"In a way, the designee system is admitting the FAA doesn't have the manpower to do what is required, and also that they may not have the expertise, " said John Goglia, a former NTSB board member and aviation safety expert.

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Manpower costs (to include training) were similarly improved and refined, demonstrating the value of a mature system.

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In recent years, while America's armed services have been hard-pressed to assemble the manpower to fight two simultaneous wars, the number of U.S. soldiers in the military prison system has fallen by 50%, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

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