Supervisory Transportation Security Officer (STSO) Mario O’Neal puts family above all else. With over 24 years of security experience at Tupelo Regional Airport, STSO O’Neal’s family extends to his colleagues and each traveler he encounters.
When the Transportation Security Administration was created following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Mario first saw an ad in a newspaper seeking people to join the new safety efforts. He wanted to make a difference in his community and the country as a whole.
While Mario has the reliability, discretion, and service attitude required for screening airport passengers and baggage, security wasn’t his first career. He previously worked as a Maintenance Supervisor for an international hospitality company. His experience supervising a team and working with the public prepared him to launch his security career. He said “Having leadership qualities to know how to govern people, how to talk to people, and communicate with people. It helped me along the way when I came to TUP, because we all know you are strictly dealing with the public. The rest was just learning the job.”
What I Do Matters Because…
“I want passengers to get to their destination safely and securely. I want them to have the best experience they’ve ever had at an airport coming through Tupelo. I want to get them to their loved ones safely.”
The Most Rewarding Part of My Job Is…
“Knowing at the end of the day that we got people to their destinations safely. And seeing my team and the smiles of passengers, saying ‘thank you’ for what we do.”
What I am Most Proud of at Work is…
“The thing I’m most proud of is having an experience knowing that I can make a difference. If I can make a difference in the life of passengers by just saying hello with a smile or just being a calming presence. Sometimes they just need someone to talk to.”
STSO O’Neal’s advice to people looking to begin an airport security career is, “Take your time when pursuing this career because this type of work isn’t for everybody… This is not just a job to come in and get a paycheck. People’s lives are at stake, and you have to make sure that’s what you want to do.”
Mario takes pride in making a difference in traveling flyers’ lives, even if it is just offering a confident, protective presence. And more than anything, he is committed to ensuring flyers, other TUP TSOs, and himself make it home to their loved ones at the end of the day.
“One of the most important things to me is my family. Because I am so family oriented, I bring that to the table at work and try to incorporate that… When you’re working with a close-knit group for 10, 15 years, you see their children grow up. You see divorces. You see deaths. Being so family oriented, a lot of times they’ll come to me, being one of the older members of the team. They talk to me about personal stuff and that goes a long way.”
Beyond completing his daily duties, Mario is committed to creating a culture of mutual respect, support, and safety at Tupelo Regional Airport. BOS Security is proud to be represented by TSOs like Officer O’Neal who are reliable, knowledgeable, and work with a service-first mindset. If you find yourself passing through TUP, be sure to thank Mario O’Neal and his colleagues for their commitment to your safety and overall airport experience.