[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 8] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 11193] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]IN RECOGNITION OF THE OUTSTANDING WORK BY SHEMEKA GREAVES, A TSO AT CHICAGO O'HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ______ HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON of mississippi in the house of representatives Tuesday, June 3, 2008 Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, Today, I would like to recognize the outstanding work of Ms. Shemeka Greaves, a Transportation Security Officer at the Chicago O'Hare International Airport. On May 7, 2008, Ms. Greaves positively identified an 8-year old girl who had been declared ``missing'' the previous week and was traveling from Chicago to Atlanta. After seeing the girl's photo in a newspaper article, Ms. Greaves recalled screening the girl along with a female passenger on the morning a few days earlier. A subsequent review of checkpoint surveillance tapes showed the missing girl going through security with a female companion. Ms. Greaves' awareness and vigilance at security checkpoint was crucial in an effort to confirm the identity of the missing girl and facilitated law enforcement officials to successfully complete their investigation and reunite her with her father. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children confirms that in our country alone, more than 2,700 children are being reported missing every day. In the last few years, Congress has passed several legislative landmarks, including the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, which addresses this issue and has fortified government efforts and mechanisms in place to reunite missing children with their families and loved ones. In addition to these government- wide efforts, law enforcement officials across all agencies remain vigilant, cautious and responsive to special alerts for missing children. Ms. Greaves, our frontline security officer at Chicago Airport, contributed to this effort, and is a great example of the caliber of employees across the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that contribute, every day, to making our skies more secure. TSA is responsible for securing 450 U.S. airports and employs approximately 50,000 Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) who have the very important mission of keeping the travelling public safe from terrorist threats. In the course of executing this critical homeland security mission, Transportation Officers carefully screen and inspect people, baggage, cargo and the airport. Ms. Greaves' alert, timely action serves as a great example of how TSOs, our Nation's aviation security ``eyes and ears,'' can partner effectively with law enforcement to address criminal activities. Madam Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues join me today and congratulate Ms. Shemeka Greaves for her outstanding performance as a front-line homeland security officer. She, like many other TSOs in the field, has shown strong character and a commitment to protecting the flying public that goes above and beyond what is expected. As a result, Ms. Greaves helped ensure that a missing little girl child was returned to her home. ____________________