Mercenaries in Texas

[hermetic]

Written by Elizabeth Moon

According to the Washington Post, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and a couple from Tennessee have colluded to privately fund the South Dakota National Guard’s expedition to the Texas border. The foundation of Willis and Reba Johnson has pledged and followed through with payment of $1 million in support for the mission to the U.S.-Mexico border. The South Dakota National Guard, according to another source on Twitter, considers itself “self-deputized” to perform Border guard duties.

.....

Chances that South Dakota National Guardsmen will recognize *our* brown people as native Americans, be fluent in Spanish, and understand any of the local customs? NIL. We had both North and South Dakotans as tourists in the Valley when I was a kid and that whole northern tier of winter Texans were…annoying. Chances of South Dakota National Guard troops killing American citizens in this venture: high and the chances of them causing an international incident with Mexico are even higher.

But worse than that: National Guard troops are not supposed to be for hire to any political activist who wants to show off how rich they are. They are part of our national military force, not the Governor’s private militia she can hand off to someone for a payback to the state. Their deployment outside South Dakota is supposed to be approved by the Pentagon. Remember that the governor of Maryland could not send the Maryland National Guard to Washington D.C. on January 6, for a genuine emergency, until they were released for interstate duty through channels–the Acting Secretary of Defense and the Army’s Chief of Staff.

Was this out-of-state deployment approved by the Pentagon? If so, by whom at the Pentagon? Under what existing rules that govern National Guard deployments? The South Dakota National Guard, like all National Guards, is supported and provided with supplies, including vehicles, weapons, uniforms, etc., by the Department of the Army. The equipment belongs to the military–ultimately to the Army, and is not to be used for purposes not approved by the military.


Read the rest of this important article here: https://juanitajean.com/ July 3, 2021

[Eyeball_Kid]

1. I can't imagine that Noem's Folly

has not yet been the subject of a civil complaint. Noem should be indicted for misusing the public's trust for personal political gain. That's what this is. It has nothing to do with "guarding the nation."

[hermetic]

3. Totally agree!

Somebody better do something.

[stillcool]

2. They've got a chorus going..

but are they doing anything? Seems like along with dismantling their elections they all want to highlight their new-found desire to build walls, and send whoever to police the border. It's in one ear and out the other, it's gotten so old.

[Dan]

4. Another thought,

If any of the National Guard Troops are hurt on this expedition, then I do not think that the Nation or the State should be liable for their health care and long term benefits. They opted to act as a private mercenary force (which I think in their shoes, I would be consulting a lawyer) and the penalties and support issues are the responsibility of their employer. Who in this case is not the State or the Nation.

[Karadeniz]

5. So they're functioning as private militias. I thought those were illegal in the all fifty states.