Offices

Office of National Security Programs & Incident Response

We safeguard the FAA through agency-level emergency readiness, crisis management, intelligence threat identification and analysis, and national security support that promotes and ensures national airspace and aviation safety and security.

Responsibilities include:

  • Special Activities and Law Enforcement Support – Coordinates agency support of U.S. Government aviation national security programs.
  • Command and Control Communications – Provides the FAA with emergency communications in response to local, regional and national emergencies when normal common-carrier communications are interrupted and ensures FAA decision makers have command and control communications during times of crisis.
  • Critical Continuity Facilities and Services – Ensures the Primary Alternate Facility (PAF), the Agency's alternative command and control facility, is ready for immediate operations by senior FAA leadership in response to an emergency/crisis that requires relocation from Washington, DC. We also direct the Agency's Aviation War Risk Program that insures commercial carriers flying missions within combat zones in support of the Defense Department.
  • Regulatory Investigations – Ensures the safety of the National Airspace System (NAS) by investigating airmen with specific alcohol and drug related criminal offenses, and prohibiting access to the NAS for those who exhibit reckless behavior or potential substance dependence issues that place those in the air and on the ground at risk.
  • Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP) – Supports law enforcement in denying access (e.g., certificate action) to the NAS by aircraft and individuals transporting illicit drugs, committing criminal acts, or otherwise posing a threat to National Security by violating Federal Aviation Regulations and U.S. Code, including non-compliant unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations and use of lasers against aircraft.
  • Enforcement Standards & Policy – The Enforcement Standards & Policy Division develops policies and training for the Regulatory Investigations Division and the Law Enforcement Assistance Program based on quality assurance reviews. AXE-900 specialists serve as subject matter experts on national-level collaborative efforts within the FAA and with Federal partners and coordinate requests from other agencies and FAA lines of business.
  • Washington Operations Center (WOC) – The WOC provides 24-hour monitoring of the National Airspace System (NAS), collects & disseminates information, and serves as a fusion center for emergency activities.
  • Intelligence & Threat Analysis – Conducts intelligence analysis and threat warnings, provides stakeholders with relevant information, and serves as the FAA intelligence lead on all security threats to the NAS, FAA mission areas, and regulated operators and airmen.
  • Emergency Preparedness and Response – Emergency Incident Coordinator (EIC) position for situational awareness of incidents that could affect the NAS, FAA personnel, and/or facilities. In addition, this division coordinates the FAA's Emergency Management (EM) efforts, to include: Continuity of Operations (COOP), all hazards planning, EM exercise design/conduct/training, development and implementation of FAA-wide policy in support of whole-of-agency EM (prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery) activities.

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Office of Infrastructure Protection

The Office of Infrastructure Protection protects critical National Airspace System (NAS) infrastructure through assessments that continuously evaluate the threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences of potential security risks. Working with facility managers, classified material and information custodians, and security system design and implementation teams, we ensure that every staffed facility mitigates identified physical security risks and implements a risk management process that protects the people, assets, and information critical to safety and operations of the NAS and the traveling public.

We provide program policy, guidance, and oversight and conduct facility security risk assessments and program compliance inspections for nearly 1,100 FAA-staffed facilities. Our Information Safeguards Program protects the Agency's classified national security and controlled, unclassified information, and ensures agency compliance with National Industrial Security Program requirements in classified procurements. We accomplish this by providing national policy, program oversight, and compliance reviews which align with federal regulations and departmental and agency policy. We also react to potential information breaches and assist information owners with required notifications and response and mitigation measures.

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Office of Hazardous Materials Safety

We ensure and promote the safe transportation of dangerous goods in air commerce through activities that include regulatory oversight of dangerous goods carried by the flying public or transported on aircraft. We apply risk-based decision-making principles and a Safety Management System approach to identify and address prioritized risks.

Our subject matter experts represent the FAA on international panels and committees and multidisciplinary groups to develop standards, regulations, and mitigation strategies for the safe transportation of dangerous goods by air globally. Of critical importance is the research, coordination, and oversight of rulemaking efforts and the special permits and approvals for air transport of dangerous goods through the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHSMA).

To learn more, read about the History of the Hazardous Materials Safety Program/Dangerous Goods Program.

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Office of Investigations and Professional Responsibility

We protect the national airspace system (NAS) and the flying public by initiating and conducting administrative investigations and special inquiries on FAA employees and contractors suspected of violating various FAA orders, regulations and policy. We also research, coordinate and establish policy and standards for investigations, as well as conduct technical investigations and manage the Agency's Insider Threat, Defensive Counter-Intelligence, International Travel Security, Cyber Counter-Intelligence, e-Discovery and the Digital Forensics programs.

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Office of Business and Mission Services

Our office is foundational to all Security and Hazardous Materials Safety mission areas, ensuring the quality of and support for high performing employees who efficiently and effectively execute critical safety and security functions. We play an integral role in supporting national security and the national airspace system (NAS) and aviation safety by applying our expertise in employee selection and development, fostering workforce engagement and organizational effectiveness, ensuring fiscal prioritization and management, and providing technical application support.

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Office of Personnel Security

We promote the safety and security of personnel in the workplace, support organizational effectiveness, and ensure that only appropriately-vetted personnel are granted public trust with access to critical FAA operational activities and information.

Our Personnel Security Program team initiates, reviews and adjudicates initial and recurring background investigations conducted on all FAA and contract employees for employment suitability and eligibility for national security clearances and access to classified national security information. We issue security clearances to approximately 12,000 FAA personnel, including providing national security indoctrination briefings and debriefings and monitoring annual training associated with the protection of classified national security information.

Our Identification (ID) Media Program team deploys and issues the Personal-Identity Verification (PIV) ID card and other ID media. The PIV card, carried by all FAA employees and contractors, satisfies the requirements of Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-12 and is the basis for secure physical and logical access to FAA facilities and information systems. The program provides for lifecycle support of all FAA issued PIV cards and digital certificates and administers the public key infrastructure (PKI) used to validate the identity of the card holder. Please visit https://piv.faa.gov for additional information.

Please refer to the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency's website if have questions or need additional information regarding background investigations or security clearances including how to request a copy of your background investigation.

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