[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Army Guard unit back from the border (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 6/10/2007 4:27:25 PM EDT
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I briefly spoke to an Army Guard member of my church who just returned from a several week assignment on the US-Mexico border. He is an MP Staff Sergeant and spent most of his tour down there riding patrols in Humvees during the day, and doing night time observation from observation posts along the border. It was pretty disheartening to hear him describe our governments policy. His unit was very clearly and directly ordered NOT to intervene in any way with illegals they observed. They were issued live ammo, but were not allowed to load their weapons (M16's and M9 pistols). He said he personally observed hundreds of illegals crossing the border every single night he pulled observation duty. What I thought was interesting was he said that a high percentage of the illegals were carrying AK series weapons, he said they were very easy to pick out in the night vision they were using. He is very discouraged, since he believes his unit alone could have intercepted and detained several hundred illegals in just the night ops alone. He said he did not see nearly as many during the daytime patrols, but did run across at least a few everyday. Anyway, just thought I would throw this out for discussion. 
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The funny thing is, there is no conspiracy, as the .gov could never cover up something involving so many people.
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I did not ask him, but it is very possible just the coyotes. Even if it is only coyotes (or drug smugglers, or whatever) it is pretty bad we send these guys down there and then just make them sit and watch our border be over run. |
Like monitoring the Minutemen...  They may have been forbidden to engage to prevent a Posse Comitatus situation... |
The Minutemen served their purpose of raising awareness about the illegal immigration. Some weekend warriors (the MM, not the NG) in lawnchairs are not going to stop the flow. |
I have to call him on that. He is bullshitting you. AKs are there, but not in a "high percentage". I have 18 years on the border, plus some time in Mexico, btw. Jim |
Thats all semantics though, His buddy could have meant any number of things. Like, there is a high percentage of AK's in comparison to how many your normally see in the U.S. Any number of things. |
He has no reason to bullshit anyone. It may be that by high percentage he meant the number of groups being escorted by armed coyotes, rather than total number of illegals carrying guns. I'll ask him next Sunday. I do not doubt your border experience, but the SC guard unit was sitting there night after night with the night vision watching the traffic. I will take his word for what he saw. He was very upset with it and the inability to do anything about it, I can tell you that. |
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So basically the armed forces of the United States, who exist primarily for the protection of our nation and its sovereignty are sitting on the border, observing what is in fact an armed invasion of our country and have standing orders from the "leaders" of the United States not to interfere with it in any way, shape or form. Yeah, I think the experiment in government that our Founding Fathers started is just about over and the reset button needs to be hit. 
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The US Border Patrol is handling enforcement. The NG is backing them up by handling non-enforcement duties. This frees up the Agents to patrol the border, intercept illegals and contraband. What don't you people get about that? |
The US Border Patrol is handling enforcement. The NG is backing them up by handling non-enforcement duties. This frees up the Agents to patrol the border, intercept illegals and contraband. What don't you people get about that?[/quote] Oh I get it!!! I get that it's total fucking bullshit!!!!!!!!! |
Agree. This isn't a law enforcement action against U.S. Citizens. Seems to me there used to be a time when armies would actually defend the borders of their county from invasion forces. |
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My buddy with the NYNG was down there for a couple of weeks in March and was given similar orders to what the OP described with the main difference being that THEY WERE NOT ISSUED LIVE AMMO. He witnessed hundreds of mexicans crossing illegally through their NV equipment. He did what he was told to do and reported it to BP. He did mention that the $150 a night resort they stayed in was very nice though. Talk about an excercise in futility. |
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Get photos of the people carrying AKs. Send them to Sara Brady with the note "illegals have taken to smuggling in assault rifles for resale on our streets". Mention how an interview with a captured smuggler revealed that they'd sell to anyone, including children, even if they knew the gun was going to be used in a school shooting. One can only imagine the weeping and wailing for border control "for the children" from the soccer moms and granola crunchers.  |
What don't you get about that? |
Due to posse comitatus and a desire to not have 'issues' with combat-trained troops reacting 'Iraq style' vs doing the law-enforcement mission, the Guard is there to run LP-OPs... They are often deployed in 2-4 man teams - not exactly the numbers to be doing interceptions with potential armed crossers.... 6,000 troops (including chain of command, and other non-patrolling personnel) and 2,000 miles of border... Do the math... They observe & report, the border patrol gets to do the pickups... |
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When I was down there, I was setting up primary comms between the camps and whatnot. I went out to the various army and air force outposts and made sure everyone could communicate with everyone else. One memorable trip was going out to one of those checkpoints everyone bitches about just outside of White Sands. The air force security forces was perched on a mountain top overlooking that checkpoint. Using nightvision and ground radar they were able to watch as vehicles would stop miles prior to the checkpoint, people would exit (sometimes with bales of dope) and attempt to walk around the chekpoint skirting it by a few miles. That is when the air force folks would swoop down with their ATV's, M9's and M4's and detain them while calling in the Border Patrol from the checkpoint. That being said, that was about as effective a job as I saw beind done down there. All to often we'd have problems with soldiers getting into trouble and doing stupid shit because they were bored or had no real clear-cut mission. Couple that with some of the troops being suspected of having ties to the illegal gangs and whatnot, I can say the whole operation was screwed up from the get go and was mostly about political posturing. I had heard talk about local reprisal toward the guardsmen from the coyotes and gangmembers after I left but that was just hearsay. I know we were under direction to go back to the hotel immediately after work, change out of BDU's and not mention we were working on that border operation. |
Do you think they are just watching hundreds of illegals go streaming by? You don't think they uh...maybe...call it in to the the USBP? 
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What I don't get, is that we've got the NG down there basically bringing the BP coffee, we're constantly being told that there isn't enough man-power to do anything. However, it appears that when we do have extra man-power, they're "observing". Observing doesn't do shit to secure this country. |
I have yet to see reports of hundreds being caught. 
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Why not just allow Texans to enforce the old Tresspassing Laws? "Officer, he crossed my fence uninvited. When I told him to get off my land he ran. I shot him." "Thank you Mr. Smith. I'll have the coroner pick up the body when I go back to the station to file my report." |
Bullshit!!! I live on the border and if what you're saying were true we would be seeing just as many or more being deported as are coming in, sorta like a turnstile. This is not happening. We are still practicing catch and release!!! Yes the BP may be catching many of them but they are receiving the same orders from Judges to show up for Court and then disappearing into the interior...  I know how the fucked up system works, so don't piss down my back and try to tell me it's raining...
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that would be a direct quote of a friend of mine out of the Union City National guard who volunteered to work the border (after a year in Iraq). they were observers only. He said they had to call border patrol for direct interdiction, but that "those guys were spread so thin, it was useless". He got along well with the BP agents...said they were a good group of guys. |
+ 1,000,000 |