Thread: TX: Gov. Perry sending more troops to the border

Originally Posted by jamesw62

Originally Posted by nittygritty

Originally Posted by jamesw62

so i live in texas and this is supposed to make me sleep better at night knowing there is only 600 more on the border that is almost 1000 miles long

I did hear this time they were going to be armed with sling shots and a bag of marbles that alone should help you sleep a little better, knowing they have state of the art equipment and ammunition with which to defend themselves and the American citizens from forcible breaches of our borders by armed Mexicans! :P

ROFL that was for the police in tijuana
not our border

I know that james, I was just being a little sarcastic, about Perry sending more unarmed Guards to the border, that is why I said what I did after reading about the Police in Mexico think maybe our own guards might at least have the same protection no less!

Did I hear on Lou Dobb's show that these troups would be armed? Or did I dream it?

They are armed, thank goodness. They need to protect themselves!
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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 97245.html

Jan. 25, 2007, 1:02AM
Perry praises border-duty soldiers
National Guard well-trained to aid law enforcement, the governor says


By JESSE BOGAN
San Antonio Express-News


MCALLEN — Gov. Rick Perry expressed confidence Wednesday that National Guard soldiers recently deployed to target crime in isolated but high-traffic border areas have the proper training not to shoot at the wrong people.

"They've received their weapons after they've had the training, it's not the other way around," Perry said at a press conference, flanked by local and state officials. "So I have got great confidence in Parks and Wildlife, DPS, National Guard, any of those individuals who have been trained in the appropriate responses, which all of our individuals have."

Texas law enforcement personnel such as game wardens and Department of Public Safety troopers are part of "Operation Wrangler," a statewide effort to enhance border security that Perry announced Monday.

On Wednesday, the governor outlined the program with phrases commonly applied to the war in Iraq: "boots on the ground" and "tremendous force." His spokesmen have called the operation a "surge."

"All of this costs money, but our security of the people of the state of Texas is worth a whole lot more," he said.

A dozen armed "security platoons" of up to 15 soldiers and at least one law enforcement officer will concentrate on 44 known or suspected drug-smuggling routes on the border between Brownsville and El Paso, Texas Homeland Security Director Steve McCraw said.

They will focus on remote areas between the international bridges and "can go as far as we need, want, desire (across the state) based on the threat."

Maj. Gen. Dan Densford, commander of the Texas Army National Guard, said many of the estimated 600 participating soldiers are combat veterans from across the state and volunteered for the mission.

"They are not there to do the job, they are there to support the police doing the job," he said.

He said soldiers can "cover 10 times as much area and see 10 times as many things and get 10 times the benefit out of it so that when something does pop up this (law enforcement officer accompanying the platoon) can come take care of it."

He said the soldiers will be armed to protect themselves, and the rules of engagement will be the same as for any Texan bearing arms.

"We are not peace officers," he said.

Perry urged the Legislature to appropriate $100 million for border-security measures, including Operation Wrangler.

Miriam Medel, spokeswoman for the Mexican Consulate here, said the state's current arrangement with 1,700 soldiers on the border working with federal authorities has been successful. She said it frees Border Patrol agents to do more fieldwork, which leads to more immigrants being rescued from dangerous situations.

She said Mexico would be concerned about Operation Wrangler if "someone (who) is not trained to do these specific tasks starts doing it.

"It's fine," she continued. "We have to work at the security end, but we also have to work in other areas, like development, education so these types of situations don't happen."

Ok, so they ARE armed. BUT they are STILL under the same basic orders! They REPORT what they find. GRRRRRRRRRR

Maj. Gen. Dan Densford, commander of the Texas Army National Guard, said many of the estimated 600 participating soldiers are combat veterans from across the state and volunteered for the mission.

"They are not there to do the job, they are there to support the police doing the job," he said.