Kelley didn't need to know the details-he understood the Secret Service would keep the president's itinerary on "close hold" until the last moment. That didn't stop the Customs team at the El Paso port of entry from mobilizing. They'd just carried off an extraordinarily successful tour for the Director of Homeland Security, Governor Tom Ridge, and Kelley knew they could use that same template to start planning for the president's visit.

Photo Credit: Gerald L. Nino

President Bush, with Commissioner Bonner, waves farewell to employees at El Paso port of entry after getting a first-hand look at U.S. Customs border security operations.

From all accounts, Ridge had been very impressed with the "technology and targeting" tour Customs had hosted for the Governor a few days earlier, and the scuttlebutt was that the briefing Ridge had brought back to Washington with him might have prompted the president's follow-up tour. When Customs met with the Secret Service on March 15, Kelley and his team had a scenario planned that would allow Customs personnel to showcase the agency's latest technologies and to share their success stories with a president on the move-the visit would be limited to 30 minutes.

Preparation is everything
The weekend before the president's visit to El Paso, Customs went into overdrive. SAIC Kelley and West Texas/New Mexico Director of Field Operations P.T. Wright met with the White House advance team at the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) on Saturday and Sunday, and by St. Patrick's Day, it was clear that "Customs blue" had replaced the traditional green as the color of the day.

Photo Credit: Gerald L. Nino

El Paso Port Director David Longoria (foreground), and Inspector Robert "Gene" Tipton, with President Bush and Commissioner Bonner at VACIS gamma ray system control booth.

"We gave the White House everything they asked for and more," says Kelley. "They were clearly impressed with the effort and with everything Customs had to show them."

The White House advance team came back to the Bridge of the Americas on March 18 for one last walk-through, positioning Customs vehicles to create "backdrop" material for presidential Photos, and using Customs employees as "stand-ins" for Mr. Bush as they anticipated the "shoots" and camera angles the media would want.

Customs employees set up temporary pressrooms and hung banners decorated with the agency slogan-"America's Frontline." The team focused on other offices as well, rooms designated as "emergency space," should the president or his staff need it.

"To be able to demonstrate some of our U.S. Customs enforcement capabilities as America's first line of defense to President Bush, Secretary Powell, and Governor Ridge was a high honor. Their confidence and trust in U.S. Customs to help protect our country from narco and political terrorists makes all our hard work, long hours, and vigilance well worthwhile. God Bless President Bush and our great country!" - Chief Inspector Kenneth Squires

Employees from the Office of Field Operations were busy as well, meeting throughout the day to tidy up any last minute details. Customs moved a fleet of seized vehicles to the port and put together poster size graphics designed to illustrate the stories behind the agency's seizures. The SAIC office moved vehicles from its outlying offices to El Paso for use by the White House team. A group of 24 special agents and two Office of Investigations supervisors assisted in facility security. HQ sent a team of Public Affairs officers to Photograph and videotape the historic visit.

The countdown begins
The rapport that the SAIC and DFO developed with the White House advance team began to pay real dividends as the visit neared. The White House provided a prominent spot for Commissioner Bonner in the 45-vehicle presidential motorcade. Customs arranged an opportunity to offer the president a "U.S. Customs" ball cap when he arrived. The port got a green light to set up risers inside the compound, providing dozens of employees with an opportunity to see the event up close.

The White House also gave the El Paso Customs employees 200 tickets-hard items to come by-to a special public appearance the president was scheduled to make in El Paso before he arrived at the port.

Photo Credit: Gerald L. Nino

Inspector Roland "Rocky" Batt points out to President Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, Secretary Powell, and Commissioner Bonner, how inspectors detect anomalies in an x-ray image, which many times results in the discovery of contraband.

The team went through a number of dry runs to make sure everything and everyone was in place for the visit. Every scenario was examined-no contingency was left unaddressed. Finally, the only thing left to do was to wait.

When President Bush arrived, and donned his Customs ballcap, the Customs team knew it was smooth sailing from that point on. And they weren't disappointed.

"President Bush was very engaging and appeared to be impressed with the tools and technology that we use to defend our nation's borders, and the dedication and commitment of our officers. He took the time to address a group of Customs officers and expressed his appreciation for their work." - Port Director David Longoria

President Bush inspected the Customs technologies on display; he visited with employees, and had a chance to hear about the work of Customs first-hand. He toured a bus Customs had seized, and along with the First Lady, took time to pose for a group picture with Customs employees.

The hundreds of hours that Customs employees in El Paso had invested in the effort over a nine-day period had paid off. The trip was an unqualified success, an effort that spoke volumes about the dedication and the skill of the Customs team in El Paso.