Note: Few things;
First would question the numbers reported in the two ops.
Second; looks a lot like they working hard to find reasons not to do
it.
Third; given that there is a war going on, just what is wrong with
having a "militarized border?
Fourth; with an estimated 30k troops returning from Iraq/Afgan wars,
why not redeploy to border? They already on the payroll.
Fifth: the ROE's are insane, are they the result of idiocy, or
corruption?
National Guard's use on border worrisome, feds report
Brady McCombs Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Thursday, September 15,
2011 12:00 am |
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/border/article_3ad6c37c-
a983-51a9-958d-d9667b3cd6ad.html
Operation Jump Start (2006-08)
• Cost: $1.2 billion
• Number of soldiers: Up to 6,000 at a time, with more than 30,000
participating over the two-year mission along U.S.-Mexico border.
The National Guard helped the Border Patrol
• Make 186,814 apprehensions of illegal immigrants (11.7 percent of
all apprehensions made during this time on U.S.-Mexico border).
• Seize 316,364 pounds of marijuana (9.4 percent of marijuana seized
during this time on U.S.-Mexico border).
Operation Phalanx (July 2010-present)
• Cost: $145 million through September.
• Number of soldiers: Up to 1,200 along U.S.-Mexico border.
The National Guard helped the Border Patrol
• Make 17,887 apprehensions of illegal immigrants (5.9 percent of all
apprehensions made during this time on U.S.-Mexico border).
• Seize 56,342 pounds of marijuana (2.6 percent of marijuana seized
during this time on U.S.-Mexico border).
Full Story
The lack of a comprehensive security strategy for the U.S.-Mexico
border hampers the ability of the Department of Defense to make the
best use of guardsmen assigned to help the Border Patrol, a federal
report says.
The new report by the Government Accountability Office also says
defense officials are "concerned about 'mission creep' " because
border security is not a core mission of the National Guard.
The GAO report comes after last week's announcement by Homeland
Security officials that they would extend the current National Guard
border mission for another three months. It is the second mission
extension for the guardsmen since the current border assignment began
in July 2010.
The current border mission is the second time in the last five years
that guardsmen have been sent to the border. In Operation Jump Start
of 2006-08, as many as 6,000 soldiers were stationed along the U.S.-
Mexico border. There are now 1,140 guardsmen along the border, with
about 500 in Arizona.
The two missions have cost $1.35 billion, the GAO reported. The
latest extension is expected to cost $35 million.
In a Senate hearing Tuesday, John McCain, R-Ariz., asked Homeland
Security Secretary Janet Napolitano about the Defense Department
concerns raised in the GAO report.
She said she was not aware of the report, but said she "vehemently"
disagrees that there is no comprehensive border-security strategy.
Napolitano said she has spoken with Defense Department leaders about
the fact that "we do have a comprehensive border strategy, what it
is, and what roles DOD can play to assist us there."
"I would be glad to hear about your strategy," McCain replied,
"because I have failed to see one yet, nor residents of my state."
Napolitano said she would be more than happy to do so.
The Border Patrol is better staffed than at any point in its 87-year
history, and while there still is more to do, "every key metric
currently available shows that these border-security efforts are
producing significant results," Homeland Security spokesman Matt
Chandler said in an email response to questions about the report.
In announcing the extension last week, Chandler said the National
Guard assignment at the border should not be construed to be a
permanent situation, but a "critical bridge" until new Border Patrol
officers arrive. National Guard troops along the border aren't
authorized to arrest anybody. Most of them work in observation posts,
serving as extra eyes and ears to report illegal crossings to the
Border Patrol.
The GAO report highlighted several other concerns raised by the
Department of Defense and other federal agencies about the National
Guard on the border:
• Militarized border - Having the National Guard on the border
creates a perception of a "militarized" border, officials from the
Departments of State and Defense told the GAO, "especially in light
of efforts by the State Department and the Department of Justice to
help support civilian law enforcement institutions in Mexico to
address crime and border issues."
"Civilians may not distinguish between guardsmen and active-duty
military personnel in uniform," Defense officials told the GAO.
• Expanded patrols by the Guard would be manpower-heavy - Asked to
assess the viability of expanding Guard duties to include patrols in
high-trafficking areas, the GAO found it would take twice the people
because Guard soldiers must work in pairs, whereas Border Patrol
agents can work alone.
• Toll on National Guard - Having so many guardsmen tied to one
mission reduces their availability for other missions, such as
helping in natural disasters, defense officials told the GAO. And use
of out-of-state guardsmen for long-term missions in involuntary
status may harm future recruitment and retention.
The border missions aren't without their benefits, though, according
to defense officials. In addition to helping deter illegal entries
and helping the Border Patrol make apprehensions and drug seizures,
troops get training in geographically inhospitable environments
similar to some areas where troops are sent into combat, the report
said.
Contact reporter Brady McCombs at 573-4213 or bmccombs@azstarnet.com
Read more: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/border/article_3ad6c37c-
a983-51a9-958d-d9667b3cd6ad.html#ixzz1Y2BewZHh
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