Gov. Doug Burgum and the North Dakota National Guard’s adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann, today visited North Dakota National Guard soldiers serving along the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas, thanking them for their work to support efforts by state and federal officials to secure the border.
“The work they’re doing down here is so important, trying to protect the border, trying to stop illegal crossings. This is a matter of national security,” Burgum said, noting the federal government under the Biden administration isn’t fulfilling its responsibility to secure the border. “We’re full of gratitude for the North Dakota National Guard, full of gratitude for all the law enforcement that’s down here, the Border Patrol professionals that are working to keep our country safe.”
Approximately 100 members of the Wahpeton-based 188th Engineer Company began a 30-day mission last week in support of Operation Lone Star, a joint operation between the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Military Department. The operation was launched by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in March 2021 to secure the border, stop drug and human trafficking and interdict transnational criminal behavior between ports of entry.
Burgum, who serves as commander-in-chief of the North Dakota National Guard, deployed the 188th in response to a request from Abbott in a May 16 letter asking for states to send available resources to combat illegal activity at the border and ensure the safety and security of all Americans.
On Monday the governor toured the unit’s security and engineering operations at the border and received briefings from Guard leaders as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
On Tuesday, Burgum will observe the operations and visit with members of the 1st Battalion, 112th Aviation Regiment, which has approximately 125 members deployed on federal status in support of CBP. The deployment of the 1-112th Aviation Regiment followed the return of 125 members of the 957th Engineer Company’s Multi-Role Bridge Company in September 2022 after they assisted CBP at the border for about a year as requested by the U.S. Army through the National Guard Bureau and with Burgum’s authorization.
Due to security concerns, the military requested that the locations of the 188th and 1-112th not be publicized.
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(Gov. Burgum office release, photo)