Guard troops to begin year at Mexico’s border

Half the Washington Army National Guard now stationed on the Arizona-Mexico border will soon start a yearlong stint assisting the U.S. Border Patrol.

About 300 of Washington’s citizen soldiers have been monitoring the border near Yuma, Ariz., since the beginning of the month.

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire is traveling today to Arizona to meet with Washington National Guard troops and fly over the border to see their work.

For half of the soldiers, the monthlong assignment will soon be over.

About 150 of them, however, will return in October for 12 more months, said Washington Army National Guard Sgt. Maj. Robert Lane, of Deer Park.

Washington Guard members observe the border from 24 fixed sites and monitor cameras and motion detectors along 20 miles of the border.

“A lot of the guys here who just got back from Iraq, it wasn’t a lot different in terrain or weather. Although no one is shooting at them, which is a lot nicer,” said Washington Guard public information officer Maj. Philip Osterli.

Lane said that Guard members have reported about 300 people illegally crossing the border to Border Patrol agents, who handle apprehension of illegal aliens and drug and human traffickers.

“We expected more, because the numbers last year were higher. However, our presence alone has deterred crossings,” Lane said.

Having Guard soldiers observing the border has freed the Border Patrol to apprehend people.

Lane said that one situation that sticks in his mind was an elderly woman who became bogged down in a marshy area with several other women. She developed heatstroke and needed to be rescued by a Guard helicopter.

Without assistance, “she would have obviously died,” Lane said.