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Liberty University School of Aeronautics partners with DHS to train aviators in combating human trafficking

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Senior Engagement Manager Tom Ruck addresses Liberty University School of Aeronautics students and faculty during an All-Aviators Meeting in the Montview Ballroom on Aug. 26, 2024. (Photo by Brooke McDuffee)

On National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Saturday, Jan. 11, Liberty University School of Aeronautics announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Transportation in support of the Blue Lightning Initiative. BLI trains aviation personnel to identify potential traffickers and human trafficking victims and report suspicions to federal law enforcement. The School of Aeronautics outlined the partnership at its Aug. 26 All-Aviator’s Meeting alongside DHS Senior Engagement Manager Tom Ruck.

Human trafficking is a $150 billion industry that reaches every corner of the world. The crime involves the exploitation of a person for labor and/or commercial sex through the acts of force, fraud, and/or coercion. Victims can be any age, gender, race, or immigration status and live in cities, suburbs, and rural areas.

To date, more than 350,000 personnel in the aviation industry have been trained through the BLI.

“DHS is on the frontlines of this fight, protecting our communities and collaborating with our partners to stop human trafficking,” said DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking Director James C. Harris. “DHS’s victim-centered approach to combatting this egregious crime ensures we place equal value on the identification and stabilization of victims and the investigation and prosecution of those who seek to traffic individuals.”

The CCHT is a DHS-wide effort comprising 16 supporting offices and components and is the first unified, inter-component coordination center for countering human trafficking and the importation of goods produced with forced labor.

Through the partnership, Liberty has developed the LUSOA Human Trafficking Training Program, which incorporates BLI training. The school plans to provide training to all residential and online students, as well as faculty and staff, via online and in-person training sessions. Each year, the LUSOA agrees to report to DHS the efforts, numbers, and processes on educating and training students in combating human trafficking. New students will receive training offered as part of their first-year coursework, with recurrent training to follow prior to graduation.

To launch the training at Liberty, Program Director and Associate Professor Dr. Amber L. Wilson, who is serving as the program’s lead, held a session for faculty on Aug. 16, 2024.

“It became a hidden crime that essentially went underground, but also at the same time, it is in plain view,” Dr. Wilson said. “Historically, until more recently, aviation professionals have not been trained or educated on the signs of or how to report suspected human trafficking cases.”

Wilson pointed out the many gaps between the highly regulated industry of aviation and the use of aviation to transport individuals.

Dr. Amber Wilson

“Aviation touches all corners of the globe,” Dr. Wilson said. “While this is not a reality, imagine a world where all aviation professionals were equipped with the necessary tools to spot and report individuals who are being trafficked. LUSOA students will play a critical role in eradicating human trafficking. … They could potentially save a victim  of Human Trafficking and ultimately, give them the gift of their life back.”

Liberty University joins nine other flight training institutes to have partnered with the Blue Lightning Initiative training program and is the first private Christian university to participate. Other institutes are Cypress College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, Locked On, Middle Tennessee State University, Ohio State University, Purdue University School of Aviation and Transportation, SkyAngels, and the University of North Dakota.

School of Aeronautics Dean Steven Brinly

“The purpose of the School of Aeronautics is to equip, mentor, and send Champions for Christ into the aerospace industry,” Dr. Steven Brinly, Dean of the School of Aeronautics, said. “The partnership with DHS allows our students to be equipped with the resources needed to recognize and report the signs of Human Trafficking and make a life-changing impact on victims. It is a practical way for our students, faculty, and staff to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a population in need.”

“Knowing the signs and how to report human trafficking in a timely manner is pivotal,” Wilson said. “Together, we all must fight to end this vile crime of exploitation and abuse.”

ABOUT CCHT

The mission of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) is to advance counter human trafficking law enforcement operations, protect victims, and enhance prevention efforts by aligning DHS’s capabilities and expertise. The CCHT is a DHS-wide effort comprised of 16 supporting offices and components and is led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The CCHT is the first unified, inter-component coordination center for countering human trafficking and the importation of goods produced with forced labor.

ABOUT LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

Liberty University, founded in 1971, is the world’s premier Christian university, one of the largest private, nonprofit universities in the nation, and the largest university in Virginia. Located near the Blue Ridge Mountains on over 7,000 acres in Lynchburg, Va., Liberty offers more than 700 unique programs of study from the certificate to the doctoral level. Over 600 programs are offered online. Utilizing its world-class infrastructure and Christian faculty, Liberty’s mission is to Train Champions for Christ with the values, knowledge, and skills essential for impacting tomorrow’s world.

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