Soldiers on the Border

[Ndnsoldierboy]

I have read in the Stars and Stripes paper the border patrols run by the Guard and Reserves will be for 21 days and rotate with other patrols.

[injunboy]

marines been on the border for awhile now and yes theyre armed. but we didnt do anything like what bush is saying, it was more like practice. the mexicans were being all sneaky and there we were all up in their junk and they didnt even know. for what its worth there it is.

[chickendad]

The National Guard should deploy and help out on the border...Ask them this...Would you rather deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan? Or sit in Arizona or California and play in the desert there? If the N.G. can't handle it, send me, I'll sit on the Cali border then. On second thought, I would rather deploy over here in the middle east. Its more my speed going to combat, than running down illegal aliens and drug runners.

Former Marine, now serving in the Army National Guard, who I have already been to Iraq with. It's not a matter of the Guard or Reserves wanting to serve on the border. It's a matter of legal protection should they have to defend themselves. I don't know about the reserve unit you once served in, but ours was 40% former active duty Marines or Army. We were attached to the 3rd Strkers Brid. during their first deployment. I feel these soldiers handled themselves well. Most joined to get college money, but became good combat soldiers when the time counted. Now our senior officers were mostly all reserve time. We did have some trouble getting them to listen to those of us who had served on active duty. One way to keep them out of the way was that we were dismounts for the Strykers, so we fell under their command, which in my opinion saved lives. It's only we our command wanted to try to make a name for themselves that we had trouble. Our leaders wanted to do patrols and cordon seaches on our own, that's when we really had conflict. Telling career reservest how to do proper patrols. And that's where I can see a problem on the border. Someone trying to make a name for themselves where innocent lives can be taken, and soldiers going to jail. Even after a tour in Iraq, some don't seem to have caught on.

[Ndnsoldierboy]

The National Guard should deploy and help out on the border...Ask them this...Would you rather deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan? Or sit in Arizona or California and play in the desert there? If the N.G. can't handle it, send me, I'll sit on the Cali border then. On second thought, I would rather deploy over here in the middle east. Its more my speed going to combat, than running down illegal aliens and drug runners.

[**jdazmum**]

All I'm know is you can't solve every problem with military force. Now, Bush has gone and lost his mind. I think the problem America has is with the Mexicans not immigrants. There are immigrants coming in from Canada, Cuba, Texas coast, but it seems to me the problem is with Mexicans. Personally, I think the problem should've been addressed years ago. Now if Guards are being posted at the borders, it will cause more harm than good. I wouldn't be surprised if they build a Guantanamo replica in Arizona or Cali. I just don't believe in using Guards on the borders, as far as I know CNN was interviewing Donald Rumsfeld and he said it was absurd and Guards are being sent to help the border patrols out and until more agents are hired and trained, the Guards will be sent there. I got no beef with Mexicans, they work the hardest jobs Americans don't want anyway. We should utilize the immigration system, improve it, make it a faster process and let's see what happens. Tough issue indeed!

[chickendad]

Tell me what you think about Soldiers on the Border. I'm all for protecting our borders, but I feel that a problem will develop. If the soldiers get fired upon, will they be allowed to defend themselves. A while back, some Marines were on the border helping with drug interdiction. They were all cammoed up with gillies suits. A young sheep herder was with his sheep in the area with a .22 rifle to protect his sheep. The story goes he was going to shoot at some rocks or something but there were Marines in that direction but he couldn't see them because of the cammo. So the Squad Leader made a decision and shot the young herder. That Marine has to live with that fact all his life. He also almost went to jail for it. The parents lost a child, the government gave them 3 million, but that doesn't bring the child back. There will be a problem on the border. Will soldiers go to jail. Give your opinion.