Remember a few months back when Trump ordered National Guard units to the border… Politico is running a story checking up on them…
Trump Ordered Troops to the Border, But They’re Doing Busywork
I don’t know about you, but I feel much safer knowing that border patrol horse stalls are being emptied of manure by our troops…
Seems to be working to me…
From reading the article, it looks like National Guard’s role is to support border patrol. Not to act as agents who make arrests or assist in enforcement. In this particular location, it sounds like they are taking a less active role than their predecessors, but the article does not go into too much depth to explain why.
In reality, the hundreds of troops deployed in southern Arizona are keeping up the rear, so to speak; in one assignment, soldiers are actually feeding and shoveling out manure from the stalls of the Border Patrol’s horses.
In Arizona, at least, the Guard soldiers are being kept at an even safer distance than during previous deployments, veterans of past missions say, and assigned supporting roles that can free up Border Patrol agents for field work.
I’d say the President is attempting to appease Dems like…Jerry Brown. Both sides should be quite pleased, yes?
Remember Brandon Judd, head of the border patrol union? Here are his thoughts…
Border Patrol union calls Trump’s National Guard deployment ‘colossal waste’
A Border Patrol spokeswoman said National Guard troops had assisted with 3,924 deportations, 1,116 “turn backs” of migrants into Mexico and the seizure of 3,486 pounds of marijuana — all by operating support technology and equipment. She said they had replaced some Border Patrol agents at observation posts. “Instead of an agent watching a camera, they can,” she said.
Border Patrol Acting Chief Carla Provost responded to the union’s claims by acknowledging that the National Guard’s role has changed compared with past deployments. Although they have been deployed to the border, they have to be paired with an agent who has law enforcement powers, and Border Patrol and defense officials decided it was better to use them behind the scenes for surveillance and air support.
Border Patrol Acting Chief Carla Provost responded to the union’s claims by acknowledging that the National they have to be paired with an agent who has law enforcement powers, and Border Patrol and defense officials decided it was better to use them behind the scenes for surveillance and air support.
Guard’s role has changed compared with past deployments. Although they have been deployed to the border,
“I want my agents out on the front line enforcing the laws,” Provost said Thursday during a visit to the agency’s Rio Grande Valley headquarters.
Thanks for posting this.
At least they are not peaking into Mexico…
National Guard Has Eyes on the Border. But They’re Not Watching Mexico.
The troops operating and monitoring high-tech surveillance equipment along the border have been told they are prohibited from using it to look into Mexico. The little-known caveat is part of the legal ground rules for the new National Guard deployment along the southwest border, which calls for troops to operate “up to” the United States-Mexico border, state and federal officials said.
Here in Texas, the other side of the Rio Grande is off limits for Guard members overseeing 24-hour surveillance video feeds from camera towers, tethered helium balloons and other equipment.
“We are not doing foreign intelligence collection on the border,” Army Lt. Col. Jamie Davis, a Defense Department spokesman, explained in a statement explaining the policy.
So we deployed them for emotional support?
I guess…if you feel better…I’ll go with that. Do you feel better?
Not really. All that money we are saving by letting our troops in South Korea sleep in on the weekdays is now being blown on deploying border cheerleaders.
Seems like we have our priorities screwed up.
This is from two years ago but is a pretty good indicator of the indirect costs…
“In reality, the hundreds of troops deployed in southern Arizona are keeping up the rear, so to speak; in one assignment, soldiers are actually feeding and shoveling out manure from the stalls of the Border Patrol’s horses.”
Mucking stalls LOL. at America horse racetracks they use Mexicans for that job. Guess that wouldn’t work for the border patrol. LOL.
Allan
They could easily hire someone local for the cost of hotel/food/rental car/pay/etc for those guard troops…
What makes you say that?
Nothing in your article has any reference to NG personnel being of any help in this incident.
From what I understand, the NG troops sent to assist the CBP at the border, under President Trump, are filling similar positions as they have in the past went sent by President Bush and President Obama.
If mucking horse stalls etc frees up CBP patrol agents for border patrolling and illegal immigrant or drug interdiction then that is doing what those guard troops were sent there for.
I don’t see any issue with this?
Cause its workin…
Quite pleased? No. Pleased. Yes. To be “quite pleased” would be for me to see President Trump solve the CBP and ICE recruitment and hiring and attrition problems so that the National Guard would not be needed.
But no other president solved that problem, so I doubt he can.
From the article (concerning those working maintaining vehicles etc. in Arizona)
"They are freeing up some of the 3,600 Border Patrol agents assigned to southern Arizona that normally carry out such tasks for enforcement duties. "
The OP author doesn’t get it? Really?
Is CBP so dysfunctional that they hire border patrol agents to clean horse stalls? Sound like a leadership problem… 
Having the NG do menial tasks is like having Steve Wozniak work on the iPhone casings.
Yes it frees up people to do othervthings but it is still a waste of resources.
