Air marshals' injuries raise lawmaker's concern

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A key House member yesterday said that Congress should review the large number of federal air marshals sidelined by injuries sustained while protecting passengers from another September 11-style terrorist attack.

More than 2,100, or nearly half the Federal Air Marshals Service's peak force, have been awarded workers' compensation claims in the past three years, according to the Labor Department.

Rep. John L. Mica, Florida Republican and chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on aviation, said he was "surprised" by the high volume of injuries.

"These are supposed to be our healthiest and most physically fit people to undertake that kind of responsibility, and the number does seem to be inordinately high," Mr. Mica said.

Mr. Mica's subcommittee has responsibility over the federal flight deck officers program, which arms pilots to protect airplanes from hijackings, and said he has "grandfather oversight responsibility" for the marshals.

"We will look at it, whether Homeland Security [committee] or whoever has legislative authority over the air marshals. We need to look at it, so we will check it out so that we can make sure to have those people ready and fit to do the job," Mr. Mica said.

"I deal with pilots and flight attendants on aircraft all the time, and we don't have that kind of record," Mr. Mica said.

Any depletion in airline security from the marshals service would be augmented by the thousands of pilots who now carry guns, Mr. Mica said.

The Washington Times reported yesterday that 2,450 claims have been filed in the past three years for workers' compensation, with 2,136 having been accepted, according to statistics provided by the Labor Department.

The marshals are reporting various injuries, including barotrauma and decompression sickness, which can rupture eardrums and require sinus, even brain surgery.