Arizona National Guard official discusses decision to send troops to the border

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Major General Michael McGuire with the Arizona National Guard shares how many guardsmen will be deployed to the state, what their broad duties will include and how long they are contracted to stay here.

To meet this mission requirement, McGuire says there has been authorization of funding to bring 338 guardsmen to the state. The first 225 arrived on Monday with an addition 113 following on Tuesday. It will take about a week to get them physically cleared, conduct background checks and give them their assignments.

Related: Rep. Ruben Gallego disapproves of having National Guard forces at the border

“We are integrating them and beginning the process to bring them in both here at Papago Park in Phoenix as well as down in Tucson at the 162nd Fighter Wing,” McGuire says. “We’ll provide aviation support for customs and border patrol and other federal amenities.”

The soldiers will be spread out among the 11 border patrol stations within Arizona. Nogales will be the first area to receive help. It won’t be long until they’re all stationed from Douglas to Yuma.

Related: Legislators from the border discuss deployment of National Guard in their districts

The National Guard is providing aid in three major ways – aviation, reconnaissance and operational. Aviation and operational are one in the same. The aviation side includes flying helicopters for a variety of reasons like helping with search and rescue. They’ll also help in the moving of law enforcement agents around. The operational side will support any needs in transportation or engineering for the border and infrastructure.

“Reconnaissance support typically means intelligence analysts,” McGuire says. “We have a number of military trained intelligence analysts who will be deployed to do camera observations and remote observations that have day, night and infrared capability so they can surveil.”

Authorization is given within a fiscal year. The authorization for the 338 guardsmen is good until Sept. 30 of this month unless they receive notice to stay.

TED: OVER 200-NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS ARE STARTING TO ARRIVE AT THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER, THE DEPLOYMENT PUT IN PLACE BY GOVERNOR DUCEY IN RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT TRUMP'S REQUEST FOR A MILITARY PRESENCE AT THE BORDER. STATE "DEMOCRATIC" LAWMAKERS TODAY SENT A LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR, SAYING IN PART, "YOUR DECISION TO AGREE TO THE REQUEST WAS MADE BEFORE RECEIVING FULL INFORMATION ABOUT THE POTENTIAL COSTS AND WITHOUT PROPERLY OUTLINED PROCEDURES AND EXPECTATIONS AGREED UPON THROUGH A KEY INTERAGENCY PROCESS OR STATE COLLABORATION. BORDER CROSSINGS ARE DOWN TO THE LOWEST LEVEL SINCE 1971. THERE IS NO CRISIS. SO WHAT WILL THE NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS BE CHARGED WITH AT THE BORDER AND HOW LONG WILL THEY BE THERE? JOINING US NOW IS GENERAL MCGUIRE OF THE NATIONAL GUARD. LET'S TALK NUMBERS HERE. HOW MANY DEPLOYED OVER ALL?

GENERAL MCGUIRE: RIGHT NOW WE WE HAVE RECEIVED AUTHORIZATION IN TERM OF FUNDING TO BRING 398,000 TO MEET THE REQUIREMENT.

TED SIMONS: ALL AT ONE TIME IN

GENERAL MCGUIRE: THE 338 IS THE GROUP WE ARE PROCESSING. THE FIRST 225 ARRIVED YESTERDAY, ANOTHER 113 TODAY. IT WILL TAKE A WEEK TO WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS TO GET THEM ON ORDERS, CLEARED, MISSION ASSIGNMENTS AND OUT.

TED SIMONS: FOR THOSE THAT HAVE ARRIVED, WHERE WILL THEY BE?

GENERAL MCGUIRE: WE ARE BRINGING THEM INTO THE PAPAGO PARK IN PHOENIX AS WELL AS TUCSON FIGHTER WING.

TED SIMONS: WHEN THEY GET TO THE BORDER, ON THE BORDER? WHERE WILL THEY BE?

GENERAL MCGUIRE: SO, WE HAVE An AVIATION ELEMENT THAT WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT THERE IS AVIATION SUPPORT FOR CUSTOM CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITIES HEADQUARTERED OUT OF MORANA. THE BALANCE OF THE SOLDIERS INITIALLY ARE GOING TO THE 11 BORDER PATROL STATIONS AROUND THE STATE OF ARIZONA. NOGALAS WILL BE THE FIRST ONE THAT WILL POPULATE. EVERYONE FROM DOUGLASS TO YUMA.

TED SIMONS: TUCSON AND YUMA SECTORS.

GENERAL MCGUIRE: TUCSON AND YUMA SECTORS, FROM A COMMAND PERSPECTIVE, JOINT WEST BORDER PATROL IS ORGANIZED UNDER MY COLLEAGUE AND HE HAS TWO SECTORS, YUMA AND TUCSON IN ARIZONA.

TED SIMONS: YOU MENTIONED AIR SUPPORT OR RECONNAISSANCE SUPPORT. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

GENERAL MCGUIRE: TYPICALLY, INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF MILITARY TRAIN INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS DEPLOYED TO DO CAMERA AND REMOTE SITES WITH CAPABILITY TO SURVEIL AND WORK WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT TO SURGE BADGES TO THE BORDER SO OUR GUARDSMEN CAN COVER RESPONSIBILITY WERE TRADITIONALLY COVERED BY THEM.

TED SIMONS: OPERATIONAL SUPPORT, WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL?

GENERAL MCGUIRE: AS YOU MENTIONED, THE AVIATION DIRECT SUPPORT FLYING FROM HUMANITARIAN 911 PICK UPS, SEARCH AND RESCUE TO PROVIDING MOVING LAW ENFORCEMENT AROUND WITH AVIATIONAL SUPPORT AND TRANSPORTATION FOR BORDER INFRASTRUCTURE, CLEARING ROADS, REPAIRING PORTIONS OF THE FENCING THAT EXISTS NOW.

TED SIMONS: I WAS GOING TO SAY BORDER INFRASTRUCTURE IS INVOLVED AS WELL.

GENERAL MCGUIRE: THAT IS RIGHT. EVERYTHING FROM GRADING THE ROAD TO GETTING OUT TO REPAIR SECTIONS OF FENCING USING TRANSPORTATION AND ENGINEERING SOLDIERS.

TED SIMONS: NOT USED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, CORRECT?

GENERAL MCGUIRE: CORRECT.

TED SIMONS: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE FACED WITH A SITUATION WHERE LAW ENFORCEMENT IS REQUIRED? WHAT IS THE CHAIN OF COMMAND, IF YOU WILL?

GENERAL MCGUIRE: THE SOLDIERS AND AIRMAN ARE ASSIGNED TO BORDER PATROL STATIONS, AND THERE IS A BORDER PATROL SITUATION. THEY HAVE THE INHERENT RIGHT TO SELF DEFENSE. WE DO NOT PLAN TO PUT THEM IN ANY ROLE.

TED SIMONS: NATIONAL GUARD WILL BE ARMED.

GENERAL MCGUIRE: SOME OF THEM IF THEY ARE REQUIRED FOR SELF DEFENSE. THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC MISSIONS IN THIS FIRST 3-38 THAT DEFINE THAT.

TED SIMONS: IT ALLOWS THE BORDER PATROL TO DO LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY.

GENERAL MCGUIRE: CORRECT. YOU CAN THINK OF EXAMPLES LIKE I SAID, MAINTENANCE OF TRUCKS, TRANSPORTATION AND HELICOPTERS OR IN THIS CASE, THE COVERING OF THE CAMERA SITES, OVERHEAD SURVEILLANCE ASSETS THE MC12 OR RC26, A MILITARY AIRCRAFT TO OPERATE IN A MILITARY CAPACITY.

TED SIMONS: THE GOVERNOR SAYS THE RESULT IS TO REDUCE BORDER SECURITY. IS THAT HOW YOU SEE IT?

GENERAL MCGUIRE: AS THE PRIMARY COMBAT FOR THE ARMY AND AIR FORCE, WE HAVE BEEN ASKED AND PROVIDED AUTHORITY UNDER TITLE 32 OR 502F THAT ALLOWS THE GOVERNOR WITH HIS CONSENT TO PUT TROOPS FORWARD TO USE LEAD COMMAND, HOMELAND SECURITY.

TED SIMONS: DO YOU EXPECT ADDITIONAL TROOPS TO BE DEPLOYED? THE CAP WE HAVE BEEN BRIEFED AND FROM THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE SAID UP TO 4,000. THEREFORE, THIS 3-38 IS THE FIRST GROUP. THERE IS AN UPTAKE CAPACITY TO INDUCT SOLDIERS AND AIRMAN, FINDING THEM LODGING. IT WILL TAKE TIME BUT I EXPECT MORE THAN 338, UP TO 4000 AMONGST THE FOUR STATES. ANY INDICATION HOW LONG THE DEPLOYMENT WILL LAST?

GENERAL MCGUIRE: THE CURRENT AUTHORIZATION IS BY FISCAL YEAR. THIS YEAR, WHATEVER NUMBER WE ARE AUTHORIZED ENDS SEPTEMBER 30 THIS FISCAL YEAR.

TED SIMNS: SO YOU GOT THE NEXT FEW MONTHS FIGURED OUT.

GENERAL MCGUIRE: WE GOT THROUGH SEPTEMBER, CORRECT.

Major General Michael McGuire: Adjutant General, Arizona National Guard

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