Border agents to get closer to the action with west Huachucas base
By Bill Hess

Published/Last Modified on Sunday, Sep 20, 2009 - 03:37:13 am MST

SIERRA VISTA — Just as the military has forward operating bases in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Border Patrol does and will be adding more, the head of the Tucson Sector said.

Planned for the west side of the Huachuca Mountains is such a facility. There, enough agents will be assigned to rotate on and off duty 24 hours a day, living at the agency’s forward operating base for a week at a time, Tucson Sector Chief Robert W. Gilbert said.

The chief told the Herald/Review there already is a forward operating base in far eastern Cochise County. He said he is not only looking at establishing one on the west side of the Huachucas, but also others in remote areas throughout the sector.

“It will bring agents closer to areas to intercept people and drugs,â€