It is said that knowledge and information is power, and training is the mechanism for building that power. As a priority initiative, I have established a comprehensive training plan for our U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers, Agriculture Specialists, and Border Patrol Agents. Our now unified workforce came from different disciplines, but today, we must act as a cohesive unit—coordinating, communicating and complementing each other’s efforts. Carrying out their critical homeland security mission, our workforce must have the skills and proficiency to fight the terrorist threat while effectively carrying out our traditional missions.

Our training efforts take a multi-faceted approach. CBP is providing cross-functional training for current employees, specialized training in state-of-the-art equipment and technology, and expanded basic training for new employees.

Trainee officers and agents receive comprehensive basic training. This year alone, CBP trained more than 1,600 CBP officers at CBP’s Academy at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy in Glynco, Georgia. During the 70-plus days of training, they complete coursework in anti-terrorism, anti-drug, customs, immigration, trade and agricultural protection related subjects. Some 900 Border Patrol Agents have trained at the CBP Border Patrol Academy, formerly in Charleston, South Carolina and now located in Artesia, New Mexico. During the 19-week course they study subjects such as immigration, nationality, statutory, and criminal law and anti-terrorism. Fledgling agents receive rigorous physical fitness, firearms, use of force and multi-faceted driving training as well as intensive Spanish language courses. At least 50 CBP Agriculture Specialist trainees have already completed a 40-day course in a variety of complex agricultural topics, including agricultural regulatory decision making, pest identification, and safeguarding procedures as well as agro and bioterrorism detection and targeting. They also receive training on processing incoming cargo from arrival to release.

State-of-the-art equipment and technology are another tool in the arsenal against terrorism. As part of the layered enforcement strategy, CBP uses a combination of large-scale, portable, and hand-held non-intrusive inspection (NII) technologies. And in over 210,000 hours of training, we have taught our frontline employees to operate this equipment, from small personal radiation detectors to large mobile x-ray and gamma ray, whole container, whole truck imaging machines.

In keeping with our priority mission, CBP is providing anti-terrorism training. This training covers many scenarios and ranges from counter-terrorism training in airport, land borders, and cruise ship environments to improved passenger analysis and questioning techniques. Other anti-terrorism training focuses on bioterrorism, fraudulent document detection, and detection of terrorist weapons. Border Patrol Agents also received anti-terrorism training in areas such as high-risk vehicle indicators, foreign terrorist entry methods, as well as detection of terrorist weapons including chemical, biological, and radiological weapons.

Even our canines are getting enhanced training. The CBP Canine Enforcement Training Center developed and implemented several new successful training programs since 9/11, including canines capable of detecting concealed chemical weapons and improvised explosive devices. A CBP Border Patrol training program for canine explosives detection was piloted and a course was developed for the training of CBP canine officer teams in the techniques of detecting concealed humans.

No technology or system can substitute for a knowledgeable Officer, Agent or Agriculture Specialist. Intuition, motivation, knowledge, and the dedication of our officers has already resulted in the interception of those who pose a threat to our Nation’s security. Our personnel are our greatest resource. CBP will continue its commitment to them and to our mission by forging the best-trained workforce in the history of border protection efforts.