Arizona troops ready for border posting
300 National Guardsmen in Operation Jump Start will be unarmed
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As many as 300 Arizona National Guard members headed to the Mexican border Wednesday, the first deployment under President Bush's plan to free Border Patrol agents for enforcement duties.
The initial 150 met Gov. Janet Napolitano Tuesday and began preparations for the move to Border Patrol stations in southern Arizona.
Operation Jump Start will assign as many as 2,500 Guardsmen from across the nation to the Mexican border by the end of the month, and a total of 6,000 over a two-year period, time enough to recruit and train 9,000 new Border Patrol officers.
Staff Sgt. Desi Hermosillo of Sierra Vista, a third-generation Arizonan, volunteered for a six-month stay at the border.
"I feel safe there," he said. "But I would like to see the Border Patrol be able to do their job."
Hermosillo, who has family in Sonora, Mexico, said he sees the assignment as a security issue, not one of race. Hermosillo was one of three soldiers who Guard officials made available to speak to the media.
Duties and locations have not yet been specified, said Maj. Paul Aguirre, public affairs officer. He said he expects Guard members to work in communications, surveillance and database maintenance - "mostly back-office support," he said.
The soldiers will not be armed.
Guard troops have been assigned to the border before, either for training exercises or drug enforcement. The 55 troops from Utah who arrived at the border last week are there under a program called innovation readiness training, where units from around the country practice their engineering, surveying, communication and medical skills.
The Arizona troops will be the first assigned under Operation Jump Start.
Because of the Guard's presence, "we are already beginning to see a reduction in illegal border crossings," Napolitano said.
Guard officials sought volunteers for the effort.
Spc. Asia Jackson of Buckeye said she does not know what to expect in the deployment. Jackson, 27, said that she joined the Guard three years ago to make a difference and that she is confident in her training to be able to handle any assignment.
Not everyone supports the move. The Rev. Robin Hoover of Tucson's Humane Borders calls it a waste of time and money.
"This is a political problem that requires a political solution," he said. "Sending troops to the border represents a stunning lack of imagination."
- Read All Comments » 4 TOTAL COMMENTS
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Tim H.
Jun 15, 2006 @ 3:27pmI think it is interesting we have military bases in Alabama and Georgia. In case Florida attacks. It's operation Stupid dumass. -
Joan S.
Jun 15, 2006 @ 1:52pmThey would have called it operation Stupid Jackass but that's being used to refer to the current resident in the White House.
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J Z.
Jun 15, 2006 @ 1:43pmDoes anyone else find it ironic that the reinforcement of the border is called Operation "Jump Start"? - Post a Comment »