About 30 Army National Guard soldiers are scheduled to arrive at the Arizona-Mexico border this week in the first wave of reinforcements sent by the Obama administration to bolster security, reports USA Today. More soldiers will be sent each Monday until 532 have joined the mission.
California officials said Guard members will begin providing border security in that state on Wednesday. No date has been given for deployments in Texas and New Mexico. The soldiers got two to three weeks of training in surveillance techniques and first aid. They will be armed for self-defense, but will not have law enforcement authority. Instead, they will serve as “extra eyes and ears” for the U.S. Border Patrol.