In brisk and windy weather Tuesday, Fort Carson soldiers eased roughly 20-ton Strykers onto flat rail cars for their trip to the U.S.-Mexico border to help with illegal immigration enforcement. 

The slow roll of the eight-wheeled Strykers was followed by the clanking of chains as soldiers tied down the vehicles. Other 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team equipment, including jeeps, small trucks, fuel, water and IT vehicles, waited in rows alongside the Strykers for loading. 

Over two days, crews expected to load two trains with vehicles. While Strykers can travel by truck or convoy, rail is more efficient. 

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The brigade plans to send 105 Strykers with advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems to help border patrol agents, an Army fact sheet said.  Soldiers have also been cleared to patrol on foot or in their vehicles along the border, and transport Border Patrol agents. 

“Conducting patrols, either on foot or mounted, creates a more proactive and adaptable posture compared to static posts,” said Army Maj. Jennifer L. Staton, a Defense Department spokesperson, in a March news release. “The dynamic approach of patrolling allows service members to cover a larger area of the border, affording them dynamic observation across multiple angles and distances.”

Military service members cannot directly enforce immigration law, but they are allowed to help detect illegal crossings, analyze intelligence, and conduct arial reconnaissance among other tasks. 

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The large shipment of vehicles will join about 2,400 soldiers with the brigade to be headquartered at Fort Huachuca in Arizona. Smaller portions of the battalion will be stationed from Yuma, Ariz., to El Paso, Texas, an Army fact sheet said. They are joining an effort led by the 10th Mountain Division, from New York, with troops also deployed to Miramar Calif.; Fort Bliss, Texas; and Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. 

The 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade from Fort Stewart, Georgia will also be headquartered in Fort Huachuca and bring Black Hawks and Chinooks to the security effort. 

Northern Command expects 9,000 troops to participate in border security assistance, including military police, combat engineers and sustainment troops. 

Active duty troops helped with illegal immigration deterrence in 2018, and primarily focused on installing barriers and providing surveillance, said Sgt. 1st Class Kent Redmond, a spokesman with the Joint Task Force-Southern Border. At the time, they also transported Border Patrol agents using military assets like helicopters to enhance mobility and situational awareness in remote areas.

Redmond could not say how long the Fort Carson brigade would be deployed.

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