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THE SIZE OF THE BORDER FORCE: In his brief gaggle with reporters on Air Force One, President Trump said he thinks up to 4,000 National Guard troops will end up augmenting the 20,000 Border Patrol agents who work to secure the four-state southwest border with Mexico. “Anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000. We’re looking at a combination of from 2,000 to 4,000. We’re moving that along,” Trump said yesterday, indicating the mission could extend for years. “We’ll probably keep them, or a large portion of them, until such time as we get the wall.” Because the Guard troops will be activated under state authorities, individual governors will decide how long they stay, and that may depend on how much it costs, and who pays. “We’re looking at it, but, I mean, I have a pretty good idea. But it depends on what we do,” Trump said. The deployment is smaller than Operation Jump Start in 2006, which initially sent 6,000 troops to the border under President George W. Bush. In 2010 President Barack Obama sent 1,200 troops under Operation Phalanx. A 2012 GAO report put the cost of both deployments at $1.35 billion. EYES AND EARS: The troops, who are barred from law enforcement by the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, are expected to take over some of the methodical surveillance work to free up more Border Patrol agents to get out from behind their desks and into the field. That’s something the agents welcome, according to Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union that represents thousands of U.S. border agents. “It increases the certainty of apprehension of those that cross the border illegally,” Judd told NPR’s “All Things Considered” yesterday. “It also increases the certainty of seizure of the contraband that comes across the border. It frees up our Border Patrol agents to be on the border patrolling the border. And it puts the National Guard in the surveillance spots that we currently cover, such as in the control room, watching the cameras, monitoring the sensors in the skyboxes. It frees up our agents to actually patrol the border.” ABOUT POSSE COMITATUS: The GAO points out a widely misunderstood nuance about the 19th century law. National Guard Troops activated under Title 32 of the U.S. Code, and under state command, are technically permitted to participate in law enforcement activities. National Guard troops that are “federalized,” which falls under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, are barred from domestic law enforcement. NO ANSWERS HERE: Despite the White House’s claim that the troops would be heading to the U.S.-Mexico border “immediately,” yesterday the Pentagon was at a loss to answer even the most basic question about the hastily ordered deployment. How many troops? When will they arrive? What will they do? Will they be armed? How long will they stay? Will they go on patrols, or keep to the rear? What will it all cost? Who pays? No matter the question, the answer was some version of “we’ll have to get back to you.” “Those are good questions. We just don’t have those answers now. But those are the questions we’re working to resolve right now,” said Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie at Thursday’s regular Pentagon briefing. PLANNING FOR A PLAN: Normally when the U.S. military deploys troops, it has a plan, known in Pentagon parlance as a “CONOP” or concept of operations. But hit with Trump’s surprise request, the Pentagon was scrambling to fulfill his mandate for an expanded, enhanced version of what the military already does to support the civilian Border Patrol. So the Pentagon did what it does best: It set up a round-the-clock cell staffed with civilian and military planners to come up with a plan. “This is not business as usual. The cell will last for the foreseeable future, to ensure we surge our capacity to meet the president’s enhanced border security goals,” said Dana White, the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson. AWAITING ORDERS: Because the National Guard troops are being activated under state authority and remain under control of the four border-state governors, the Pentagon has to wait for the requests to come through the Department of Homeland Security before acting on them. “Once we know the requirement, we’ll move very quickly. This department will move very quickly to answer those requirements, once they’re known in scope,” McKenzie said, THE MILITARY WALL: The Pentagon did clear up one mystery, namely which military installation borders Mexico and could get an upgrade of its border fencing. Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the Trump administration was looking into options for the military “to build a wall” on installations along the border. And yesterday, Trump again said, “We’re going to have our wall and we’re going to get it very strongly. The military’s going to be building some of it.” Thursday the Pentagon said one installation under consideration is the Barry Goldwater Air Force Range near Yuma, Ariz. Being a bombing range, the area is already fenced off, but White said the existing fence might be reinforced. TRUMP’S CALIFORNIA HURDLE: The Golden State is looking like a potential roadblock in the president’s border plan, writes Gabby Morrongiello. Democratic officials in California are demanding more details before approving the president’s request. Homeland Security officials spent Thursday making calls to state lawmakers, the state’s National Guard unit, and Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown about the need for increased manpower at the U.S.-Mexico border, where immigration officials faced a 37 percent surge in attempted illegal crossings last month. A White House official told Gabby that Nielsen has already had multiple calls with Brown since Trump signed the border memorandum on Wednesday. TEXAS, ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO ON BOARD: Meanwhile, Republican governors in the other border states have embraced Trump’s plans. “Arizona welcomes the deployment of National Guard to the border,” Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey tweeted Wednesday. “Washington has ignored this issue for too long and help is needed. For Arizona, it’s all about public safety.” In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement saying the president’s desire to move National Guard troops to the border advances his top priority of ensuring the state’s safety and security. “Texas will continue to implement robust border security efforts, and this partnership will help ensure we are doing everything we can to stem the flow of illegal immigration,” Abbott said. A spokesman for New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez echoed those statements, and said she offered her full support. Good Friday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre), National Security Writer Travis J. Tritten (@travis_tritten) and Senior Editor David Brown (@dave_brown24). Email us here for tips, suggestions, calendar items and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter @dailyondefense. |
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HAPPENING TODAY — MORE SANCTIONS: The Trump administration is about to impose new sanctions against Russian oligarchs under CAATSA, a law targeting Moscow for meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, both Reuters and CNN are reporting. In what Reuters says “could be the most aggressive move so far against Russia’s business elite,” the sanctions are expected to be aimed directly at several people close to President Vladimir Putin. The new moves would come after last month’s announcement of sanctions against 19 people and five entities, including Russian intelligence services, for cyber attacks stretching back at least two years. This week, outgoing national security adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster said the U.S. has “failed to impose sufficient costs,” on Putin, who McMaster said “has used old and new forms of aggression to undermine our open societies and the foundations of international peace and stability.” The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, or CAATSA, seeks to punish Russia for its annexation of Crimea in 2014, interference in the 2016 election, and actions in Syria. WHAT CHANGE? NOTHING’S CHANGED: Amid reports that Trump gave the Pentagon six months to wrap up the war against the Islamic State in Syria, the Pentagon yesterday denied it was under any deadline, or that there had been any substantial change in Syria policy. “One of the things that we haven’t been given is a timeline,” McKenzie said. “That might have been a problem that we saw before in Afghanistan, where we operated against a timeline that was known to the enemy. The president has actually been very good in not giving us a specific timeline.” So if there’s no timeline to leave, and the plan has always been to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Syria after the defeat of ISIS, what really has changed, Missy Ryan of the Washington Post asked. “As we reach finality against ISIS in Syria, we’re going to adjust the level of our presence there. So in that sense, nothing actually has changed,” said McKenzie, prompting White to chime in that a continuing U.S. presence would strengthen the negotiating position of diplomats trying to hammer out a peace agreement in the U.N.-brokered talks in Geneva. “We are supporting the U.N.’s Geneva process,” White said. “And so we have to ensure that the conditions are such, and that our allies are participating so that Geneva can succeed.” REPORT FROM THE FRONT LINES: The Washington Post’s David Ignatius is just back from talking to U.S. troops in the thick of the fighting in Syria, and reports they believe in their mission. “In the States, if I didn’t show up for my job, someone else would do it. Doing what you’ve been trained to do, and contributing to something greater than yourself, is very important. It’s an honor for us to be here,” said one military doctor, a lieutenant colonel serving with U.S. special operations forces. As the only experienced trauma surgeon in the region, she gets all the worst cases. “I’m flying out of Syria on a C-130 cargo plane,” Ignatius writes. “Sitting next to me is a young officer who’s upset to be on that flight, for two reasons. He is going home to see his mother, who’s very ill. And he is leaving his comrades on the battlefield before the fight is over. He hates that last idea.” PALADIN HOWITZERS TO SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia has been cleared to buy $1.31 billion worth of Paladin Howitzers, which are made by BAE Systems. The purchase would involve 177 of the M109A6 model, trainers, and 180 .50-caliber machine guns, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. TRITON DRONES TO GERMANY: Germany has been approved to buy $2.5 billion worth of MQ-4C Triton drones, which are made by Northrop Grumman. The NATO ally has requested to purchase four of the drones along with a main operating base and a forward operating base. O&M FUNDS FOR THE BORDER? The Pentagon has not ruled out using part of its new operations and maintenance budget windfall to fund Trump’s plan to send National Guard troops to secure the border, White said. The Pentagon’s newly created border security support cell, helmed by Assistant Secretary Kenneth Rapuano, is looking at different possible funding sources. “I want to be clear: That is what the support cell is going to determine,” said White, after being peppered with questions over whether the operations and maintenance money might be tapped. The $238 billion in operations and maintenance funding this year will be key to rebuilding the military. Congress bumped up the funding by $20 billion over last year to cover needed training and repair equipment such as aircraft that are not ready to fly. STANDDOWN IN DJIBOUTI: The U.S. military has put its air operations in Djibouti on hold and canceled the remainder of an ongoing military exercise after two aviation accidents that occurred Tuesday. The decision came after a request from the government of Djibouti following the crash of a Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier jet and a landing that damaged a Marine CH-53 helicopter, according to a Pentagon official. The helicopter accident was fairly minor. The Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopter was landing on an approved range when it set down on a large boulder that the pilot didn’t see. No one was hurt but the helicopter sustained structural damage. The Harrier crash was more serious. The Marine Corps pilot ejected and was treated a U.S. military medical facility before being released. The two incidents on the same day prompted U.S. Naval Forces Central Command to cancel the remainder of exercise “Alligator Dagger.” RECENT CRASHES, CRISIS OR COINCIDENCE? Anytime a cluster of military aviation accidents occurs, it raises the question of whether something bigger is going on, or whether it’s a statistical anomaly. “Mishaps happen in military aviation any time you’re flying complicated machines in situations where you’ve got less than total visibility and doing things that are difficult to do,” McKenzie said yesterday. But 14 fatalities in three weeks in six separate crashes? “Certainly, that’s not normal,” McKenzie said. “And our response to it is never normal. We look very hard, through a well-established procedure of examining each mishap.” Our friends at Task & Purpose have compiled a list of deadly crashes for last year and this year, noting accidents have been more deadly than combat for U.S. troops. We asked for aviation accident rates for fiscal 2018. A Marine Corps spokesperson said the information was not available, but said no common thread linked the latest deadly crashes. “Every mishap is unique, and we have not found a causal, statistically accurate link between readiness and mishaps,” Capt. Sarah Burns said. “The Marine Corps conducts thorough investigations to learn and attempt to prevent future mishaps.” THUNDERBIRD PILOT ID’d: The Air Force said the name of the Thunderbird pilot killed Wednesday in a training crash was Maj. Stephen Del Bagno. His F-16 went down over the Nevada Test and Training Range during a routine aerial demonstration training flight, the service said. “He was an integral part of our team and our hearts are heavy with his loss. We ask everyone to provide his family and friends the space to heal during this difficult time,” said Brig. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, 57th Wing commander at Nellis Air Force Base. MARINES ALSO NAMED: The four Marines killed in a Super Stallion helicopter crash in California on Tuesday have been identified, though the cause of the incident is still under investigation. “The hardest part of being a Marine is the tragic loss of life of a fellow brother-in-arms,” said Col. Craig Leflore, commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group 16 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif. They are:
AFGHAN ELECTRICITY PROJECT FAIL: The military spent $60 million to build Afghanistan electrical power lines that do not have a permanent power source and could put nearby residents at risk, according to a new report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR. An Afghan company contracted in 2013 was required to clear a path for the power lines, and the Afghanistan government had agreed to acquire private land around the project. But SIGAR said neither task has been completed. “This clearance consists of removing and disposing of trees and other vegetation, houses, barns, cattle sheds, and other structures, within about 41 feet of the center of the transmission lines,” the watchdog found. “However, SIGAR found that residents are still living and farming land directly under the … transmission towers and lines.” NERVE AGENT VICTIM RECOVERING: The daughter of a former Russian double agent who was the victim of last month’s nerve agent attack in the U.K. issued her first public statement since the poisoning. “I woke up over a week ago and am glad to say my strength is growing daily. I am grateful for the interest in me and for the many messages of goodwill that I have received,” Yulia Skripal said. “I have many people to thank for my recovery and would especially like to mention the people of Salisbury that came to my aid when my father and I were incapacitated.” THOU DOTH PROTEST TOO MUCH: A top Russian diplomat said Western officials were using the tactics of Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels, the latest response to accusations that Russia used a chemical weapon to poison Skripal and her father. “This is all using the method of Dr. Goebbels: lies that are repeated a thousand times become the truth,” Vasily Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, said during a Thursday meeting of the Security Council. It was just one barb in an extended speech attacking the United Kingdom and other Western allies that have denounced Russia for the attempted assassinations. THE RUNDOWN AP: Guard’s last border deployments offer clues to the future Air Force Times: F-15s flying again at Oregon Air National Guard wing Defense One: Time to Get Out of Syria Washington Post: With ISIS striking back in Syria, a U.S. withdrawal would be a ‘disaster,’ Kurds warn New York Times: Pentagon Wades Deeper Into Detainee Operations Run By Kurds In Syria U.S. News: What Trump’s Syria Intervention Reveals About His Foreign Policy Military Times: Wilkie’s move to acting VA secretary raises new issues for Pentagon personnel office New York Times: At War: U.S. Forces in Syria: Building More Outposts, Pulling Up Lawn Chairs Business Insider: The race to be the US Navy’s first carrier-based drone is heating up Defense News: Pentagon names Dana Deasy to lead Defense IT Army Times: The Army needs more trained armor units for Europe. This one’s getting ready Breaking Defense: Legal Scholars, Software Engineers Revolt Against War Robots Marine Corps Times: First West Coast gender integrated Marine Combat Training class graduates |
CalendarFRIDAY | APRIL 6 10 a.m. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Book discussion of “The Kremlinologist: Llewellyn E. Thompson, America’s Man in Cold-War Moscow” with authors Jenny Thompson and Sherry Thompson. wilsoncenter.org 10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Seeking solutions for Somalia. brookings.edu 10:30 a.m. 1030 15th Street NW. Iran’s Sunnis Resist Extremism, But for How Long? Atlanticcouncil.org 1:30 p.m. Pentagon River Entrance. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis welcomes Slovenia Minister of Defense Andreja Katič to the Pentagon. MONDAY | APRIL 9 9 a.m. 201 Waterfront St. Opening day of Sea-Air-Space, the Navy League’s global maritime exposition. seaairspace.org 10:30 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. The Russian Way of Warfare. csis.org 12:30 p.m. 1777 F St. NW. U.S.-North Korea Relations: Any Progress on Nonproliferation Efforts? A discussion with Victor Cha and retired Adm. Mike Mullen, former Joint Chiefs chairman. cfr.org TUESDAY | APRIL 10 7 a.m. 6715 Commerce St. 2018 Ground Robotics Capabilities Conference and Exhibition. ndia.org 9 a.m. 201 Waterfront St. Sea-Air-Space, the Navy League’s global maritime exposition with Adm. Paul Zukunft, Commandant of the Coast Guard. seaairspace.org 9:30 a.m. Dirksen G-50. Posture of the United States Transportation Command with Gen. Darren McDew. armed-services.senate.gov WEDNESDAY | APRIL 11 7:30 a.m. 900 S Omre St. Air Force Association Breakfast Series with Gen. Robin Rand, of Air Force Global Strike Command. afa.org 9 a.m. 201 Waterfront St. Sea-Air-Space, the Navy League’s global maritime exposition with Thomas Modley, Under Secretary of the Navy. seaairspace.org 9:30 a.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW. The UN’s New “Sustaining Peace” Agenda. stimson.org 10 a.m. Rayburn 2118. Hearing on Cyber Operations Today: Preparing for 21st Century Challenges in an Information-Enabled Society. armedservices.house.gov 11 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Book discussion of “Zbigniew Brzezinski: America’s grand strategist” with author Justin Vaïsse. brookings.edu 12 noon. Iran’s Ballistic Missiles: Capabilities, Intentions, and the Evolving Threat (invitation only event). defenddemocracy.org 1:30 p.m. Rayburn 2118. House Armed Services “Member Day.” armedservices.house.gov 1:30 p.m. Discussion on the Defense Department’s new Close Combat Lethality Task Force with Robert Wilkie, Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. ausa.org 2 p.m. Rayburn 2172. Subcommittee Hearing on North Korea’s Diplomatic Gambit: Will History Repeat Itself? foreignaffairs.house.gov 2:30 p.m. Russell 222. Subcommittee Hearing on U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy, Programs, and Strategy with Guy Roberts, Assistant Secretary Of Defense; Robert Soofer, Deputy Assistant Secretary Of Defense; Gen. Robin Rand, Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command; and Vice Adm. Terry Benedict, Director of Navy Strategic Systems Programs. armed-services.senate.gov 2:30 p.m. Russell 232-A. Subcommittee Hearing on the Health of the Department of Defense Industrial Base and its Role in Providing Readiness to the Warfighter with Lt. Gen. Edward Daly, Deputy Commanding General of Army Materiel Command; Vice Adm. Paul Grosklags, Commander of Naval Air Systems Command; Vice Adm. Thomas Moore, Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command; Lt. Gen. Lee Levy, Commander of the Sustainment Center at Air Force Materiel Command; and Maj. Gen. Craig Crenshaw, Commanding General of Marine Corps Logistics Command. armed-services.senate.gov 3:30 p.m. Rayburn 2212. A Review and Assessment of the Department of Defense Budget, Strategy, Policy, and Programs for Cyber Operations and U.S. Cyber Command for Fiscal Year 2019 with Adm. Mike Rogers, Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, and Kenneth Rapuano, Assistant Secretary of Defense. armedservices.house.gov 4 p.m. 1030 15th St. NW. Reflections on US Policy in Syria and Beyond: A Conversation with Amb. Fred Hof. atlanticcouncil.org 5:30 p.m. 1667 K St. NW. Sustaining the U.S. Nuclear Deterrent: The LRSO and GBSD. csbaonline.org 6 p.m. 1777 F St. NW. Historical Perspectives on the Middle East. cfr.org THURSDAY | APRIL 12 9:30 a.m. Dirksen G-50. Posture of the Department of the Army with Secretary Mark Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, chief of staff. armed-services.senate.gov 10 a.m. Rayburn 2118. The Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Budget Request from the Department of Defense with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Gen. Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. armedservices.house.gov 1 p.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Contested Seas: Maritime Challenges in Northern Europe. csis.org 1 p.m. 1777 F St. NW. A Conversation With Gen. Joseph Votel, Commander of U.S. Central Command. cfr.org 1:30 p.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE. America’s Coast Guard: A National Asset for Security and Prosperity with Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft. heritage.org 2 p.m. Rayburn 2212. Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request for Combat Aviation Programs. armedservices.house.gov 3:30 p.m. Rayburn 2118. Subcommittee Hearing on a 355 Ship Navy: Delivering the Right Capabilities with Vice Adm. William Merz, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations; James Geurts, Assistant Secretary of the Navy; and Vice Adm. Thomas Moore, Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command. armedservices.house.gov 6:30 p.m. 529 14th St. NW. NPC Headliners Book Event: “Fight Like a Girl: The Truth Behind How Female Marines Are Trained.” press.org FRIDAY | APRIL 13 9 a.m. Rayburn 2118. Subcommittee Hearing on Military Personnel Posture: FY 2019 with Vice Adm. Robert Burke, Chief of Naval Personnel; Lt. Gen. Gina Grosso, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower; Lt. Gen. Michael Rocco, Deputy Marine Corps Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs; and Lt. Gen. Thomas Seamands, Army Deputy Chief of Staff. armedservices.house.gov 9 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Regaining the Strategic Advantage in an Age of Great Power Competition: A Conversation with Michael Griffin, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. hudson.org 2:30 p.m. 2301 Constitution Ave. NW. Ending Civil Wars: How Can We Succeed with Limited Opportunities? usip.org |
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