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141st ARW supporting border patrol, enhancing national security

  • Published
  • By Maj, Brad Benson
  • 141st ARW Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Members of the Washington Air National Guard 141st Civil Engineer Squadron and their counterparts from the Wyoming ANG recently deployed to San Diego to help shore up border security as part of the California Innovative Readiness Training program known as Task Force Grizzly.

Fifty 141st Air Refueling Wing personnel, working in conjunction with U.S. Army Engineers, California ANG medics, and a transportation company from the Louisiana Army National Guard, helped build a secondary security fence, install power and fiber-optics and construct an all-weather road for the Border Patrol.

The improvements are expected to advance both counter-drug and counter-terrorism efforts in Otay Mesa and Imperial Beach Border Patrol areas along the U.S.-Mexican border.

"Task Force Grizzly was a great chance to blend our hands-on skills training with a real-world security mission," said Maj. Mike Nester, 141st CES commander. "I'm proud of our engineers' contribution to enhanced border security and crime and drug reduction resulting from our efforts along the border," Major Nester added.

The secondary fence is constructed using stainless steel mesh. The mesh is overlapped and strapped to 15-foot reinforced steel posts. The fence is set in a 4 foot deep reinforced concrete foundation to make it difficult to burrow under.

The power and fiber optics will allow the border patrol to install lighting and cameras, giving them the ability to remotely monitor the area between the primary and secondary security fences around the clock.

Soil conditions in the area make roads hard for border patrol vehicles to travel when it rains. An all-weather road allows border patrol agents to quickly and safely reach all sections of their patrol area year-round.

Construction methods along this 20-mile stretch of the border also protect the environment. When building the fence through hilly regions like San Diego, engineers remove soil from some areas to fill others. The project uses soil from cut areas as fill for others, reducing impact on native species by preserving the natural flows of surface water. The project also builds improvements to storm-water drainage reducing soil erosion and flooding.