Request Congressional Support for Additional National Guard Soldiers
PHOENIX – Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and Texas Governor Rick Perry have jointly requested U.S. Congressional leadership support for an increase in National Guard presence on the U.S.-Mexico border. The joint request follows a similar March request by Governor Brewer to the U.S. Department of Defense for an increase of approximately 250 National Guard soldiers (for a total of 400) under the mandate and control of the Joint Counter Narco-Terrorism Task Force (JCNTF), also referred to as the National Guard Counter-Drug Program, using federal funding under Title 32, Section 112 of the United States Code for National Guard activities. Governor Brewer’s March request has not yet been fulfilled, despite growing concerns of increased border violence.
The JCNTF’s mission is to provide uniquely suited and quality military support to requesting federal, state and local Drug Law Enforcement Agencies as well as Community Based Organizations in the fight against illicit drugs with professionalism and successful mission results. JCNTF personnel are paid with federal funds under Title 32 and include medical costs, as afforded to Active Duty personnel. All mission costs are born by the federal government.
PHOENIX – Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and Texas Governor Rick Perry have jointly requested U.S. Congressional leadership support for an increase in National Guard presence on the U.S.-Mexico border. The joint request follows a similar March request by Governor Brewer to the U.S. Department of Defense for an increase of approximately 250 National Guard soldiers (for a total of 400) under the mandate and control of the Joint Counter Narco-Terrorism Task Force (JCNTF), also referred to as the National Guard Counter-Drug Program, using federal funding under Title 32, Section 112 of the United States Code for National Guard activities. Governor Brewer’s March request has not yet been fulfilled, despite growing concerns of increased border violence.
“Arizona communities and citizens continue to be negatively
impacted by the illegal drug trade and related border violence,” stated Brewer. “Our citizens must be protected from border violence. Arizona and other U.S.-Mexico border states continue to be confronted by a number of unique and disproportionate challenges relative to other states. Securing our border is a critical federal responsibility, and I am hopeful for strong congressional support.”
The JCNTF’s mission is to provide uniquely suited and quality military support to requesting federal, state and local Drug Law Enforcement Agencies as well as Community Based Organizations in the fight against illicit drugs with professionalism and successful mission results. JCNTF personnel are paid with federal funds under Title 32 and include medical costs, as afforded to Active Duty personnel. All mission costs are born by the federal government.
“The support these additional soldiers can provide to law
enforcement agency operations has proven invaluable for many years, and a surge in this time-tested program is critically important,” stated Brewer.
1 comment:
I read the recent statements by Frothingham, Lieberman, and Goddard, and just shook my head in disbelief. You'd think no state had ever sent National Guard troops to the border before to augment federal agencies; apparently they haven't done their homework or talked to any other legislators from California. In 2006, the California National Guard organized TASK FORCE VISTA in response to the Governor’s support to the President’s request for assistance to the US Customs and Border Patrol agency. Over 1,300 Army and Air National Guard volunteers supported that mission in eight general mission areas, to include operations, air support, ground transportation, command and control, base operations, maintenance, civil engineering, and ports of entry augmentation. This was called Operation JUMPSTART, and wrapped up in the summer of 2008 because the President denied Governor Schwarzenegger's request to extend the Guard's tour for a few months. From what I remember of this, the biggest benefit of the Guard's deployment was their assistance to the Border Patrol in the form of many extra sets of eyes. Because of posse comitatus, Guard troops can't arrest illegals - or enforce any other civilian laws - but they were able to act as spotters so Border Patrol agents could respond more quickly to illegal crossings or other incidents. Scopes and sensors are all well and good, but in many instances, nothing replaces a warm body when it comes to detecting something out of the ordinary.
I'm very disappointed that Governor Brewer's request was apparently brushed off, and concerned that legislators seem so ignorant of the potential uses of Guard troops along the border, especially when they've been sent before. I hope she keeps at it, and that Congress gets quickly educated on the past benefits of Guard deployments to assist with border security.
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