Mr. Punchard serves as the Deputy Air Marshal in Charge of the Transportation Security Administration’s Transportation Security Operations Center. Prior assignments include Assistant Supervisory Air Marshal in Charge (ASAC) of the Atlanta Field Office (ATL). In this role he served as an advisor to the field office Supervisory Air Marshal in Charge (SAC), planned and directed field office activities to include resource management, implementing short and long-term strategic planning, communicating the organization’s vision and objectives, and monitoring and evaluating the performance of managers and employees. He was also responsible for oversight of the Assistant Federal Security Directors for Law Enforcement (AFSD-LE’s) in the Atlanta Field Office area of responsibility.

Mr. Punchard has served on the Administrator’s Action Group (AAG) for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as an Advisor as well as a Senior Advisor at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Headquarters. He directly supported the TSA Administrator by anticipating challenges and opportunities that may impact strategic priorities, analyzing issues, encouraging innovative thinking, and advancing the TSA Administrator’s vision through deliberate engagement and messaging. As a Senior Advisor at DHS headquarters, he supported the Family Reunification Task Force by leading the logistical and administrative challenges of reuniting foreign nationals who had been separated from their children during the Zero Tolerance immigration law period.

Since joining TSA, Mr. Punchard has served in a number of other leadership positions, including Assistant Federal Security Director for Law Enforcement in Orlando, FL, the East TN, Supervisory Federal Air Marshal (SFAM) in the Orlando field office, and as a Transportation Security Specialist in the Security Assessments Branch.

Before joining TSA, Mr. Punchard spent approximately five years with the U.S. Border Patrol where he held numerous assignments, including membership on the Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) team and the sector’s Special Response Team (SRT). Mr. Punchard also served 10 years in the Army Reserves and National Guard, holding positions including Signal Support Specialist, Intelligence Analyst, and Counter Intelligence Special Agent.

Mr. Punchard has completed his PhD in Organizational Leadership, with a focus on public sector and law enforcement, as well as his Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration, and Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Mr. Punchard has over 24 years of experience in federal law enforcement service focused on homeland and national security, as well as state and local experience targeting illegal narcotics.