TSA’s $10K bonus winners say agency is ready for Thanksgiving rush

The holidays may be extra special for several Transportation Security Administration agents based at Harry Reid International Airport after receiving $10,000 bonus checks for perfect attendance during the 43-day government shutdown.

Two of the agents were recognized at the airport Tuesday as the TSA made its last push to remind travelers how busy the nation’s airports will be Wednesday through Sunday.

Reid International is expected to be the ninth busiest airport in the nation with an estimated 500,000 passengers expected to pass through security checkpoints, including 90,000 on Sunday, the anticipated busiest day.

The best way to handle the stress of the heavy airport crowds? Be kind to each other, according to two of the agents who received $10,000 bonus checks.

Jenny Bohannon, one of the local agents, said she made it through the shutdown without a paycheck by accepting the kind words of passengers in TSA lines.

“They were very, very nice and kind to me, and I appreciate it,” Bohannon said. “They understood and were really grateful for us being here throughout the whole time.”

Another agent, Jason Ihle, said he appreciated the community supporting TSA with donations to a food pantry that was established at the airport for the roughly 1,500 federal employees who work there. Ihle said he particularly appreciated gasoline vouchers that were offered to employees by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

“That helped tremendously during this tumultuous time,” he said. “We had a food bank set up right here in the airport on site so whenever we needed to, they would let us at work time go to the food pantry and pick up supplies. They even had turtle food.”

Bohannon and Ihle were among TSA agents recognized earlier in the week by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who also paid tribute in Las Vegas to agents Michael Armstrong, Monica Degro, Angela Stephen and Mohammed Karimi.

The $10,000 bonuses, originally recommended by President Donald Trump, were paid for with carryover funds from Homeland Security’s 2025 budget.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford last week said that 776 air-traffic controllers also received $10,000 bonuses.

Ihle, who noted that TSA agents were busiest earlier this month when the Specialty Equipment Market Association automotive aftermarket trade show was concluding, and an estimated 100,000 attendees were heading home, said agents will be ready for the Thanksgiving holiday rush.

Dan Wiley, Nevada’s deputy federal security director, said that agents never stopped being ready.

“We are ready,” Wiley said. “I know a lot of people’s question is, you just came off of a shutdown, officers not being paid, are they ready? They never stopped being ready. They were ready throughout this whole thing, not getting paid, and they are ready to serve as public servants as they go into this new holiday season.”

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.