Joseph Carpenter has been a Transportation Security Officer (TSO) at Tupelo Regional Airport for just over three years. Before starting his security position at TUP, Officer Carpenter held several retail and labor positions, including laying flooring and selling cellphones.
Officer Carpenter had never considered a security career, until he spoke to a family member who was working as a Security Officer, who shared that it was a reliable career path. With this in mind, when Joseph came across a job posting for a security position at TUP, he applied and later accepted the job.
While TUP was his first security job, his previous customer service positions gave him the skill set needed for airport security. Like customer service jobs, security requires employees to practice conflict management and resolution skills and de-escalation. For those interested in beginning their own career in security, Officer Carpenter offers this advice: “Keep your eyes open and watch what you’re doing. A good attitude gets you a good attitude in return.”
What I Do Matters Because…
“There’s a lot of people that come through airports every day and were the first thing they see before getting on the plane. We’re the first line of defense for anything bad that happens. We give them peace of mind, which is an important part of the job.”
The Most Rewarding Part of My Job Is…
“At TUP we think a lot about passenger service and making sure people get through without having a hard time. It always makes me feel really good when people come through and tell us we’re the nicest TSA they’ve encountered.”
What I am Most Proud of at Work is…
“Knowing that we did our job well. We have really good scores, pass our tests, and we’ve never let anything bad on the plane. We’ve got a really good track record.”
Transportation Security Officers: Keeping Airports and Passengers Safe
Transportation Security Officers like Joseph Carpenter at TUP and beyond have the critical responsibility of keeping airports and passengers safe, while providing customer service that soothes flying anxieties. Though TUP is a smaller regional airport, it is still crucial that nothing slips through the cracks. Officer Carpenter says, “With small airports you can take a lot more time looking at everything and being a lot more thorough. We can stop and look at things. It’s always good to slow down and make sure you look at everything coming through. Just slow down and make yourself vigilant.”
Transportation Security Officers provide more than just passenger and baggage screening services. They are the friendly faces greeting flyers before they board their flights, the vigilant eyes scanning for suspicious activity, and the trustworthy people tasked with making sure flyers make it safely to their destinations.