Narrative:

Due to security procedures captain must call dispatch on ground line to have dispatch unlock release to station. During this effort, one of the federal air marshals assigned to travel on this flight proceeded to the aircraft. Captain became aware of marshal upon returning to aircraft. Marshal indicated he was working with a partner. However, he stated that they separated to maintain their cover. He further stated that they did this on other flts. Although I was able to check this marshal's identification, I could not ascertain the other marshal's credentials without compromising his cover. The station did not indicate that there were marshals when we arrived. Consequently, there was no manner to discreetly check with the other marshal since the station began boarding as soon as I returned to the aircraft. If the protocol stated by the lead marshal is valid, then the procedure to confirm identification's needs to be addressed in our flight manual. If this procedure is not valid, then the airline needs to advise the marshal's service that this protocol is not correct. Better communications from the station would also help. The station needs to check with the captain before they begin boarding to determine if the crew and the marshals have completed their briefings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB JET CAPT LEARNED THAT HE WOULD HAVE TWO SKY MARSHALS ABOARD, BUT COULD NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED, AND DISCREET. ID CHK AND BRIEFING WITH ONE DUE TO THE PAX BOARDING AT THE SAME TIME.

Narrative: DUE TO SECURITY PROCS CAPT MUST CALL DISPATCH ON GND LINE TO HAVE DISPATCH UNLOCK RELEASE TO STATION. DURING THIS EFFORT, ONE OF THE FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS ASSIGNED TO TRAVEL ON THIS FLT PROCEEDED TO THE ACFT. CAPT BECAME AWARE OF MARSHAL UPON RETURNING TO ACFT. MARSHAL INDICATED HE WAS WORKING WITH A PARTNER. HOWEVER, HE STATED THAT THEY SEPARATED TO MAINTAIN THEIR COVER. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THEY DID THIS ON OTHER FLTS. ALTHOUGH I WAS ABLE TO CHK THIS MARSHAL'S ID, I COULD NOT ASCERTAIN THE OTHER MARSHAL'S CREDENTIALS WITHOUT COMPROMISING HIS COVER. THE STATION DID NOT INDICATE THAT THERE WERE MARSHALS WHEN WE ARRIVED. CONSEQUENTLY, THERE WAS NO MANNER TO DISCREETLY CHK WITH THE OTHER MARSHAL SINCE THE STATION BEGAN BOARDING AS SOON AS I RETURNED TO THE ACFT. IF THE PROTOCOL STATED BY THE LEAD MARSHAL IS VALID, THEN THE PROCEDURE TO CONFIRM ID'S NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IN OUR FLT MANUAL. IF THIS PROC IS NOT VALID, THEN THE AIRLINE NEEDS TO ADVISE THE MARSHAL'S SERVICE THAT THIS PROTOCOL IS NOT CORRECT. BETTER COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE STATION WOULD ALSO HELP. THE STATION NEEDS TO CHK WITH THE CAPT BEFORE THEY BEGIN BOARDING TO DETERMINE IF THE CREW AND THE MARSHALS HAVE COMPLETED THEIR BRIEFINGS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.