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BDO Employee Newsletter

December 1, 2014

Issue 1.5 - Region 5

 

  

 

Gargoyle in the Baggage Claim Area

Upon arriving at Denver
International Airport
(DEN), most inbound and
outbound passengers are
shocked by the sheer size of
the airport. This shock
turns into general confusion
and a lost look 011 many visi-
tors? faces. While the size,
volume of passengers, and
architecture of the airport
are impressive, these are not
the most unique qualities.
What sets DEN apart from
most airports are the multi-
ple urban legends and con-
spiracy theories that sur-
round the airport, including
art exhibits and a time cap-
sule.

For instance, have you ever
heard of the gargoyles who
watch over the baggage

claim area? What do you
know about the time capsule
with the Masonic symbols
on it? How about the 30 ft.
tall blue Mustang with red
eyes that some think are la-
sers. Someone was creative
and made a photo?shopped
picture of this. Is there an
underground city beneath
the travelers? feet? Why was
the Statue of Anubis, the
ancient Egyptian guardian
and protector of the dead,
placed at the airport on the
site of the new hotel and
then removed just prior to
construction? Did you know
that the Statue of Anubis
was directly aligned with the
masonic symbols on the
time capsule? There is also
the paranormal experience
on the Skywalk near the A-

~27

 

Denver Intema?onal Airport - Shrouded In Mystery 0\

?30302014?

1"

Time Capsule

bridge Checkpoint. Native
American music plays c011-
tinually on the Skywalk to
appease the spirits of the
ancestors. It is rumored that
the area beneath the Sky-
walk was once sacred
ground. Where is the alien
spaceport located and how
many people are abducted
each year?

These stories make great
conversation pieces, as we
all are tempted to be prank-
sters and add our own tell-
ing to the existing stories.
When you are approached
and someone says, 
followed by a refer-
ence to an exhibit, there is
usually no escape except to
play along. This in turn

kicks off a short story telling
session.

For fun, try looking up the
following: Images of Blue
Horse at DEN or conspiracy
theories at DIA. You will
?nd a plethora of pictures
and links to the stories sur-
rounding DEN. If you?re
going to be traveling
through DEN, you can al-
ways research the art exhib-
its at http://

publicart or you can be ad-
venturous and ask to see
what answers you receive. It
will be up to you to decide
which are true and which
are false.

Airport-DEN
Article Photo by:

 

 

Page 2

BDOS in Motion

 

Uniquely Portland: One in a Million, and Something For Everyone

Welcome to Portland Inter-
national Airport, or PDX.
We are perfectly situated

Marathon, the Hood to
Coast Relay, a walk in beau-
tiful Washington Park, or a

 

 

right on the Columbia River
in beautiful Portland, Ore-
gon. We are proud to be
voted overall best airport by
Travel and Leisure Magazine
Reader?s P011 in both 2013
and 2014. The Rose City is
known for bridges, brew-
pubs, food carts, as a setting
for Grimm and Portlandia,
and it's "Keep Portland
Weird" motto. Situated at
the top of the mild
Willamette valley, we are
located just a few hours
away from Oregon wine
country, the beautiful Ore-
gon coast, and some of the
best skiing in North America
at Mt. Hood and Bend.

There is always something
going on in Portland.
Whether it is the Portland

bike ride on the waterfront
of Tom McCall Park, Port-
land and the surrounding
area offers a little something
for anyone looking to work
up a sweat. If something a
little more laid back is your
style, Portland is home to
Powell?s City of Books, Voo-
doo Doughnuts, and count-
less music venues. If watch-
ing instead of playing is
more your cup of tea, the
Trailblazers of the NBA, the
four time WHL western con-
ference champion Winter-
Hawks, or the MLS Portland
Timbers offer amazing fan
experiences. This summer,
Portland was lucky enough
to play host to the MLS All-
star Game that brought soc-
cer fans from around the

country here to experience
our hospitality.

There are 29 BDOs at PDX,
and we are proud of our
great working relationship
with our partners. We work
hand-in-hand with the
screening force, while con-
ducting Behavior Detection
on the checkpoints and sup-
port Managed Inclusion and
co-traveler. We love work-


ing with? forward to 

Handler partners whether
we are supporting M11 at
checkpoints, or sterile side
activities. Our partnerships

go beyond the state; we have

  

ter  

0116


who

is always happy to assist
when the call comes.

The BDO corps at PDX is
excited to have been chosen
to participate in the Optimi-
zation program taking place
in October and November.
We are hosting the ?rst
class, and we are looking

 

eing on the fore-
front of innovation for our
program moving forward.

Airport-PDX
Article Photo by:



 

 

Living in the Land of the Midnight Sun,

We work, we play and we have fun!

Life is a challenge from day to day

As we protect the public along the way.

It is our job to keep them 

So, we do this job with dignity and grace.

We are not seeking praise and we?re not

The Land of the Midnight Sun

Seeking favor;

It?s for our country?s honor and loyalty

That we will NOT waiver.

We respect our country and our fellow 

We ARE the BDOs from Team Alaska;

We support the Mission and we defend Our Land!

Airport-ANC Article by:?

 

 

Page 3

BDOs in Motion

 

GEG BDOs:

 

 

 

The BDO team at GEG in
Spokane, Washington has
grown to appreciate the ac-
curacy of the Henry Ford
quote that, ?If everyone is
moving forward together,
then success takes care of
itself.?

A small team of 11 BDOs at a
CAT I airport have learned
the importance of working

together. The team realized
early 011 that attention to
teamwork, 

and cooperation was impera-

tive in their medium sized
environment. As one BDO
explained, ?Just like a fami-
ly, each member is unique in
their weaknesses,
and challenges. In a family,
you must support one a11-

other?s weaknesses and gain
from each other?s 
so too, when a work group is
small, there is less room for
individual opinions and
more need for communica-
tion, understanding and pa-
tience.?

As a strong business leader
once put it, the secret is to
gang up on the problem, ra-
ther than each other. The
GEG BDO team has worked
hard to communicate, build
trust and get on the same
page so that each member
can work with any other and
achieve the same good re-
sults.

The program runs smoothly
because they have built
good, long-term working
relationships with the
screening force, airport and
airline employees, and the
airport police department.

Recently, the BDO team was

One Team United

responsible for a successful
M12 rollout at the check-
points, assisting and men-
toring the screening work-
force in understanding their
various roles and positions.
They also collaborated to-
gether with the Screening
Managers to capture Play-
book metrics and were a part
of the early pilot rollout of
the BEAM metric system
providing needed feedback
and advice.

The BDOs at Spokane Inter-
national Ailport would like
to highlight their own col-
leagues for their teamwork,
resolution and persistence
over the years in building a
strong team that continues
to work at communication
and cooperation.

Airport-GEG
Article Photo by:

 

 

Portland International Airport Supports the National PCA Program

 

 

 

In Portland, Oregon, we
pride ourselves on outstand-
ing Behavior Detection Of-
?cers, and two of our best
 
and t-
hough from different work-
ing backgrounds, both
joined the TSA in 2002, and
they have followed similar
paths since. Both have
served proudly in checkpoint
leadership positions before
transitioning into the Behav-

ior Detection Program in
2008. Both were promoted
to EBDO. Both were ex-
posed to the PCA program
during a site visit that was
conducted at PDX March
2013, and both jumped at
the chance to join the PCA
team in November 2013 and
have alternated their deploy-
ments to thirteen different
airports across the country.

both agree
that being on the PCA Team
is very rewarding. They rel-
ish the opportunity to travel
to other airports and experi-
ence different ways of work-
ing. They agree that the
hardest part of being on the
road is remembering that as
a member of the PCA Team
they work purely in an as-
sessing role, and are not al-
lowed to train. They also

agree that the best part of
working on the PCA Team
and being on the road is
gaining a national perspec-
tive, gathering operational
best practices, sharing their
experiences with their team-

mates and identifying oppor-
tunities for improvement for

the BDA program at

PDX. They both hope to
continue their participation
with the PCA team in 2015.


- knew that he would

love the opportunity to join
the PCA team and that it

 



ias een ortunate to partici-

would be a good You Will pate in many ?adventures?

always see him wearing his
sweater vest whether on a
PCA site visit, or working at
his home airport. In fact,
you will probably even hear
him say, ?It?s better in a
sweater, and best in a vest!"

during his tenure as a BDO,
but being 011 the PCA team is
definitely the highlight of his
TSA career.
Airport PDX
Article Photo by:

 

 

Page 4

BDOs in Motion

 

Seattle: More than Just Rain

When people think of Seattle, more
often than not they think of rain. Yes,
it rains a lot about 36 inches a year.
However, did you know that it rains
more in places like Washington DC.
and New York City? In the Northwest,
less is more: it doesn?t rain as much as
those places, but it rains more often, as
Seattle leads the major US. cities in
days covered with clouds. But the light
rain and cloud cover together keep the
temperatures mild all year around and
contribute to all of the fantastic things
that make the Seattle area unique.

Seattle sits on the edge of the
Puget Sound, a large bay connected to
the Paci?c Ocean. It is also surround-
ed with mountains. The wet weather
provides those mountains with snow in

experience in a lifetime. All are just
minutes away.

The Puget Sound also supplies
the area with all of the wonderful
things coastal living provides its inhab-
itants. The world famous Pike Place
Market in downtown Seattle is where
?shmongers sell (and throw!) seafood
of all kinds and is a must see for any
visitor. Or you can go ?shing or crab-
bing yourself if you?d prefer to catch
your own meal. Is whale watching,
scuba diving, kayaking, or open water
swimming on your bucket list? Plenty
to do after work all year around.

Do you prefer to live in a rural
island community and commute to
town by boat? The Puget Sound is
connected by a vast network of ferries

just great weather, beautiful scenery,
and outside activities. Originally in-
habited by numerous Native Ameri-
cans whose in?uence is unmistakable
today with place names from various
tribes, its location in the northwest
makes it a cross cultural gathering
place of east and west. Immigrants
from all across Asia mixed with pock-
ets of old Europeans help foster a
world class university and leading aer-
ospace, technology and 
companies. The tolerance and individ-
ualism of differing peoples is truly the
northwest at its best.

A truly multi-cultural, multi-
ethnic city with a mild temperature
year round and endless outdoor activi-
ties, beautiful scenery, and with lead-

winter and an abundance of greenery
in summer. Do you like to ski, snow-
board, or snowmobile? Major resorts
are less than an hour away. Is hiking,
hunting, horseback riding, or ?shing
your thing? There are more trails,
open areas, and rivers than you could

crisscrossing the Sound and stopping
at all the islands in-between. You can
be close, but so far away.

home.

The Seattle area is a great place for
those who like nature and the out-
doors. But there is more to like than

ers in commerce and industry, Seattle
is a truly a great place to visit. Or call

Airport-SEA

Article by= 

 

 

Surviving the Winter: Indian Summer to Winter Wonderland

Winter weather hit Colorado
fast and hard. We have wind
and dry cold in Colorado,
which makes things treach-
erous on the roads when
weather conditions change.

Important Items to Check:

Make certain your spare or
donut is in?ated. I hadn?t
used my spare in forever and
needed to contact the park-
ing of?ce in order to use
their air compressor as I had
a ?at before the storm and
changing the tire was zero
fun.

Don?t forget to have a pair
of work gloves if you don?t
like getting dirty.

A mat might also help, as
kneeling on asphalt is down-
right hard on your knees and

joints after standing all of
shift.

Carrying a bag of kitty lit-
ter is great for getting trac-
tion on a sheet of ice.

Remember to ?ll the
windshield wiper ?uid. I
like to use windshield wiper
?uid that has de-icer in it.
It?s a horrible feeling to be
drenched with ice and mud
by a passing semi-truck leav-
ing no visibility. My stom-
ach did a ?ip-?op several
times, as I realized I was out
of windshield wiper ?uid.

Carry a shovel, a good
scraper, winter boots, extra
blanket, a good ?ashlight,
food and water, a change of
clothes, and a good winter
jacket. You never know
when you?ll need these

items. Being able to layer up
or down can be helpful.

Have a decent toolkit,
hand warmers, ?rst aid kit,
and a set of jumper cables.

Try to keep your gas tank
at the halfway mark, because
below half full in the winter
can cause condensation to
form which ends up at the
bottom of the gas tank as
water droplets. That water
will freeze overnight and
may restrict or block the gas
lines.

Carry a disposable camera
to take pictures in the event
of an accident. Now, if your
phone can take video or pic-
tures, remember to check
that you have enough
memory to save the pictures

and that the phone is
charged.

Most importantly, do not
drive in winter weather
while you are exhausted or
in a rush. Leave yourself
plenty of time to reach your
destination. My home is
about an hour away from
Denver International Airport
(DIA) on a good day with
sun and clear roads. With
our recent storm, the time it
took to commute to work
doubled.

Lastly, check highway and
travel advisories, as well as,
the weather. Plan ahead,
and enjoy the winter won-
ders and stay safe.

Airport - DEN
Article by?

 

 

Page 5 BDOs in Motion

 

BDA Remembers 0RD BDO 

Today we remember our friend,

   
  
 

p?u-I



will be missed. He was-

 



Article by: 

 

 

 

 

When the BDA program office called
upon the ?eld to support the latest
Behavior Detection (BD) Pilot, Indi-
cator Optimization, the ?eld respond-
ed by sending us some of their best!
BDOs from around the country
answered our call and took 011 the
role of Program Analyst in their de-
tail to the Office of Security Capabili-
ties (OSC). These were
trained up in the new Optimization
protocol and provided oversight and
data collection resources during the
five week long pilot at Portland Inter-
national Airport (PDX). A sincere
thank you 

the hard
wor ong iours an constant quiz-

zing they went through for the past 8
weeks! Enjoy your time back home
COBRA team!

 

Airport - PDX Pictured Left to Right 
Article bv? 


 

 

 

 

Page 6

BDOs in Motion

 

A Land of Wilderness and Diverse Cultures

 

 
 
  
 
 
  
  
 

We have remote villages;
therefore, our baggage
screening is quite different.
Many families and business-
es use the airlines on a daily
basis to ship their own sup-
plies and needs. Many fami-
lies take shopping trips to
and from Anchorage 011 a

Alaska is unique with re?
spect to screening the pub-
lic. Due to our location from
the ?Lower 48? and our di-
verse cultures and various
locations we experience dif-
ferent challenges.

Our winter attractions are
the Fur Rendezvous and the
Iditarod. Both of these
events are steeped in Alas-
kan History. Throw in the

basis. It sure does
make interesting ?bags? to
clear each day.

Our wildlife promotes the

hunting of Moose, Bear and Northern Lights, and noth-
various other animals, so we ing is grander to View
do have constant contact
'th ?rearms. They are at The motto for Alaska is like
airport 011 a daily basis. what the Boy Scouts of
is not that rare for a pas- America say, ?Always Be

Prepared.? You can go from
no snow on the ground, to a
blizzard overnight; trust me,
I have been there!

nger to leave a ?rearm in
eir carryon baggage.

The Salmon ?shing season
lures travelers from around
the world. This encourages
and promotes a positive con-
versation at the checkpoint
when each traveler has his
or her, ??sh-tale? to express
for everyone to hear.

Living in, and enjoying Alas?
ka is a gift that should be
experienced by all, because
it is an experience one will
never forget.

Airport-ANC
Article Photo by?

 

Thoughts on Leadership

A recent incident in my airport combined with the loom-
ing retirement of Administrator Pistole had me to think-
ing about leaders and leadership and 110w we, as BDOs,
demonstrate leadership on a daily basis. Whether a BDO
or LBDO, our interactions with each other, with the
checkpoint staff, and with people in and outside of TSA
make or break who we are and what we proclaim to be.
Through these interactions we each demonstrate leader?
ship in our own individual way.

In its simplest form, leadership is the stewardship
of an idea, a group, or an organization. Webster?s de?nes
stewardship as ?the responsible overseeing and protection
of something considered worth caring for and preserving.?
That is, in and of itself a pretty intense thought. Taking
responsibility and ownership of the vision of the program
as set forth by the Administrator? That concept wasn?t on
my radar.

However, whether we realize it or not, we each
assert that ownership everyday through our actions and,
more often than not, through our reactions. How do we
interact with the upset passenger who was not selected for
Pre-Check? Or the one who is excluded from A 1110-
ment in passing for us, yet a lifetime of remembrance for
the passenger.

If each of us is indeed a steward of the vision, then
it can also be said each of us are caretakers of the pro-

gramLBDO, or in any
of?cial position of leadership, but we own our program
nonetheless. As owners, by definition, are we not also
leaders?

111 the ancient work The Art of War, author Sun
Tzu states there are five main attributes of a leader: Wis-
dom, Credibility, Benevolence, Courage, and Discipline.
We all demonstrate these on a daily basis. To what degree
we demonstrate each of them is what separates us as lead-
ers.

While leadership is innate, it can be taught and re?ned to
make a leader more engaged. Sun Tzu says that when the
?ve attributes are fully employed, leaders are in control of
themselves. He writes, ?Emotions will go away, but ac-
tions can never be undone.? By being in control, leaders
can in?uence others. They also adapt to their environ-
ment and they are steady in their principles.

In our daily tasks, the leadership we each possess
manifests in our actions and reactions. Are we in corr-
trol and a positive in?uence? Are we ?exible to the con-
stantly changing enviromnent around us? Are we solid in
our knowledge and our execution of our duties?

While we go about our daily duties of interactng
and studying the behavior of passengers and colleagues,
each of our leadership styles is brought forth. As owners,
we assert our leadership on our program and we own
the results. We may not officially be in power, but we are
empowered. Leadership rocks!

Airport- SEA Article by: 

 

 

BDA Program Of?ce HQ 3008 In Motion Support