Thread: Border Patrol Academy Faces Steep Quotas

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/10281165/det ... p&psp=news

Known for its dairy farms and oil refineries, Artesia, N.M., is a small city not eager to expand.

But now, the U.S. Border Patrol Academy is undergoing a major overhaul that could change the face of the region forever.

President George W. Bush has mandated the U.S. Border Patrol do what one former agent deemed "the impossible" -- recruit and deploy 6,000 new agents by the end of 2008.

The mandate is a tall order for the Artesia Training Academy, accustomed to only producing hundreds of agents a year. In response, the decision has forced Border Patrol agents there to make big changes in how to train new hires.

"We're faced with a monumental task of training a lot more people than we have in the past, but we feel we can get it done," said Clark Messer, Border Patrol training supervisor.

The academy has long been known for its physical training requirements -- graduates much complete an obstacle course and 1.5-mile run in less than 13 minutes.

But, much has changed as a result of the mandate.

The academy has now raised its age limit for recruits from 37 to 40 years old. Training has been shorted from 91 days to 81 days, and the final days of education are now completed in the field in cities like El Paso.

The lessons themselves have changed as well. Recruits are now trained in spotting and handling bombs and terrorist weapons. Further, they're spending more time practicing pursuits and maneuvering vehicles on the rugged terrain so often found near the border.

New agents are learning the finer points of disarming illegal immigrants because, as one instructor said, an alarming number of criminals are now attacking border agents.

"I've sat out there on the border and watched people practicing disarming techniques ... practicing taking a weapon away from law enforcement officers," said Brian Yargis, a border patrol training supervisor.

To reach the goal of 6,000 new agents, Border Patrol is building new dormitories and is now recruiting aggressively nationwide.

The fact that more recruits live far from the border poses a new challenge: There are now more students struggling with the academy's beefed-up requirement of 214 hours of Spanish class.

Ian Cruikshank, a new recruit, said, "The classmates I have are from Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan. They have a bit more difficulty conquering that, especially with the pronunciation."

Agent training now also requires immigration law education, as more and more illegal immigrants challenge their deportations in U.S. courts.

Even fingerprinting class has changed. Gone are ink pads and white paper, and it their place is a new radio communications simulator.

Though there is still a military-style discipline, some question if the academy can attain the lofty goal to recruit and train thousands.

"I don't think it's reachable. I don't think it's a good idea. I don't think they'll be able to do it," said U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes of El Paso, himself a former Border Patrol agent.

But, the starting salary of $35,000, the promise of steady work, and the idea of serving the country has attracted 1,000 more agents this year than last year.

"It's a combination of always wanting -- since I was young -- to be outdoors (and) to be in action," said Jose Garcia, 24, a former Marine who will soon be manning a post with the Border Patrol in El Paso.

Because the training session has been shortened by 10 days, the Border Patrol can rotate classes faster. But, whether they can train 6,000 agents so quickly remains to be seen.

"I don't think it's reachable. I don't think it's a good idea. I don't think they'll be able to do it," said U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes of El Paso, himself a former Border Patrol agent.

I've seen Rep. Silvestre Reyes on C-SPAN - he's another illegal immigrant/open borders lover! Of course I would expect him to poo-hoo anything that might help the effort. Geez, the fence won't work, more agents won't work, we refuse to enforce the laws, we refuse to mass deport, etc., etc. - how in the world can anyone expect to get anything done if everything is such a bad idea? Oops, that's right, they don't expect to get anything done. Well, I suppose they do expect to pass an amnesty and create a new guest worker program.

Yeah ... ignore those "poo hoo" s. In their view nothing will work because they don't want it to work.

This is good to expedite the training.