[Poohbah]

No it is not. Even some of the most poorly equipped military units on the planet have GPS gear.

It may be in the TO&E at the regiment or battalion level, but that doesn't mean (a) that platoon leaders actually get it issued to them, or (b) that the colonel didn't sell it.

Hell, there was a story that a general in the Mexican Air Force black-marketed a couple of F-5s to the Iranians a while back (early 1990s).

And, yes, the border is exceptionally poorly marked. I had a buddy get thoroughly lost a while back after his GPS died--he wound up about three miles into Mexico.

[eskimo]

It may be in the TO&E at the regiment or battalion level, but that doesn't mean (a) that platoon leaders actually get it issued to them, or (b) that the colonel didn't sell it.

Yeah, that could be too, but surely not the only reason for 115 incidents in the last 8 years. Some of these have to be planned actions.