter anyone who might try to highjack a plane. But some marshals are concerned about what happened when one of their bosses was reported sleeping on a flight.

The concern is about the agent in charge of the Denver office, Tony Hedges. According to a former senior United flight attendant, Hedges, who was carrying a gun, was sleeping on a flight to Washington, D.C., which makes him vulnerable to being disarmed.

The flight attendant informed authorities, but federal officials never investigated.

Airline and federal sources say the incident occurred on an early-morning United flight in March 2004.

Hedges was sitting in a middle seat near the center of the plane. He was armed, but not working the flight.

Two other working air marshals were in the front of the plane. The head flight attendant on the plane noticed that Hedges was sleeping and went forward to tell the other marshals.

The e-mail sent by the head flight attendant said, "Since we require a visual of all (persons carrying firearms aboard) I purposely check on them during the flight. ... If (you're) carrying a firearm, shouldn't you be aware of the environment around you at all times?"

The senior flight attendant, part of the Attendant's Safety and Security Group, was so concerned about the issue that the attendant sent the e-mail to contacts at the Denver Air Marshal's Office.

Sources there told 7NEWS that the incident was reported to a supervisor, but apparently, it went no further.

Hedges called the incident "a cockamamy lie."

But later, a spokesman in Washington said the agency was not aware of the incident and said it will be fully investigated. The spokesman said any agent traveling with a gun on an airplane must be in control of the weapon at all times and said Hedges claimed that he was in control.

In any case, there was no investigation and this is an example of what many agents in Denver's air marshal's office claim is the double standard for managers and contributes to poor morale.


Wow.

 

That's great. Sleeping and smuggling drugs. How much do they get paid?

 

I was thinking the SAME thing.

 

If he was not on duty or working the flight, let him sleep. He's on his own time.

 

I think everyone needs to take a deep breath here. We all know that FA's are always right as is the news media.

 

Our government isn't always as truthful either.

Nevertheless, this is just another fine example of a fine government employee abusing the system. Sad.

 

What abuse? He's traveling, not working. He has no law enforcement duties to do. Sleep away.

 

FFDO's are allowed to sleep on flights so long as their weapon is in their immediate control. Can't be specific but this is not a big deal - trust me!

 

So, you're one of those, eh? Watch out for the black helicopters!

 

Ah of course, we should be naive and believe everything this government tells us. Oh god!

Where's my tin hat

Not directly to this article, but in reference to government employees abusing the system by smuggling drugs, etc. Sorry for the confusion.