What’s it like being a national deployment TSA officer

Friday, August 2, 2024

Editor's Note: This is the second of two feature stories highlighting TSA's National Deployment Office program. On July 19, we spotlighted the important role of national deployment officers (NDOs) to support the record passenger numbers at the nation's airports this summer. Today, several NDOs deployed to airports across the nation share their experiences of what it's like to be an NDO.

Hundreds of TSA officers are spending their summer away from home, not on vacation, but to play a key role in keeping TSA's security operations strong at our nation's airports.

They volunteered to be part of the agency's National Deployment Force (NDF) to make sure all our airports are fully staffed to handle the record summer travel rush.

Never before has TSA screened so many passengers in a season.

Typically, officers who volunteer to be deployed to other airports serve for at least a year, deploying up to three months at single locations, although deployments can sometimes be longer or shorter.

What's it like to be a national deployment officer (NDO)?

Several NDOs brought us into their world, sharing their experiences with us.

Christopher Rosa

A supervisory TSA officer at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Christopher Rosa flew 3,100 miles to Maine to support his peers at Portland International Jetport (PWM).

"My team and I are augmenting the local team's security screening operation," said Rosa, who serves as an NDF deployed point of contact trained to help organize and manage larger, potentially complex assignments. "It's really great to work alongside Team PWM."

He joined the NDF after meeting NDOs deployed to his previous home airport, Southwest Florida International Airport, in Fort Myers, Florida.

"I love to travel, and officers I met talked about a lot of the places they had been," Rosa recalled. "It sounded like a great opportunity."

That was nearly eight years ago, and he described the NDO experience as "very humbling."

"I get to see places I never would have thought of or gotten to see," said Rosa. "Some airports are very small or remote with less resources than others, but they still get the job done with pride. You learn a lot from that kind of flexibility and resourcefulness. You build new skills that way, too."

He said being away from family and loved ones is one of the most challenging aspects of being deployed, although he loves the chance to sightsee and support his fellow officers around the country.

"Ultimately, helping the airports we go to and lightening the load for officers who may be under strain is a rewarding experience," Rosa emphasized.

Karen Guidry

TSA Officer Karen Guidry served at the NATO Summit in D.C. (TSA photo)

Karen Guidry recently celebrated her 12th anniversary at TSA and has been with the agency's NDF for more than half of that time.

She's had some pretty big assignments including the NATO Summit last month in Washington, D.C., Pope Francis' visit to the U.S., the presidential inauguration and the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

"The NDF has afforded me so many amazing opportunities," said Guidry, a TSA officer from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. "Being able to interact with people of all different facets and learning how different airports operate have been the best part of being with the NDF."

She said, "The challenging part is having to cook for myself. When I'm home, my brother does all the cooking."

Guidry is enjoying the travel experience and working with TSA partners, including the Uniformed Division of the U.S. Secret Service as a member of NDF's 2024 Presidential Campaign Support Team (PCST).

"It has been amazing working with other federal agencies and getting to know the different processes," she noted. The teamwork has been humbling and something I will look back on fondly."

Her standout memory was being deployed to Barrow, Alaska.

"No trees, no birds chirping, no McDonald's, no Burger King and 23-hour darkness during the winter."

ATW Lead Officer Shauwn Moungey (far right) with fellow TSA officers while deployed. (TSA photo)

Shauwn Moungey

Like Guidry, Shauwn Moungey knows Barrow, Alaska, firsthand. Moungey, a lead TSA officer from Wisconsin's Appleton International Airport (ATW), was deployed to Barrow this summer, his second time there.

He joined the NDF in 2006, served a year, then rejoined in 2018.

"I wanted to do something different," said Moungey. "By seeing and doing different things, I keep myself challenged. This way things don't become stale. I keep my skills sharp and don't feel like I might become stagnant."

He called his NDO experience "phenomenal" and the NDF "a team, a family," as they provide screening support and fill in staffing gaps at various airports around the country.

"We mentor, we learn new things and ways of doing things, we share, we solve problems, introduce ideas and listen," Moungey described. "Life on the road can be tough sometimes, and we need to be there in different ways, helping teammates while deployed."

If given the opportunity, Moungey encourages TSA officers to consider applying to the NDF.

"There is no experience like it," he said. "You could be at a (small airport) one day and a (large one) the next. There is so much to be gained, so much to know and learn. When you join, bring your skill set, share it, be open-minded and willing to learn new things.

"The NDF builds self-confidence, camaraderie, skill, flexibility, lessons that stay with you and help you throughout your career."

Kristen Kopczynski

From Chicago to other parts of the U.S. to serve as an NDO, TSA Officer Kristen Kopczynski knew from Day 1 of joining the NDF over 3 1/2 years ago that it was something she wanted to be part of.

"I had been with TSA for five years and was looking for more out of my career," said Kopczynski, whose home airport is O'Hare. "Being with the NDF and Presidential Campaign Support Team has given me multiple avenues to advance my knowledge. I have been a part of the NDF new hire orientations for the last two years and been able to guide brand new NDF officers in their new role. I also have been assigned team lead on numerous PCST details, which has been the greatest and most rewarding challenge for me so far."

She considers the networking the best part of deployments.

"I absolutely love meeting new people," Kopczynski emphasized. "It feels like a big family, and I have met some of my very best friends on deployments, other NDOs and locals from airports I've deployed to."

One of the most challenging parts of being an NDO is learning to do things on her own, but Kopczynski has turned it into a big positive.

"My NDF experience has been invaluable in my ability to develop self-reliance and resilience, learning to trust my instincts and capabilities," she said. "NDF has not only given me many unique opportunities but also boosted my confidence to navigate this thing called life independently."

Michael McClellan

Michael McClellan, a supervisory officer at Orlando International Airport, is approaching his 22nd anniversary with TSA but is a relative newcomer to the NDF, joining in October 2022.

"I joined the NDF to broaden my leadership skills and enhance my ability to lead the unknown situations that arise," assessed McClellan. "The experience has been eye-opening in all aspects of my job. I have learned how to manage other airports' operations with their day-to-day staffing and struggles. I believe this experience has elevated me to be a better leader."

Before his NDO days, McClellan used his airport experience from O'Hare and Orlando to help smaller airports, which has helped build his knowledge and ability to manage different situations.

"The most challenging thing about the NDF has been dealing with different personalities when you go to their home airports to work; the best part of serving on the PCST is working with the Secret Service and supporting the mission.

"I have built friendships and memories that will last a lifetime thanks to my opportunity to be a part of these teams."

Delilah Phan

TSA Officer Delilah Phan (far right) and teammates at CVN. (TSA photo)

Like McClellan, TSA Officer Delilah Phan joined the NDF in 2022 and is glad she did.

"I get to experience new challenges through work on the road that I wouldn't back home," said Phan, an officer from Southern California's John Wayne Airport deployed this summer to Clovis Regional Airport (CVN) in New Mexico.

Phan served as team lead for the deployment and helped CVN in the midst of some hiring challenges.

"Bringing and sharing my experience and mentoring as much as learning is part of what I do," she said. "There is an officer here who hasn't been with TSA long, and sharing more with her about the agency and how things are done at other airports is especially helpful."

As an NDO, Phan has been deployed to 12 different airports across the country.

"It's definitely worth the experience," she said. "With the NDF, you quickly gain experience, face new challenges, learn new ways to solve problems, become more self-sufficient and learn new ways to contribute to a team and accomplish our important mission."

Newly promoted TSA Manager Purman Jackson III (center).

Purman J. Jackson III

Serving on the NDF can be a great stepping stone to a promotion within TSA.

Purman J. Jackson III, a TSA manager at Florida's Pensacola International Airport, was first nationally deployed in 2012 and recently completed 12 years of NDF service.

"The NDF builds relationships and can build leaders," said Jackson. "I feel I'm proof of that, and I appreciate the program tremendously for the influence it's had on my career."

Jackson started as a lead officer with NDF and moved up to supervisory officer and deployed point of contact before his recent promotion to TSA manager.

"I had additional responsibilities as a deployment team lead," he noted. "There's a lot to coordinate, think about and sometimes troubleshoot, but the NDF is there for you with a team backing you up. It may be challenging at times but is rewarding."

Eileen Dolan

TSA Officer Eileen Dolan (front row, second from right) deployed to Fort Lauderdale this summer. (TSA photo)

It didn't take long for Eileen Dolan to volunteer for the National Deployment Force after joining TSA in February 2022.

The Orlando TSA officer became an NDO just over a year after launching her TSA career.

"I knew TSA officers who were in the NDF program; they talked about how they enjoyed their travels and helped various airports and communities," Dolan recalled. "They inspired me to venture out to become more proficient in my career while being able to help protect people traveling throughout the U.S."

She was part of a team deployed to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) because of flooding in that community and flight cancellations and delays due to the severe weather.

"I was grateful to support FLL and know some of their officers did the same for my home airport during past operational needs, too," said Dolan. "It's wonderful seeing smiling faces on passengers who are happy they can go on vacation and see their loved ones."

Through her various deployments, Dolan has enjoyed meeting people from Fargo, North Dakota, to Aspen, Colorado, before Fort Lauderdale.

"You get the chance to represent your airport and share the knowledge you learned. You have one life to take chances on new opportunities to grow in your career and see the world through your own lens. Being an NDO is like being part of a family. It has its ups and downs but makes you the person you are today."

By Don Wagner, TSA Strategic Communications & Public Affairs