As you know, the situation at our southern border with Mexico is only growing worse, thanks to the Biden administration. So Texas Governor Greg Abbott is putting plans into motion to build a new military base to make things easier for his troops.
As I write, there are about 3,000 National Guardsmen deployed by Abbott to the Lone Star State’s southern border. And they are indeed doing good work, erecting barriers, apprehending illegals, and trying to keep Biden’s Border Patrol agents from interfering with their jobs or helping illegals cross over, according to the Texas Tribune.
However, for the most part, these soldiers are living in hotels, tents, and private residences. Some also travel over an hour from these temporary living situations to the places where they are stationed.
Needless to say, there is a great amount of inconvenience being done to these soldiers. It likely also has an effect on both their morale and effectiveness in the field.
So Abbott is going to build an 80-acre military base to house them more permanently and have them closer to the places they are most needed.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is in Eagle Pass right now to show an area where the state is building a new Texas Military Dept. base camp.
He said it will be able to house up to 1,800 soldiers with ability to expand up to 2,300 if state has "surge needs."@KXAN_News pic.twitter.com/yTuPYWH9fe
— Will DuPree (@willdupreetv) February 16, 2024
According to the Tribune, the forward operating base will be built in Eagle Pass, a popular access point to the US from Mexico.
As CBC News reported in December, over 50,000 migrants were processed by border patrol in just five days along this stretch of the border. And that doesn’t count the nearly 1,500 who went about entry to the US the legal way.
Putting a military base in the area would allow for up to 2,300 National Guard members to be sheltered and fed right on the front lines.
Major General Thomas Suelzer says the plan is to have living quarters for at least 300 soldiers ready by April. Then, 300 for each month after that, until around 1,800 soldiers live on the base. However, as I mentioned before, additional space will be built to shelter up to 2,300 should the border crisis require such a military presence.