Thread: Guard stayed at post in rock attack

Guard stayed at post in rock attack
Sunday incident is second involving threat to soldiers assisting on border
By Brady McCombs
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 01.31.2007
advertisementArmed National Guard soldiers who were attacked with rocks by unknown assailants Sunday night at an observation post south of Sells took cover but did not leave their post, Border Patrol officials said Tuesday.
The incident is the second perilous encounter for a National Guard entrance-identification team in the past month on the Arizona-Mexico border. On Jan. 3, a group of men, including at least one carrying an AK-47, approached four Tennessee Guardsmen at a post east of Sasabe forcing them to vacate the post and move back. No shots were fired and nobody was hurt.
No one suffered injuries in the latest encounter either. Two windows were broken in a vacant, parked National Guard vehicle, said Jesús Rodriguez, Border Patrol Tucson Sector spokesman. Officials aren't yet sure if the men were in the United States or Mexico when they threw the rocks, how many there were and if they had any weapons, he said.
The Arizona National Guard will assign an officer to investigate what happened as it does with any incident in which its soldiers faced potential danger, said Maj. Paul Aguirre, a spokesman for the Arizona National Guard. But it's important keep it in context, he said.
"There was nothing more remarkable than a couple of windows being broken out," Aguirre said.
Rock throwings are fairly commonplace for Border Patrol agents but Sunday's assault marked the first time it happened to Guardsmen, Rodriguez said. They usually occur in places such as Nogales, Douglas and Naco where steel, landing-mat fences mark the border line. It's rare for a rock throwing to occur in a remote desert area like the one where it took place Sunday night, a few hundred feet north of the border on the Tohono O'odham Reservation south of Sells.
With as many as 80 entrance-identification teams along the border in visible posts to serve as deterrents, both Aguirre and Rodriguez agreed the assaults will likely continue.
"I think the longer we are involved in the mission there is a greater possibility that incidents like this will take place," Aguirre said.
The Guard has been on the border since June. In addition to serving as additional eyes and ears for the Border Patrol in the entrance-identification teams, they provide air support; repair vehicles, fences and roads; erect vehicle barriers; and work in offices and camera rooms.
There are 2,183 National Guard troops in Arizona as part of the mission, 492 of whom are Arizona guardsmen, said Maj. Gen. David Rataczak, the commander of the Arizona National Guard. The two-year mission is expected to cost $1.2 billion, he said.
The two January encounters have opened the eyes of the Guard soldiers, Rodriguez said.
"The Guard members now know what's happening," Rodriguez said. "The alert level is going to be higher now."

i guess i should wake up, i forgot the link.


http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/166973

Hey Shadow,

I'm moving this to News. Thanks for the contribution.

Dixie

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-B ... ref=slogin


So will the ms call this another "accidental" encounter as the NY times did about the first one?
If it was accidental, I guess its the newest fashio to wear flak jackets and carry AK-47's on 100 mile desert walks...

IMO, neither one of these encounters were "accidental". The enemy is testing us now.

Originally Posted by sippy

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Border-Threat.html?_r=1&oref=slogin


So will the ms call this another "accidental" encounter as the NY times did about the first one?
If it was accidental, I guess its the newest fashio to wear flak jackets and carry AK-47's on 100 mile desert walks...

IMO, neither one of these encounters were "accidental". The enemy is testing us now.

According to a friend of mine down there, this has been going on for quite some time with NO public knowledge, Sippy.

Nice, eh?

Yup, love those new 'desert fashions.'

Sis, I don't doubt that for a second. I'm sure higher up officials want to keep situations like this as quiet as possible.