Defense contractor DynCorp needs to formulate a list of common-sense instructions for its employees. It's apparent that whatever instructions it has had in place are insufficient or not working.

In this era of terrorism, it is baffling that a DynCorp medic, Shaun Marshall of Riverside, Calif., would consider it even remotely appropriate to bring highly explosive munitions on a flight from Afghanistan without obtaining proper clearances to do so.

Even if, as Marshall stated, he believed the munitions to be inert, he should have obtained verification of that, as well as approvals, before planning to transport the munitions to this country.

The Soviet munitions in question included what were described as a "projectile point detonating fuse" and a "surface-to-air and air-to-air cartridge." Marshall, 26, also possessed five .50-caliber bullets and four small-arms cartridges, which he did not declare as required by law.

Marshall was found to have the items in his possession at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, where the DynCorp worker arrived on a flight from the United Arab Emirates. He was trying to board a United Airlines flight to California when he was pulled aside for a routine security check.

A search of his bags turned up the items in question, which Marshall said he planned to turn over to DynCorp for training exercises. However, company officials said Marshall had no involvement in training operations.

Marshall faces federal charges of placing explosives on an aircraft and trying to place ammunition on a domestic flight without notifying the carrier - and 20 years in prison, if convicted.

As for the munitions themselves, federal officials weren't commenting on the risk that they posed to the flight. However, the New York City bomb squad determined that the munitions were "highly explosive."

A DynCorp spokesman said company employees had been warned not to bring dangerous materials back to the United States. Apparently the company hasn't been forceful enough in getting that message across.