'Like a Headline from the Civil War': State Militias on the Move

Georgia Troops on N.M. Border

Written by Bruce Daniels – ABQnewsSeeker

Wednesday, 05 July 2006
Some 150 arrive for duty; more coming from Arkansas.

It sounds like a headline from the Civil War. But it’s iaactually part of President George W. Bush’s recently announced Operation Jump Start, which aims at calling up to 10,000 National Guard troops to provide extra manpower and support along the U.S.-Mexico border.
On Saturdy, 150 members of the Georg National Guard arrived in southern New Mexico and were already getting training at a Deming middle school on “Dangers of the Desert,” the Deming Headlight reported today on its Web site.

The Georgia contingent will spend four months to a year backing up the U.S. Border Patrol on the U.S.-Mexico border, the Headlight reported.

“They will be serving in a support capacity to the Border Patrol throughout the entire southern New Mexico corridor,” Border Patrol spokesman Doug Mosier told the Headlight. “They’ll have no direct law enforcement duties, but the beauty is that it frees up Border Patrol to continue its national security mission.”

Another 150 to 200 National Guard soldiers and airmen from Arkansas are expected to arrive in the area soon to assist in Operation Jump Start, the Deming paper reported.

The Arkansas contingent will be divided into two groups — one to serve in a six-month deployment along the border in New Mexico and Texas and the second, a group of about 15, to take part in a “duration force” that will serve in New Mexico for up to two years, the Headlight reported.

According to an Arkansas Guard news release, the second group will be “more aligned with command and control positions for the overall force, such as career positions like personnel, medical and finance,” the Headlight reported.

Actual mobilization of the Arkansas troops is supposed to begin by July 15, according to the Headlight.
Lt. Col. Kim Lalley, spokeswoman for the New Mexico National Guard, said the state guard, which already has mobilized some 361 troops for border duty, is planning to work with more states in the next few weeks.

“This should be quite the economic boon to Deming and surrounding areas,” Lalley told the Headlight.

Meanwhile, up to 200 National Guard troops from Colorado are expected to be called up for border duty, according to this story from The Associated Press.

Where the Colorado troops will be deployed isn’t known yet, the AP reported.