Counter Drug Unit Downsized
No funding, no resources. That simple scenario has the days numbered for nearly 100 New Mexico National Guardsmen. And has some worried, this also means less border security.
A soldier?s wife told ABC7?s New Mexico Mobile Newsroom her husband is one of nearly 100 in the Counter Drug Unit whose mission is coming to an end. The woman, who asked not to be identified, says she is afraid of her family?s uncertain financial future, but says she is speaking out to let people know what a valuable asset the community is losing.
“If the border can’t get the support that they need, then how are they supposed to keep those borders safe,” the soldier?s wife said.
Border security is the big question the national guardsman?s wife said she has, since her husband was notified he, along with nearly 100 others who work for the Counter Drug Unit, will no longer have a mission come February.
A federal earmark that funded the operation has been stricken from the budget.
“If there’s no support for the units that are doing that, maybe six months from now there’ll be funding during the next fiscal year, but what’s going to happen between now and then – who is going to be there,” the soldier?s wife said.
Lieutenant Colonel Jamison Herrera, public affairs officer of the New Mexico National Guard, said although guardsmen will not be stationed along the border in the same numbers as they have been, their role remains just as critical, and resources will be managed accordingly.
“We will still have people down on the border. We still have 82 plus the president sent; those folks are unaffected,” said.
Nearly 115 soldiers from the Counter Drug Unit currently assist border patrol with surveillance operations, cartel activity, and search and rescue efforts. But the Unit will be slashed to only 25 guardsmen.
“Without funding we can not have personnel down there,? Lt. Col. Herrera said. ?Unless something’s done at the congressional and federal levels, there’s really nothing we can do to have soldiers on that border?do more with less sometimes.”
Lt. Col. Herrera told ABC7 the National Guard is actively looking to place guardsmen in other positions, and does not anticipate many will end up in the unemployment line when the mission ends.
But contrary to this statement, the soldier?s wife said her husband will be filing for unemployment on February 1st and may consider active duty.
