Most travelers are now familiar with the Transportation Security Administration or TSA, as the federal employees charged with maintaining the security checkpoint standards for those wishing to travel, especially by air. Whether its upholding the liquids policy or preventing prohibited items from being carried aboard, TSA represents an important line of defense when it comes to security.

“We’re very pleased to team up with a devoted organization like the TSA to make air travel safer for everyone who enters our great city,” says Rick Vacar, director of the Houston Airport System. “Nearly 52 million passengers traveled through our airports last year. Protecting them, our employees and facilities is a big job and we’re glad they are here to help.”

Everyone who works with TSA must first take an oath of office. Part of that pledge includes promising to dedicate themselves to a mission - to defend the Constitution of the United States of America and the nation’s transportation system.

In recognition of the commitment to their public service, a reaffirmation of oath will take place nationwide by all TSA employees this year. However at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Art Meinke, federal security director for IAH, had a little something else in mind.

Choreographing the brief shut down of all of the security checkpoints at the eighth busiest airport in the country is a challenge well worth the effort, according to Meinke, who along with 1,100 TSA employees, commemorated their service by taking a reaffirmation of their oath of office.

“The reason why we’re reaffirming our oath publically is because our officers at IAH wanted to share what our dedication is,” says Meinke. “We want to show them (the public) we’re more than those people who make you take your shoes off. We’re serious about our mission.”

As TSA employees shut down the security checkpoints for a brief three minutes, passengers stopped and watched as TSA employees stated their oath in unison: