Army took look at American Border Patrol's UAV setup

http://www.svherald.com/ ^ | 12/02/03 | BILL HESS

[MrFreedom]

Army took look at American Border Patrol's UAV setup

SIERRA VISTA -- Army officers and civilian technicians have come to Arizona to scope out the American Border Patrol's Border Hawk and control vehicle.

It is unknown if the Army will end up with an unmanned aerial vehicle system being used by the private, nonprofit group that monitors activity along the U.S.-Mexico border.

"We were contacted. They were interested in our system," said Glenn Spencer, who heads the American Border Patrol.

Spencer said he was asked not to talk about the Army's interest except "that the Border Hawk (system) could be used to help the troops in the Middle East." He said the American Border Patrol, along with another private company, will support the Army if asked.

Three officers and two engineers came to Arizona from the Army's Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey in November to watch a demonstration of the system. A photo of the back of the group was put on the private organization's Web site.

Peter Rowland, a spokesman for the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center at the arsenal, said it is not unusual for members of the center to observe a demonstration of something civilian groups have developed.

Rowland said he was not at liberty to be specific what the Army is looking for and that the American Border Patrol, which is not affiliated with the federal U.S. Border Patrol, can provide. He said seeing something in the field firsthand gives the Army some ideas how it may want to use a system.

"We do not necessarily mean we go out and find particular sources," he said.

When ideas are brought to the attention of arsenal officials, they are sometimes checked out, he added.

The Army's potential use of the American Border Patrol vehicle and its control van is only speculation, Rowland said.

The American Borer Patrol was created by Spencer and others and established in Arizona to monitor illegal activities crossing the border using a number of high-tech systems to include ground sensors and camera-outfitted radio control airplanes.

Because of the sensitive nature of what the Army is looking at to protect forces, Rowland said, "We don't broadcast what we are doing. We don't want our foes to know what we have."

[BenLurkin]

Say, they are from the government. Maybe they are there to help you Mr. Spencer.

[Old Sarge]

Huachuca local PING.

[RKV]

Frankly, I hope that the Army can do better than the INS.

[MrFreedom]

Legal and illegal immigration to the United States set to accelerate due to economic growth




http://www.phxnews.com/fullstory.php?article=7758

[PokeyJoe]

Tell the Army that I can build a tethered blimp with an AI (fuzzy logic) controlled advanced, automatic detect and track, multi-function phased-array radar (similar to SPY1)to perform search, target and track of border intruders, linked to GPS with a laser range finder/designator.

[MrFreedom]

Rohrabacher traded Medicare vote for help with immigrant bill

ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer Monday, December 1, 2003





(12-01) 17:27 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher said Monday he provided crucial support for the Medicare reform bill in exchange for a promise from House leaders to allow a vote on legislation requiring hospitals to report illegal immigrants.

Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, said in an interview Monday that he disliked a provision in the Medicare bill providing $1 billion over four years to hospitals that treat illegal immigrants.

He said he agreed to vote "yes" anyway when House leaders said they would schedule a vote on a bill he intends to introduce that would require hospitals that treat illegal immigrants to report them to federal immigration authorities before they would be eligible for reimbursement.

Rohrabacher's bill, which he hopes to see brought to a vote early next year, would also provide that hospitals only have to treat illegal immigrants with life-threatening conditions.

The $400 billion Medicare prescription drug bill squeaked past the House on a vote of 220-215 before passing the Senate last week. Rohrabacher said he thought it was important to address the problems he said are posed by illegal immigration.

"There's emergency rooms that are threatening to close, and when you come down to the bottom line the illegal immigrant part of the equation is what's putting the pressure on the system here, and if we just have the federal government pick up the tab it will eliminate the pressure for reform," he said, adding he knows his bill will encounter resistance.

"There's no doubt that the other side will attack it as being mean-spirited and heartless, when in fact it's based on caring for your own family and your friends and neighbors, because that's what you're supposed to do, rather than sending money to people who are not citizens and not legally here," Rohrabacher said.

[mylife]

[SandRat]

Huachuca PING!

[upchuck]

"There's emergency rooms that are threatening to close, and when you come down to the bottom line the illegal immigrant part of the equation is what's putting the pressure on the system here, and if we just have the federal government pick up the tab it will eliminate the pressure for reform," he [Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-CA] said, adding he knows his bill will encounter resistance.

Come, come Rep. Rohrabacher, while I agree completely with your sentiment, you know very well the "federal government" can't and doesn't pick up the tab for anything.

I hate it when they lie and imply the guvament has its own money to spend. Hey Dana, say, "poor, overburdened taxpayers" instead of "federal government." It strengthens your case.

[HiJinx]

[VeniVidiVici]

Hehe.

Blimps. We've been der, done dat.

[janetgreen]

and if we just have the federal government pick up the tab it will eliminate the pressure for reform," he [Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-CA] said, adding he knows his bill will encounter resistance

Dana Rohrabacher disappoints me, I thought he was better than this. None of them want to understand that Americans don't want to pay for illegal immigration AT ALL. Federal funds, state funds, what's the difference? It all comes out of our pockets, taken forcibly.

[4Freedom]

Why didn't Rohrabacher tack those conditions onto this Medicare bill?

Yeah, the RINOs agreed to bring Dana's bill up for a vote next year and then they all had a good laugh.

[HiJinx]

We're still doing that...Fat Albert is doing yeoman's duty watching the airspace (and other stuff) around the Huachucas!

[B4Ranch]

Rep. Rohrabacher never considered what ONE BILLION dollars would do for the Border Patrol. Would it enable them to seal the southern border, the northern border and both coasts? You bet it would! but oh no, lets take care of these illegals first.

[texastoo]

"Legal and illegal immigration to the United States set to accelerate due to economic growth."

Crime is growing, gangs immigrate here also. The economy is good for gangs, more drugs to sell. Our prisons are overflowing.

Thanks for the extra article.

[texastoo]

I thought the government had their own UAV setup on the border both north and south.

If I rememer correctly, the government's UAV was larger and costs a good deal more. What happened to it?

[SandRat]

They aren't using it for Border Patrol and are very embarassed that a bunch of Civilians built all kinds of air (UAVs)and ground sensors (remember the trail minders from Nam) using their own funds and surplus parts, and computer kknowledge to show them up at a fraction of the cost.

[GladesGuru]

The military shouldn't be a bit embarrassed by teh rapidity of civilian development of high tech equipment to meet perceived needs. In out past, civilians owned crew served weapons (they were called cannons back then) and owned and operated, at a profit, warships (called privateers).

If you want he borders controlled and immigration placed under control, privatise such activities. Yea Free Markets!!!