San Luis, Ariz. – Military bulldozers, road graders and other heavy equipment rumbled along the Mexican border early Monday as more than 50 National Guard troops from Utah became the first unit to get to work under President Bush’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
The soldiers with the 116th Construction Support Equipment Company rolled out of bed at 3:45 a.m. and will hit their work sites by 5:30 a.m. during their two weeks of duty. They will improve a dirt road running parallel along the border, fill in gaps in fortified fencing and run wiring for new lighting to help the Border Patrol spot illegal immigrants trying to come across.
“It’s exciting to do something that’s relevant to the safety of the United States,” said Capt. Talon Greeff, the unit’s commander. “There is a sense of excitement when you are doing something real-world.”
The goal is to strengthen the border and free up border agents to catch illegal immigrants.
The Guard members are unarmed and wearing hardhats instead of Kevlar helmets. “We do not want to appear as if we’re militarizing the border,” Greeff said. They will not perform any law enforcement duties.
And not having to worry about their weapons while working is nice, he said, though acknowledging that “it makes me nervous to know there might be people that are not happy about our presence on the other side of the border.”
The troops arrived in Yuma, Ariz., on Saturday and were briefed Sunday on their mission and given tips on how to survive the triple-digit heat of the Arizona desert.
Under Bush’s plan, up to 6,000 National Guard members will be sent to the four southern border states. Officials say 300 Guard members from Arizona are expected to begin arriving at the state’s border in mid-June.
Most of the 11 soldiers assigned to operate the heavy equipment have full-time jobs in the construction business in Utah. They would normally be pulling two weeks of training duty at this time of year anyway.
“They asked our unit to come out and help with the program with Arizona, help the security force. It’s an honor for me to come out here,” said Sgt. 1st Class James Colledge, 52, of West Valley, Utah. “They all feel pretty privileged to be out here, as the first group.”
