UAVs on the border

Published/Last Modified on Sunday, Nov 14, 2004 - 12:25:39 am MST

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Last week, we learned that the Army's Hunter unmanned aerial vehicles from Fort Huachuca are being used by the U.S. Border Patrol to monitor the international border with Mexico.

The Border Patrol says it is part of its evaluation of UAVs to be used along the border. The agency has already tried out the Hermes UAV, which it also flew from the fort.

We're glad to see the use of the Army's aircraft and services in the Border Patrol's follow-up evaluation. We believe this is beneficial to both sides, now and possibly in the future.

For now, the Border Patrol is getting the Army's services as the aircraft fly a pre-planned flight path over the international boundary.

And it allows the military to use its aircraft outside of the war zone on real missions. It gives them a chance to train.

While we disagree with putting the military on the international boundary to stop illegal immigration, soldiers and Marines have been helpful in different ways to the Border Patrol.

Marines have helped put up fences in Naco, Ariz., that are intended to make it harder for drug smugglers and illegal immigrants to get into the United States.

Soldiers have played a role by helping to track illegal immigrants who trek onto Fort Huachuca. According to Col. Jonathan Hunter, the fort's garrison commander, Military Police officers know trails commonly used by illegal immigrants.

The use of UAVs from the Army's top site for the pilotless aircraft should be a no-brainer to any top federal official. The aircraft are a resource to border agents, who need help to stem the tide of illegal immigration.

We still have one question that goes unanswered: Why did it take the government this long to get to using aircraft already located on the border?

It seems to us that the military has expertise in this field and can help secure the border with the aircraft. If this would have happened long ago, we might be out of the evaluation phase and into the full use phase.

No matter what, we're glad federal officials saw the working partnership between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense. We hope to see more signs of it in the future.

And we think Fort Huachuca, which has assets of both agencies, can play an ever-expanding role in helping to secure our border.

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Graciela wrote on Jun 18, 2007 7:36 PM:

" I'm a Spanish woman married with a sargent here at fort huachuca.I can say it's totally true everething you are saying!It would be a great idea that all civilians could volunteer.I was surprised when i came here and i realized about what's happening.They come trying to find a better life and if they don't die on the way they would need groups of volunteers to support them and help them , and i think we all should start thinking why are so many differences between some countries with others?Probably if the most rich start caring about the development of thepoorcountrieseverythingwillbebetter. "

Robert Jones wrote on May 23, 2007 12:37 PM:

" I think that is a great idea, ther're a lot of very responsible retires, out there, who would love the chance to be helpful, No comment on Bush, Some body needs to do something positive. "