The Vision 100 – Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act requires air carriers providing scheduled passenger air transportation to conduct basic security voluntary training for their flight and cabin crewmembers in order to prepare them for potential threat conditions that may occur onboard an aircraft. The Act further requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop and make available to flight and cabin crewmembers an advanced self defense training program that includes appropriate and effective responses for defending against an attacker.

Administered by the TSA Office of Law Enforcement / Federal Air Marshal Service, the Crew Member Self Defense Training (CMSDT) program is available to any actively employed Flight Attendant. The program is delivered in two parts. First, the crew member reviews a self-paced, interactive DVD and student manual designed to familiarize them with basic self defense concepts and techniques. After completing the review and a short written assessment, the crew member attends one day of "hands-on" training at a participating community college. 

Current training locations include Atlanta GA, Charlotte NC, Chicago IL, Dallas TX, Denver CO, Los Angeles, CA, Miami, FL, Philadelphia PA Phoenix AZ, San Francisco, CA, and Washington, D.C.   A complete list of scheduled class dates and registration details is available at www.tsa.gov under Crew Member Self Defense Training Program.