Senator John Ensign: I was pleased when the United States Senate, by a vote of 83 to 10, approved my amendment to immigration reform legislation to allow for the deployment of National Guard troops to the border to assist the U.S. Border Patrol in curtailing illegal immigration. I wanted to share this e-mail I received from my Las Vegas office Staff Assistant, Mark Sprinkle, who is currently assigned to the 593rd Transportation Company of the Nevada National Guard. Mark will be leaving us to serve in Iraq in July.
Senator,
I returned home last night from my two weeks of Annual Training (AT) with the National Guard. I was able to meet many of the soldiers I will serve with in Iraq. They all seem great and I look forward to working with them to accomplish our mission of delivering fuel to units throughout the country. We did some excellent training in Hawthorne. We were able to see some examples of IEDs, work on convoy procedures and tactics, and do innovative things like firing M-16s from the windows of our moving trucks at targets 50 and 250 meters away. This training was enjoyable and it really tied into what we`ll be doing over there.
When I got home, I caught a replay of the Armed Services Committee meeting regarding the role and mission of the National Guard on the border. I agree with the comments of Lt. General Blum of the NGB that the Guard will prove more than capable and effective in helping to secure the border. All people enjoy accomplishing tasks and helping others. I think it would be a great feeling for an engineer to build a road that will be there for decades and for a helicopter medevac crew-member to rescue a sick or injured person in the desert. It is a tremendous idea to use the Guard in this capacity. It will help units stay sharp and prepared by having them use the same skill sets that they will use in fulfilling their missions during natural disasters and in warzones. I also like the idea of having units rotate in during their two week AT. That would be great training and it sure beats sitting in an armory for 15 days. Your amendment to reimburse states with federal funds is great and I hope that governors will allow their units to assist the Border Patrol in accomplishing their vital mission of securing the border. Well Senator, just some thoughts and observations from your local guardsman.
Sincerely,
MARK J. SPRINKLE
