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MT Guard readies for border patrol mission in New Mexico
By MARTIN J. KIDSTON - IR Staff Writer - 01/20/07


Crew members with the Guard’s Security and Support Detachment loaded a truck onto a CH-47 helicopter Friday, along with several “night sun” spotlights, which mount below the state’s fleet of OH-58 patrol helicopters.

For some, the trip to New Mexico will be their second deployment to the border. During their first tour last year, Montana troops were involved in the arrest of 54 illegal aliens.

“I went down before and it kind of opened up my eyes,” said Warrant Officer Chris Bryce. “You really don’t realize the amount of traffic that comes across that border.”

Bryce, an OH-58 helicopter pilot, has also flown patrol mission on the Canadian border, which remains relatively open. While illegal crossings aren’t as numerous, he said, they still occur.

“Montana has 600 miles of open border, but the resources they have on the southern border compared with what we have up here — the difference is night and day,” he said. “There’s definitely traffic coming across our border. I’ve seen it.”

Last June, Gov. Schweitzer signed a commitment promising support from the Montana National Guard in patrolling the Mexican border, where 6,000 U.S. troops were allegedly in place by year’s end.

Lt. Robert Oleson is scheduled to fly the equipment down Monday. Later in the year, a crew will take a Blackhawk helicopter down to fly support.

“Patrolling the border is very significant right now with the war on terror,” Oleson said. “Most think it’s just about the people that come across. But it’s also about what they’re bringing across.”

Maj. Garth Scott, public relations officer with the Montana Guard, said some of the state soldiers carry weapons and enough ammo for self-defense.

However, the soldiers aren’t authorized to make arrests. Instead, he said, they assist Border Patrol agents in watching for illegal crossings.

“For some, this is their second deployment down there,” he said. “They did such a good job the first time, the U.S. Border Patrol asked for them to come back.”

Next week, the IR will report from the southern border outside Las Cruces, New Mexico, and observe the role Montana troops are playing to secure the 2,000 mile crossing.