National Guard Troops Deploy to Southern U.S. Border

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2018 — Defense Secretary James N. Mattis last night authorized up to 4,000 National Guard troops to deploy to the U.S. border with Mexico to support the Department of Homeland Security border security mission there.

National Guard troops began deploying after the announcement of the authorization.

In a joint statement, Mattis and DHS Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen said DHS worked closely with border-state governors and identified security vulnerabilities the National Guard could address.

“We appreciate the governors' support and are dedicated to working with them to secure the national borders,” Mattis and Nielsen said.

DoD and DHS are committed to “using every lever of power to support the men and women of law enforcement defending our nation's sovereignty and protecting the American people,” they said, adding that they will continue to work with the governors to deploy the necessary resources until the nation's borders are secure.

President Donald J. Trump authorized the National Guard, with the affected governors’ approval, to enhance its support to U.S. Customs and Border Protection along the southern U.S. border. In a presidential memorandum April 4, he said a “drastic surge of illegal activity on the southern border” is threatening national security.

National Guard Troops Deploy Immediately

Mattis authorized the use of Title 32 duty status and DoD funds for up to 4,000 National Guard personnel to support DHS’s southern border security mission while under the command and control of their respective governors through Sept. 30. Title 32 status is full-time duty other than inactive duty performed by a member of the National Guard. It allows the governor, with the approval of the president or the secretary of defense, to order a member to duty for operational homeland defense activities.

The troops will not perform law enforcement activities or interact with migrants or other individuals detained by DHS without approval from Mattis, according to the DoD memo. Arming will be limited to circumstances that might require self-defense, the memo says.

Air Force Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, said in a Twitter post last night that up to 500 troops were deploying immediately in support of the mission. “Always Ready, Always There! Moving up to 500 #NationalGuard troops immediately on the SW border security mission. Vehicles, equipment & helicopters on the way tonight,” the general tweeted.

The National Guard’s efforts will include aviation, engineering, surveillance, communications, vehicle maintenance and logistical support, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said in a news briefing April 5.

“We look forward to continuing our partnership with DHS to ensure the defense of our nation and the security of the American people,” White told reporters.

DoD Extends Sympathy to Families of Service Members Killed in Separate Accidents

by Terri Moon Cronk DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, April 5, 2018 — The Defense Department extends its deepest sympathies and prayers to the families and friends of the four Marines who died in an April 3 helicopter training accident in California and an Air Force Thunderbirds pilot who died yesterday in an F-16 crash in Nevada, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White told reporters today.

“Their loss is a tragic reminder of the tremendous risk our men and women undertake to serve our nation at home and abroad,” she said.

Four Marines from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, were killed when their CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter crashed near El Centro, California. The aircraft had departed the Strategic Expeditionary Landing Field at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, to conduct squadron training consisting of aircraft landings in unimproved zones, Marine Corps officials said.

The F-16 crashed over the Nevada Test and Training Range during a routine aerial demonstration training flight out of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

Names of the service members killed in the crashes have not been released, pending notification of next of kin. Both crashes are under investigation.

Face of Defense: Soldier Kicks It Up a Notch to Set Fitness Example

By Army Staff Sgt. David Overson Joint Multinational Readiness Center Hohenfels

HOHENFELS, Germany, April 6, 2018 — Army Capt. Breanna M. Owens knows a thing or two about meeting the Army’s physical and mental challenges. As an intelligence officer and a functional fitness center working group member at the newest gym here, she can be found leading the way and setting an example for anyone bright enough to follow.

An Army intelligence officer is typically responsible for collecting surveillance and reconnaissance information; coordinating and participating in counterintelligence investigations; and engaging in electronic warfare, but in her role at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Owens is helping to prepare units for combat across the European theater.

“I like the challenge of intelligence work,” she said. “Every job I’ve had has been completely different and I’ve had to adapt to an entirely new challenge; it keeps me on my toes.”

Strong Soldier

There’s nothing new about strong women in the Army, but Owens definitely lives up to that moniker. Her regular workout routine consists of about two hours of weightlifting four days per week and an hour or more doing different types of cardiovascular activity, whether they be functional fitness, intervals, or long runs two to three days per week.

“I was part of an Olympic weightlifting team in San Antonio and did a couple competitions,” Owens said. “I am a marginally good weightlifter at best, but I love doing it and I loved the supportive, team environment. Even though it is an individual sport, it always helps to have people cheering you on.”

One of her coworkers, Capt. Franklin Peachey, also an intelligence officer, has nothing but high praise for her.

“A crucial component of the high standards expected of all Army officers is for them to serve as an example of physical fitness for those around them,” Peachey said. “Captain Owens has made it clear from day one, when I picked up a Rogue Fitness barbell from the post office for her, that personal fitness is a top priority and she is eager to see and help others make it a higher priority as well.

“From my perspective, the greatest contribution Captain Owens makes as a role model to all those around her is that she continuously strives to be a more capable and competent military intelligence officer and Army officer.”

A Sort of Homecoming

Owens is relatively new to the Hohenfels Training Area, but she’s no stranger to Germany.

“I lived in Germany as a middle schooler,” she added. “But I’m excited to be back in Europe. I’m looking forward to doing a lot of traveling and trying to cross a few more places and things off my ‘bucket list.’”

As the youngest child and only girl of four siblings, Owens said she almost always ended up choosing the hardest paths to prove herself to her older brothers.

“As I was getting ready to graduate college and figure out what my next step was going to be in life, my brother, who was an Army recruiter at the time, threw me some pros and cons to giving the Army life a go,” she said. “I knew I would enjoy the challenge.”

That challenge took her from her hometown of York, Pennsylvania, to Afghanistan for two deployments.

“Both deployments were huge learning experiences for me personally and professionally,” she said. “As an intelligence officer, you constantly train to do your job, but deployments are where you execute the skill set you’ve accrued.”

Finding Mentors

Owens’ success as an Army officer may be attributed to growing up with older brothers, seeing her brother serve and knowing her father served back in the 1960s, or learning from exceptional leaders.

“I am lucky to benefit from the work of a lot of talented, driven female officers that came before me, which allows me to serve in the Army today,” Owens said. “Being a female officer in the Army presents some of its own unique challenges, but they aren’t nearly what they used to be.”

Owens’ recommendation to other female soldiers is to find a strong group of peers that act as a support group.

“It always helps to have others that are in a similar situation to bounce ideas off of and vent to for sanity and reality checks.”

Owens hopes that more females will continue joining the Army.

“The Army will test your physical and mental toughness and resilience on a continuous basis,” added Owens. “You have to be ready to meet and surpass the challenge. That being said, it is also some of the most rewarding work you can do, on a level you won’t get anywhere else.”