English: By Wayne Arrington, supervisory TSO, Nome (Alaska) Airport

In case you haven't heard, TSA has a gnome in Nome, the airport that is.

The brainchild of Supervisory TSO Selena Petersen, the gnome originally wore a red suit, with a problematic knife on his belt. Petersen creatively turned the knife into a cell phone and painted a TSA uniform on the gnome. TSO Eric Guthier helped by creating a miniature TSA ID and donated a metal badge.

In honor of frontier law man Wyatt Earp, who lived in Nome during the gold rush days, the gnome was named Wyatt.

A tradition of the world famous Iditarod dog sled race, which finishes in Nome each year, is that a red lantern remains lit until the last racer finishes. To honor that tradition, Wyatt has a red lantern that stays lit until the last air traveler is safely processed.

Popular among passengers, Wyatt provides officers opportunities to engage and interact with the traveling public.