Governor Bill Lee recently announced he authorized the deployment of another unit of Tennessee National Guard troops to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
“As Americans continue to call on the federal government to secure our Southern border & restore public safety, Tennessee will always step up & serve. I’ve once again authorized the Tennessee National Guard to boost security at our border, & I commend these troops for their critical support,” Lee said.
I've once again authorized the Tennessee National Guard to boost security at our border, & I commend these troops for their critical support. https://t.co/lPhKCnOmwF
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) October 12, 2023
More than 125 Soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard’s 1175th Transportation Company departed the Volunteer State on Wednesday, October 11, on the first leg of a year-long deployment to the border.
The transportation unit is trained in various logistics, maintenance, and combat functions which “enables the Army to maneuver freely by moving personnel and material by trucks,” according to the Tennessee Department of Military.
The troops are deploying to McAllen, Texas along the border where they will “assist the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency protect the United States, prevent illegal entry, and deter illicit activity or other threats” by assisting with “monitoring the border, supporting border patrol stations, and establishing observation posts to help detect illegal entry into the U.S.”
“This is a unique mission we have been getting ready for,” Capt. Everett Miller, commander of the 1175th Transportation Company said in a statement. “Our Soldiers have been working hard for over a year to prepare for this and anything else needed. We will be based primarily in the McAllen, Texas, area and will assist border patrol stations as needed. It will be a dynamic and important mission, requiring our Soldiers to be flexible and able to operate in a critical and stressful environment, but our unit has the best leaders and Soldiers in Tennessee, we couldn’t be more ready.”
“We are all looking forward to doing the job we are trained and ready for,” Miller added.
This week’s deployment to the U.S.-Mexico border comes four months after Lee initially authorized the deployment of 100 troops to secure the border.
Last month, more than 255,000 foreign nationals were reported to be apprehended or evading capture after illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Tennessee National Guard” courtesy of Gov. Bill Lee’s office.
