Guarded Response

The first wave of National Guard personnel have arrived in Arizona to alleviate strain on the Border Patrol.  During their two-week deployment, these 50 members of the Utah National Guard will extend fences, improve gravel roads, and erect lighting near the border city of San Luis.

As long as Global War on Terror veterans are not being deployed in support of this new mission, I’m okay with the National Guard helping out with this necessary national security task.  They do not have to be integrally involved in law enforcement duties in order to be helpful; they could operate unmanned aerial vehicles or fuse multi-source intelligence.

However, if these construction tasks are representative of how the National Guard will support the border protection mission then I have a suggestion: hire construction contractors.  Let’s not put any more additional strain on military families than we must.