I voted "other" as well. I could copy and paste the same argument into this thread as I did in the thread about putting NG on the border. Too many tasks for the NG.
The NG is a part-time organization. People do not join the NG to be full-time soldiers and I don't believe they should have to be. To use them as airport security, we'd have to increase numbers by a huge amount, probably 100%. Only certain MOSes would be retrained to handle it. You don't need 11bravos checking folks. And you don't want to tie up your critical MOSes like EOD to check bags for explosives.
Remember that the NG already has a peacetime role, and they tend to stay pretty busy year around with all sorts of disaster relief, providing security elements, and just staying proficient at their jobs.
Security, especially what you need for airports is a very specific detail. As Ted says, when done properly, it requires a lot of specialized training. (Something the TSA has not had).
We either need to start from the ground up or clean out the TSA and refurbish it. The leadership needs to have experience. Had we sent guys to high risk airports in 2002, they would not only be trained, but experienced by now and ready to take the helm. There is alot to be learned by how some countries handle airport security.
The program needs money. Not only for training, but to offer competitive wages and benefits so we aren't attracting high school drop outs, former junkies (yep, they've hired 'em) and general slackers. A lot of this could probably be solved by simply giving what I believe are mostly average people looking for steady jobs proper leadership and training.
We also have to get out of the habit of turning every government agency like this into a bureaucracy. The TSA is just the DMV to the second power.
The TSA was created as a knee-jerk reaction to the Sept. 11 attacks. It was throw together, shirts were handed out, a quick training and orientation program thrown together and the government said "Okay, looks good."
Undercover agents, in 2004, were able to sneak explosives past security in 15 airports. That right there tells you there is a problem.
We could equip them with all of the gadgets in the James Bond toybox, and explosives would still get through. Why? Because they are inept, their training is inept and the leadership is inept.
We need a professional agency who eat, sleeps and breathes airport security and until we have that, flying is no safer today than it was pre-9/11. The only difference today is that you might have a high school drop out harass you over a steel shank in your boots or because you have a zippo lighter.
