Posted on 07/15/2006 12:51:55 PM PDT by SandRat
More National Guard troops went to work Friday on the Arizona-Mexico border, all part of Operation: Jumpstart.
Right now, there are about 750 troops working in Arizona.
About 300 are from Arizona and another 150 are from New York.
200 just went to work Friday from Kentucky.
News 4's Lupita Murillo was there, and shows us just how these fresh troops are helping the Border Patrol.
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We're just east of an area known as Smugglers Gulch and this is where members of the Kentucky National Guard are building a road.
The 206th Engineer Battallion is clearing the way for Border Patrol agents to have better access to the smuggling routes.
Lt. Col. Robert Hamm of the Kentucky National Guard says, "as you can see, it's a kind of rough traversing area. We're making it safer."
The desert is not new to Capt. Jonathan Keller. He's the project manager for the unit.
"Unlike Kuwait, which I spent the last year, it's actually a lush green desert, pretty here. Temperature-wise, not too bad, a lot drier than Kentucky, than what we're used to," Capt. Keller says.
Because the unit is working in a hot spot and so close to the US/Mexico border, there is an element of danger.
Lt. Chad Price of the 206th Engineer Battallion says, "As for anybody that crosses the border, we've been given specific rules as to what to do. Right now, do nothing but call the Border Patrol. Let them know the situation."
Not only is the National Guard building a road but they are extra eyes and ears for the Border Patrol.
Nogales Station Patrol Agent in charge says, "Just this morning, one of the National Guard troops spotted a load of narcotics coming into the country."
Brigadier General Matthew Whittington, who is the Arizona Border Commander, says, "We will also construct vehicle barriers systems to thwart south-to-north illegal entry into the U.S. by undocumented persons."
The National Guard will be here for 3 weeks and then other troops will take over where they left off.
Must be the "Militarization" of the border that the Environuts are complaining about.
750 troops on the NG Arizona border alone!
Looks like a deployment to me, although someone here will surely come along and claim we have no troops on the border.
Just came across this mindblowing 'excuse' on why it's a slow go....
"If we rushed in with a great number of troops and had a great presence on the border, it would look like we were militarizing our border," says Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, head of National Guard. "We are going to make sure that perception is not possible."
Yeah, God forbid. We wouldn't want mexico to get the wrong idea. Wouldn't want them to think our national guard might actually be given responsibility for stopping anyone from entering the country illegally, including terrorists.
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