Roderick Allison, the Director of the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS), announced his intention to retire this summer after 33 years in federal service. Allison is also the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Acting Deputy Administrator.
Allison is a life-long public servant. Security Debrief Contributor David Olive wrote about Allison’s distinguished career when he was first tapped to serve as TSA’s Acting Deputy Administrator. Olive wrote in part:
Roderick Allison’s professional career began in 1985 with 13 years in the U.S. Army. His supervisory and operational experience included assignments at the National Security Agency, Ft. Meade, Maryland; 7th Special Forces Group, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina; and an assignment within the U.S. Army Military District of Washington.
He began his career with the Federal Air Marshal Service in 1998, when he joined the program while it was part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Civil Aviation Security Program. Subsequently, he served as a criminal investigator with the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service.
Following the events of September 11, 2001, Allison rejoined the Federal Air Marshal Service in 2002 as an assistant to the special agent in charge in the Washington field office. Since that time, he has served in several leadership capacities within TSA and the Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service, including: Executive Advisor to the Director, Supervisory Air Marshal in Charge, Field Operations Division, and Supervisory Air Marshal in Charge of the Washington field office.
He was named Assistant Administrator for the Office of Inspection in August 2012. Before being named Acting Deputy Administration, Rod Allison served as the TSA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Law Enforcement and Director of the Federal Air Marshal Service.
TSA, the FAMS, and the nation are sorry to see him go, but we are nevertheless grateful for his more than three decades of service to the country.
