1,200 National Guard Troops Headed For U.S. Mexican Border

[Rocky C]

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday May 25, 2010 16:23:03 EDT

President Obama pledged Tuesday to send 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S. border with Mexico — but some lawmakers want far more.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said a minimum of 6,000 guardsmen are needed — 3,000 in his state alone — to provide temporary security against drug cartels and human traffickers until more law enforcement personnel can be trained and deployed.

“I appreciate the additional 1,200 being sent,” McCain said, “but it is simply not enough.”

Until now, U.S. troops have been assigned primarily to non-law enforcement jobs, providing technical assistance to state and federal law enforcement officers, but rising crime along the border has resulted in a call for troops to take on more responsibilities.

McCain, for example, is talking about having U.S. troops perform operations and missions.

The Obama White House, like previous administrations, has been reluctant to deploy U.S. troops on what are generally considered law enforcement missions. But Obama said in March that he was considering specific emergency requests because he found it “unacceptable if you’ve got drug gangs crossing our borders and killing U.S. citizens.”

Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, said troops should be deployed to “just seal the border” like they have done in protecting the borders of Iraq and Afghanistan.

“It is time we took care of business here at home because the federal government has been AWOL on the border,” Poe said.

If the government cannot do that, he said, “maybe the IRS shouldn’t collect taxes from Arizona.”

McCain, ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, is facing a tough primary campaign that has included heated discussions about immigration policy and border security.

The 6,000 troops proposed by McCain are based on requests from Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas, he said, and would be available for “immediate deployment to provide additional security, since the situation on the border has greatly deteriorated during the last 18 months.”

McCain’s idea, which could come to a vote later this week as the Senate continues work on HR 4899 — the war supplemental funding bill — would have U.S. troops remain deployed until the defense secretary determines “that the government has achieved operational control of the border,” McCain said.

[DocGreek]

....YEAH!....send the army, "WE" know what will happen there...EH??....can you say..."cluster-FVCK....??".....

[AAV Crewchief]

I'd volunteer for a deployment to the border if the ROE were set up properly, but I think Congress would EFF that up as well.

[hbharrison]

Got to go with you Doc one big azz cluster-f*ck

[fmoyer]

sounds like a plan or at least a start of a plan now lets see if they follow up with it.

[jetdawgg]

[Danny C Smith]

You have got to be kidding me?
I respect all armed forces, but the nasty guard?
They will probably be a bunch of kids that don't
know their azzez from a tar bucket.
I'll just hope the "Military Presents" scares the wetbacks.
Yep, I said it.

Smitty

[GT6238]

I think that boils down to one Guardsman for every two or so miles of border...

[Rocky C]

I think that boils down to one Guardsman for every two or so miles of border...

The border's total length is 3,169 km (1,969 miles).

[oldtop]

Got to feel sorry for the Guard..can you imagine the Rules of Engagement they'll be given!
Like....No Weapon, No Ammunition; Don't stop anyone because they "look" illegal, or "look" like they're comeing from Mexico (heaven forbid..that would be "racial profiling"); have plenty of Maps from the border to major US Cities, with directions (in Spanish of course)to local attractions, like the Welfare Office, Social Security Office, Hospitals, Home Depot etc.; provide MRE's, Water, and nightime illumination to help the "immigrants" find their way in the dark; establish Porta Potties every 2 or 3 miles for their convenience...I could go on and on, but you get the picture. As long as the Guard is under Federal control, there will be nothing acomplished, let the Arizona Govenor control the Troops (as she should) and maybe something will get done.

[micarr57]

yea send the national guard they don't know shizt wait a sec didn't a few of em get deployed to iraq? aaah surely not