La. National Guard continues support of Operation Lone Star with engineer team
By Staff Sgt. David C. Kirtland, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office
NEW ORLEANS – Following a request from the State of Texas and with the approval of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, the Louisiana National Guard’s 528th Engineer Battalion mobilized approximately 13 Soldiers to the Texas border in support of Operation Lone Star.
The initial mission to send 50 Soldiers to Texas on three different rotations for approximately 30 days per rotation began in March and ended in June. In total, the LANG spent approximately $2.2 million of the $3 million previously approved. As such, Texas submitted an additional request for engineer Soldiers that will spend the remaining $800,000.
The LANG’s engineers, who arrived in Texas July 15, will support Operation Lone Star through mid-November.
Capt. Thomas Mushenski, officer-in-charge of the Soldiers from the 528th, explained the group prepared for the mission in Texas to ensure the engineers were ready and proficient with their tasks. He also explained the group received numerous briefings upon arrival in Eagle Pass, Texas.
“Some of the valuable experiences that Soldiers will receive are working relationships with other states as part of an EMAC [Emergency Management Assistance Compact] team, understanding the difference between task organizations, ways to de-escalate a hostile situation, how to safely and effectively perform a labor-intensive mission in an austere environment – the importance of looking out for each other and the importance for noncommissioned officers to continuously assess and work to mitigate risk factors,” said Mushenski.
The LANG engineers will be assisting the Texas National Guard with the emplacement of anti-climb barriers along the southern border to prevent and deter illegal migrant crossings.
“The general consensus of Soldiers’ attitudes is that they are happy to be assisting our neighboring state as well as the United States,” said Mushenski. “The 528th Engineer Battalion is honored to be given this mission.”