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Mexican Invasion Title: National Guard's use on border worrisome, feds report (Mission Creep) 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.
Poster Comment: They really do have a comprehensive border-security strategy, but no one knows what it is. The Nation Guard being overseas in the middle east, is not "mission creep"? McStain and Nappylatino are both mission creeps!
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#1. To: hondo68 (#0)
I guess the easy way to say this is "What isn't" in the National Guards mission statement!!!!!
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