[MilCom] Small Agency Helps Protect D.C. Airspace

[GG]

Fri May 14, 6:05 PM ET
By BRIAN WESTLEY, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - On a moment's notice, Steve Swingle must be prepared to
throw on his bulky flight gear, jump into his white and blue Cessna
Citation II jet and take to the skies to help protect America's most
sensitive air space.

Swingle's agency, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE,
is a little-known contributor to the defense against airplanes that
might violate a 15-mile no-fly zone around Washington.


Since January 2003, ICE has launched the jets and Black Hawk helicopters
from Ronald Reagan (news - web sites) Washington National Airport. They
patrol and intercept small, general aviation aircraft that enter the
protected space above the home of the federal government and some of the
nation's most famous monuments.


At an open house of sorts Friday at the airport across the Potomac River
in Arlington, Va., pilots and other officials from ICE gave reporters a
glimpse of their round-the-clock efforts. They work together with the
Defense Department and the Federal Aviation Administration (news - web
sites) to monitor the more than 400 aircraft over the Washington area at
any time.


After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, authorities found a need to provide
increased protection to the region's airspace. "Unfortunately, the
decision was made to give the mission solely to the Department of
Defense (news - web sites)," said Charles Stallworth, director of air
and marine operations for ICE.


Because of the cost of patrolling the no-fly zones, and the strain it
placed on the military, defense officials soon began phasing out their
nonstop air patrols over Washington and New York. That, Stallworth said,
proved the task was more than the military could meet alone.


In the 16 months since, rotating teams of customs officials have begun
participating in the patrols, which officials said have been a deterrent
to about 30 illegal but inadvertent intrusions. Six months before their
mission, more than 180 aircraft had violated the restricted zone.


Military jets remain on continuous alert at nearby Andrews Air Force
Base in Maryland.


"Those 30 intrusions were tracked down and investigated and found to be
harmless — not a threat to homeland security, but accidents," said
Michael J. Garcia, assistant secretary of U.S Immigration and Customs
Enforcement with the Department of Homeland Security. "It's been a
tremendous success."


One example of that effectiveness occurred during President Bush (news -
web sites)'s State of the Union address last year at the Capitol, when a
helicopter entered restricted airspace. Customs officers tracking the
aircraft quickly called in Black Hawk helicopters which, along with
military jets, escorted the pilot out of the area.


"We are the cop on the beat in the skies," Stallworth said.


Its a role that's familiar to Swingle, who said he spends about six or
seven weeks throughout the year on standby for 12 hours at a time.


"Once we get a call that there's an intrusion, then (we) have eight
minutes to actually get airborne," he said. "We stay at a heightened
level of alert."


In the sky and cruising at more than 100 mph, Swingle and other crew
members pull alongside an airplane close enough to read its tail number.
That is relayed to radar specialists on the ground, who investigate and
ultimately identify whether the plane is operating without proper
authorization or in a suspicious manner.


Although the aircraft operated by customs crews are unarmed, the bold
U.S. government insignia and other markings can be startling to an
unsuspecting pilot.
___

On the Net:
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement: http://www.ice.gov/

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