ARKANSAS, USA — Since the beginning of July, there have been 80 members of the Arkansas National Guard along the Texas southern border.
“This was a direct request from the Texas governor for assistance,” said Major Jonathan Stubbs the Adjutant General for the Arkansas National Guard.
According to General Stubbs, the guardsmen that were sent have been stationed at checkpoints in Eagle Pass and Del Rio.
“They would man a post and partner with a Texas National Guard soldier and then they would be supported by other Texas Department of Public Safety elements,” said General Stubbs. “They would man these checkpoints observe and assist as needed.”
He also explained that their goal is to help relieve the Texas guardsmen.
“What we were able to do is go down there and augment their forces and give the Texas National Guard time and space to do some other things,” General Stubbs added.
Since they knew Spanish language barriers were a possibility, they made sure to come prepared.
“We took a large number of bilingual Spanish-speaking soldiers down to the border with us, so that was beneficial,” said General Stubbs. “But I think everybody who was down there regardless of if they spoke the language or not saw the utility of being conversant in Spanish firsthand and how important it is down there.”
Their mission was one where the conditions aren't easy— from the physical toll to the mental ones.
“When I was there for the first time the temperature was 109 degrees, so our soldiers are operating in a very harsh environment,” said General Stubbs. “When you go, and you put your feet in the dirt down there and you're on the banks of the Rio Grande River and you see these family groups waiting across the river it's very impactful.”
General Stubbs explained that because of that, they’ll be checking in with the soldiers once they return on July 31.
“We want to make sure that we give our soldiers the necessary support to help them should they struggle with what they've experienced down there,” he said.
While it's unclear when and if they'll send more guardsmen to South Texas, General Stubbs said they'll be ready if the time comes.
“We're all about coming to the aid of our neighbors,” he added.
While those soldiers will be returning in a few days there are still 50 other members along the border on a separate federal mission assisting U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
They've been there since October of 2022 and are set to come back at the end of October 2023.