Thread: US Army Stryker Brigade Training On The Border

http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,141 ... 86,00.html

April 20, 2005
Fairbanks, AK

On the border

By ABBIE STILLIE

Members of the Stryker Brigade needed training in a desert setting. Border Patrol agents along the U.S.-Mexican border needed help stopping the flow of illegal drugs and immigrants.

When the two sides joined forces earlier this winter, they stopped more than 2,500 illegal aliens and 6,900 pounds of marijuana from making it to the United States.

In the exercise, called "Operation Bootheel," 444 soldiers in the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment of the 172nd Stryker Brigade used the sophisticated surveillance equipment in their Stryker vehicles to spot people crossing the border.

A soldier looking through the telescopic sights on top of the vehicles can see up to 20 kilometers on a clear day.

"The equipment they have is very unique to what we do," said Shem Peachey, the patrol agent in charge at the Lordsburg, N.M., Border Patrol station.

Peachey said the Strykers enabled the Border Patrol to find more illegal aliens than they usually do by themselves.

Federal law prohibits the military from direct law enforcement, so once the targets were spotted, the soldiers notified the Border Patrol to pick them up. The exercise was coordinated by Joint Task Force North, which works with federal law-enforcement agencies to provide military support.

Officials at the Fort Wainwright Army Post commemorated the mission by dedicating a new "Bootheel Room" in the brigade's headquarters building. A flag that once flew over the Border Patrol station in Lordsburg now hangs on the wall along with pictures, plaques and maps from the mission. Maj. Rich Rouleau, the squadron's executive officer, said one of the most challenging aspects of the mission was getting there.

"We deployed by land, sea and air," he said.

About 200 pieces of equipment were shipped. The Strykers were transferred by train and boat, then driven the rest of the way. Other equipment was flown down on aircraft from Eielson Air Force Base.

Once there, the soldiers participated--for the first time together as a squadron--in a real-life mission of defending an 81-mile border.

The squadron was in the "Bootheel" of New Mexico, a mountainous desert region bordering Mexico and Arizona. Valleys running north to south streamline the traffic coming across the border.

"The terrain favors the transnational threat," squadron commander Lt. Col. Mark Freitag said of the flow across the border.

In addition to lending a hand to the Border Patrol, the mission was beneficial in other ways. Since the Stryker Brigade is scheduled for deployment to Iraq late this summer, the training was an excellent opportunity to learn about desert terrain and practice with their equipment.

"It was perfect timing," Freitag said.

The soldiers didn't all patrol the border at the same time, but everyone stayed busy.

"We took advantage of every training opportunity while executing a real-world mission," Rouleau said.

Training opportunities included practicing hand-to-hand combat and using pigs' feet to learn to suture wounds.

According to Sgt. Maj. David Dunham, just being on the road from January through March was helpful preparation for their longer deployment this summer. About half the soldiers had never been deployed before the exercise and weren't used to being away from their loved ones.

"It was a good warm-up," he said. "Whatever little problems we had this time, we can go back and get them fixed."

Intern Abbie Stillie can be reached at 459-7575.

Is it too far of a stretch to wonder why there couldn't be "continuous military exercises" 12 months a year along our borders, both north & south?

Anyone remember our "war games" held off of the coast of N. Korea last year?

Sounds good to me. I think Prez Jorge and the senate is the holdout on this deal.

RR

Is it too far of a stretch to wonder why there couldn't be "continuous military exercises" 12 months a year along our borders, both north & south?

On my knees and hoping!

Just think of all the National Guard and Army Reserve unit's that do training every year, heck, how about some of those monthly weekend drills.

Yep, you're right...we have little, if any, representation...it all goes for minorities, illegals, bleeding-heart liberal causes.
Gonna be some Changes Made...

RR