Wrong use of the United States military - guarding barbed wire

Pentagon to Send More Troops to Mexico Border reported in USNews  by Claire Hansen, Staff Writer

(Unfortunately) The Pentagon Will Send an additional 3,750 troops to the southern border with Mexico, bringing the total number of active-duty troops there to 4,350, the Department of Defense said Sunday. These valuable troops will be assigned to do work they could assign to any laborers like, for example, prisoners. They will maintain and watch the ugly barbed wire, being spread across Texas and the US border with Mexico.  In fact, our miltiary will guard the barbed wire to prevent Americans from Central and South America from entering the United States. This is a wasted effort being ordered by the failed Donald Trump.  

The US military are highly trained to fight terrorists.  In fact, any trained laborers, like prisoners, can be trained to maintain barbed wire.

This announcement comes just days before Donald Trump gives the State of the Union address, in which he is expected to continue to push for a southern border wall and tout the importance of border security.

Lawmakers continue to negotiate over border (MaineWriter - "wall or fence"?) funding and face a Feb. 15, deadline to come up with a deal or risk, yet another horrible government shutdown. 

Trump has also said he is considering declaring a national emergency to bypass Congress and funnel billions of dollars to create a wall.

The Trump administration first sent troops to the border right before the 2018 midterm elections in what critics said was a political ploy.

Sunday's announcement confirms previous comments officials have made about troop deployment to the border. 

Acting Defence Secretary Pat Shanahan said last week that several thousand more troops would be sent to the border to install more wire fencing and barriers and provide mobile surveillance. Trump tweeted Thursday that more troops would be sent.

Sunday's announcement said the mobile surveillance would last through Sep. 2019, and the additional units will be deployed for 90 days, according to reports.

Pentagon officials did not mention the troop deployment when they testified before the House Armed Services Committee last week, angering Democrats on the committee.
Both Sides of the Border

Children are able to crawl through the border barriers. I don't believe our American military are trained to arrest children.

"The Defense Department was not transparent about the number of active duty personnel needed for future support missions at the southern border," Rep. Adam Smith, Washington Democrat and chairman of the committee, wrote in a letter to Shanahan. 

"When given the opportunity to testify publicly about the mission at our southern border, the Department baulked."

Democrats have opposed sending troops to the border, raising concerns about the mission's impact on military readiness and on conflicts the military is engaged with overseas.

Vice Adm. Mike Gilday, the director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the House panel last week that some units have missed training opportunities and others have been unable to go home, at regular intervals, because of the deployment, but also said military readiness has not been impacted, the Associated Press reports. 

Caravan asylum seekers must continue the quest for compassion

Migrant ‘caravan’ gathers on US-Mexico border

Evangelicals alert ~ "Blessed be the merciful for they shall obtain mercy":  Beatitudes Matthew 5:3-11

About 170 migrants in a caravan of Central American asylum-seekers have arrived in Tijuana, joining about 200 others on their final stop before entering the United States.

An opinion letter ~ echo published in the Iowa newspaper "The Hawk Eye"

Some label the caravan heading toward our border as immigrants, others as terrorists. A proper label would be asylum seeking political refugees. That is not PC it is just plain old C. Many have their documentation with them. Many intend to turn themselves in at the border to request the asylum process status. This being our nation’s current law and policy.

Remember, President Ronald Reagan spoke of our nation as the beacon on the hill. This was in reference as to why we are a nation of immigrants and others still seek our shores. They come believing in the noble and alleged greatness of America. The concept of open arms to the downtrodden and oppressed.

The people in the caravan need processed, some may be going back. The right needs to embrace the beacon of hope, justice and humane dignity. They need to climb the hill again and come out of the valley of fear mongering called Trumpism.

Anthony Gerst, Wapello, Iowa