Sure it's going to require increased force levels, but it doesn't require adding to the bureaucracy, and it doesn't rely on the industry, which has a mighty poor record and callous attitude, as their own studies show.

I don't know for sure today, but I seem to recall that AP's required about 6 mo. training from induction to duty assignment. I doubt AP's are among the skills affected by the Stop Loss order, so I think you could start immediately by establishing cadre levels at major airfields, and flesh out the coverage and manning levels as the program ramps up.

Admittedly, I don't hear anybody talking about this idea, so it's probably not going to happen, just like a lot of straightforward solutions to problems are never implemented.

Nevertheless, After reading thisarticle in today's LA Times, I'm more convinced than ever that, left to their own devices, private industry and/or the FAA will never tighten security to an adequate degree - they will still be squabbling about this or that and dragging their collective feet, which the gov't will never hold to the fire, or so it seems.

The AF exists, it has a long-standing tradition for just this kind of work, and it probably would be vasty more effective than any of the rent-a-cops, as the recent event at Midway demonstrates.

Note, that the lie about Flight 800 is repeated in the LA Times story.

sp