Fort Hood troops among 5200 headed to the border FORT HOOD, Texas (KWTX) Several hundred Fort Hood soldiers are among the 5,200 troops the...
FORT HOOD, Texas (KWTX) Several hundred Fort Hood soldiers are among the 5,200 troops the Pentagon is sending to the U.S.-Mexico border, the post confirmed Tuesday.
The troops from Fort Hood’s 1st Cavalry Division, 89th Military Police Brigade and 36th Engineer Brigade “will provide a range of support including military police, engineering support (temporary barriers, barricades, and fencing), logistics support to move U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel, medical teams to triage, treat and prepare for commercial transport of patients, and field feeding capability,†the post said in a statement Tuesday.
"Our soldiers stand ready to support ongoing efforts in support of Operation Faithful Patriot as directed by the President of the United States,†said Col. Myles B. Caggins, Director, III Corps Public Affairs.
“Our mission is very clear, the United States military is not in the lead. We are in support of customs and border patrol and Fort Hood soldiers will be in support of whatever the department of homeland security needs," he said.
“They’ll receive training in safety and security and we’ll ensure they are ready to go medically and that they are proficient enough to do everything they need to do for this missionâ€
The Department of Defense announced Monday it’s sending 5,200 active-duty troops to “harden†the southern border as a migrant caravan makes its way from Central America through Mexico.
About 800 soldiers were en route on Monday, Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy told reporters.
The rest will be at the border by the end of the week, he said, joining more than 2,000 National Guard troops who are already there.
The active-duty troops will provide "mission enhancing capabilities" and will be armed, officials said.
The announcement came as President Donald Trump focuses on the caravan just a week before the midterm elections.
The migrant caravan has been moving slowly north from Central America and its numbers have been dwindling.
No comments