From the day they started to talk about air marshals, I have had mixed feeling about it. Mainly because I`ve been wondering how these officers are recruited. Are they former law enforcement officers, people with a military background, or have whoever is responsible for putting them onboard our airplanes been smart enough to take advantage of the expertise on air safety all the pilots made redundand after Sept. 11th. could bring to the table. If handling a gun is what it is all about - you certainly do not need a professional airman/woman. But if you want people with inside knowledge of safety in the air, may be the responsible people should look at the flight crew community. They might even find candidates with both qualifications, law enforcement and experience from security and safety in the air.