National Guard soldiers Trump sent to border are shoveling manure, changing flat tire

National Guard soldiers Trump sent to border are shoveling manure, changing flat tires: report

By Morgan Gstalter - 06/15/18 08:18 PM EDT

The National Guard troops that President Trump sent to the U.S.–Mexico border in April are performing menial tasks to assist U.S. Border Patrol.

The soldier, first reported by Politico on Thursday, said they have been feeding Border Patrol's horses and shoveling manure.

Sgt. Jonathan Sanchez, a cook, told the outlet that he often does maintenance on Border Patrol’s vehicles.

“We fix flats,” Sanchez said.

Other tasks include clearing out vegetation, repairing Border Patrol facilities, working as office clerks or operating a complex network of security and remote camera systems.

“Most have never run a surveillance system like this,” Staff Sgt. Thomas Cider told Politico.

Trump signed an executive memorandum in April directing Defense Secretary James Mattis to bolster the Department of Homeland Security’s effort to combat “a drastic surge of illegal activity on the southern border.”

In May, the Pentagon approved an additional request from DHS to send more than 700 National Guard troops to assist Border Patrol. They joined the 1,100 members already stationed along the Southern border.

Mattis approved as many as 4,000 troops to be deployed to the border, none of which are armed.

According to Politico, the troops are kept at a safer distance than previous troops.

National Guard troops are not permitted to patrol or participate in detainment operations for migrants crossing the border in order to keep them safe, officials told the outlet.

Late last month, the president of the labor union representing Border Patrol agents criticized Trump's deployment, calling it a “colossal waste of resources.”

Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council,” said last month that they have “seen no benefit” from the National Guard presence.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administ...oveling-manure

Congress has been shoveling much of the same "manure" for years to the detriment of the American people and their lives. We know they are full of it. The swamp, the sewer, they have bathed in it and they really stink on protecting the country and we the people.

The job of securing the borders is not getting done.

You're so right, GeorgiaPeach, it is not getting done. It's a HUUUGE FAIL by all agencies involved.

I mean I just don't understand why Border Patrol Agents spent their time cleaning horse stalls, making office repairs or fixing flats. Don't they have maintenance personnel to do these things??!! Border Patrol has some serious operational and procedural issues if you ask me, and these need to be fixed pronto.