Posted on 07/19/2006 8:23:15 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
The California National Guard on Wednesday trumpeted efforts to help curb illegal immigration on the Mexican border as its troops neared the end of training.
Dozens of reporters and photographers watched bulldozers smooth a patch of dirt in a rugged area to make room for trucks, concrete and other materials to be used for building fences and improving roads and drainage controls.
At a perch known as "Arnie's Point," troops demonstrated a Border Patrol infrared camera that Guardsmen will use to spot illegal border crossers up to five miles away.
About 900 volunteer Guard troops have reported for duty along California's border with Mexico, a number that will peak at around 1,100 next week, said Col. Kevin Ellsworth, who is leading the border task force. He estimated 700 had completed training or were close to finishing. The assignments will last 30 days to two years. President Bush in May called for the National Guard to assist Border Control agents secure the border and stave off illegal immigration.
Guard officials reiterated that guardsmen will not make arrests. They will look for illegal border crossers on camera and report anyone to Border Patrol agents.
"Our mission is not - not - law enforcement," said Master Sgt. Michael Drake, a Guard spokesman. "Our mission is to be another set of eyes and ears on the border."
The Guard will begin to monitor the border unaccompanied sometime next week, said Jorge Salazar, a Border Patrol agent who trained the new arrivals. At his Border Patrol station in San Diego, 17 Guardsmen were assigned to patrol and two were dispatched to vehicle and building maintenance.
Spc. Anthony Maielli, who worked in Baghdad and other parts of Iraq in 2003 and 2004, has trained for four weeks in Southern California for his border duty, including a few days on the infrared camera. The camera's giant lens is mounted on the back of a truck and the device uses heat sensors to detect border crossers.
Maielli spent three weeks combing the terrain with the Border Patrol, learning the names of Border Patrol markers to know how to communicate with agents when he spots border crossers.
"The key part about looking for people is knowing where you are," he said.
Rather than wasting time learning a lot of marker names, why not use GPS.
And once we catch them, our Federal Government will release them, in the US, so they can attend their court hearing, or whatever!
I thought the Gov nixed sending the Guard to the border?
I believe that he nixed sending MORE than he'd already agreed to...sending some to other border states.
He sought reassurances over the cost being reimbursed and Ca NG folks not being sent to other states. After getting satisfaction on those points, he rolled them out.
Thanks for the response...
bump for later
OTMs = Other than Mexicans Muslims
ping
"So how many Hezbollah passed through today?"
We may find out, soon enough. And when they start doing their dirty deeds, wanna take bets that the NG rhetoric will be ratched up a notch, but the border will remain unsecured?
"Our mission is not - not - law enforcement," said Master Sgt. Michael Drake, a Guard spokesman. "Our mission is to be another set of eyes and ears on the border." P> Here is proof you are correct. The whores in the swamp are going to allow this invasion to continue. The border states will need governers and sheriffs with a set to stop the invasion. The feds seem to be all about greed and the NWO."
And, from another article, the reason they are taking their good old time about getting them on the border.......
"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."
This will end very badly when nothing at all is done to stem the tide.
That will have the public guarding the border then IMO.
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